Germans greet N.Y. firefighters

WESTERLAND, Germany -- New York firefighters who helped in the Sept. 11 rescue efforts were welcomed by this town's mayor and chatted with volunteer firefighters Sunday.

Everett Wabst, a New York Fire Department chaplain leading the group of 20 firefighters on the North Sea island of Sylt, presented mementos to Mayor Petra Reiber at a city hall reception. One was a T-shirt with a well-publicized picture of two firemen who retrieved a U.S. flag from the ruins of the World Trade Center.

Wabst, 55, paid tribute to 343 firefighters who died at the twin towers, and thanked his German hosts for showing solidarity in inviting them for the weeklong visit.

Later, the Americans met local firefighters to discuss Sept. 11. A few ventured out to the cold, windswept beach for a stroll.

The New York firefighters, accompanied by family members, arrived Saturday. Their program includes meetings with German colleagues, trips to museums, a golf course and neighboring islands.

Last month, 25 students from four New York high schools nearest ground zero visited Germany at the invitation of Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder.