Günter Luther
Günter Luther (17 March 1922 – 31 May 1997) was a German admiral who became Inspector of the Navy and Deputy Supreme Allied Commander Europe for NATO. During World War II, he served as a military pilot in the Kriegsmarine and a paratrooper in the Luftwaffe. After the war, he joined the newly founded West German Bundesmarine in 1956. Personal life Günter Luther was born in Bestwig on 17 March 1922, the son of a teacher who came from a family of artisans. He completed his secondary education and took his Abitur in 1939. In 1947 he married his wife Christel, who died in 1995. He died on 31 May 1997 in Kiel from a heart condition, whilst returning from a reunion at the wheel of his car. Career World War II After taking his Abitur, Luther joined the Kriegsmarine as an officer candidate in December 1939. He completed his nautical training on the training ship Gorch Fock and the battleship , and his military schooling at Naval Academy Mürwik and the naval artillery school in Kiel. His training also included half a year on the frontline on the minesweeper M-1 in Norwegian waters. He planned to train as a