His journalistic achievements have been widely recognized – not least in a highly amusing article by his colleague Andra Oprea, which speaks of the 'Incredible Stories of a Gentleman-Reporter'. Moreover, Helmut Hetzel was the first German to lay a wreath on May 4, Remembrance Day. This happened on May 4, 1995, at the Nieuwspoort monument. Helmut was then chairman of the Foreign Press Association in the Netherlands (BPV), which will celebrate its 100th anniversary in 2025.