SCHWEINFURT, Germany – Flames burst through the windows on the roof, and before his buddy could finish the question, "Should we go help?" SPC Joshua Smith was racing toward the burning building. (…) For his heroic effort on that early morning last July in Kitzingen, Smith, with the 57th Signal Company, received the Bavaria Lifesaving Medal from the state prime minister, Dr. Edmund Stoiber, in a Munich ceremony May 15. Smith, a fellow Soldier and an off-duty police officer risked their lives to save a woman who had slipped and fallen while trying to escape the blaze.

All freedom-loving people have a stake in the war against terrorism, [German 1st Lt. Jens] Praetzas said. He added that he believes the conflict constitutes a struggle of democracy versus tyranny. He said his heart goes out to U.S. servicemembers who've paid the ultimate price for freedom while serving in Iraq or Afghanistan. (...) A possible hurdle that could thwart his goal of joining the Marines is obtaining a U.S. residence certificate, or "green card." He's sought to obtain one -- so far unsuccessfully -- via the lottery process. Praetzas recalled making friends with U.S. servicemembers when he was in charge of a detail of German soldiers that had taken up guard duties at U.S. military installations in Germany at the end of 2003. This operation freed up American troops for deployment for other war-related duties.

France and Germany opposed the war in Iraq, but that's not stopping their corporate interests from seeking to arm U.S. troops. The Franco-German company European Aeronautic Defense and Space Co. (EADS) last month won a helicopter contract from the U.S. Army potentially worth up to $2 billion. And the company isn't stopping there. (...) To soothe the opposition, the Europeans regularly form alliances with U.S. defense companies and promise to open factories and create jobs on American soil. EADS, for example, will expand a facility in Mississippi to build helicopters currently produced in Germany.