During his visit to Germany from June 23 to 26, 1963, John F. Kennedy inspected American troops and tanks of the U.S. Armed Forces in Europe in the presidential limousine in Hanau or Wiesbaden. The inspection was a visible signal of American defense readiness during the Cold War. The U.S. troops stationed in the Federal Republic were regarded as a central pillar of NATO defense and as an immediate guarantee for the security of West Germany and West Berlin.