During his visit to Germany from June 23 to 26, 1963, President John F. Kennedy also visited installations of U.S. armed forces stationed in the Federal Republic. The presence of American forces with conventional and tactical weapons systems was a central element of NATO’s defense strategy during the Cold War. The lined-up missiles bearing U.S. Army markings illustrated the military security guarantee that Kennedy affirmed in his speeches to the West German population and the residents of West Berlin.