Upcoming visit to Battle of the Bulge sites...

[Beemerguy53]

In ten days, my girlfriend and I are heading to Europe, and one of the places on our itinerary is Bastogne, in Belgium. I've been there before, but she has not, and ever since we watched Band of Brothers, she's been interested in the Battle of the Bulge.

If you have a relative who was there, or some particular interest in the events of eighty years ago, let me know the particulars, and I will try to get some photos for you. We are not planning at this time to visit the three American military cemeteries in that area, but we will spend a couple of days in downtown Bastogne, and will visit the Bois Jacques, and Foy, and the museums in and around the town.

I'll post some photos here when we return, of course...

 

[lihpster]

My uncle was in the area with the 2ND Armored Division. I don't know any of the specifics of where exactly he was, he didn't talk about the war. Luckily, he's not in any of the cemeteries over there, he made it home. Sounds like a wonderful trip. Enjoy yourselves.

 

[Beemerguy53]

My uncle was in the area with the 2ND Armored Division. I don't know any of the specifics of where exactly he was, he didn't talk about the war. Luckily, he's not in any of the cemeteries over there, he made it home. Sounds like a wonderful trip. Enjoy yourselves.

Here's a 2013 article from a 2nd AD veteran about his experiences in the Battle of the Bulge...

The Bulge-Philip Walsh, 2nd Armored Division | Battle of the Bulge Association(R)

 

[lihpster]

Cool. Gives me a vague idea. Thank you.

 

[STCM(SW)]

Only thing I remember is what the General told the Germans when he was asked to surrender.
"NUTS!"

 

[SPEEDGUNNER]

Enjoy the trip. Some outstanding small museums in the towns where the battle raged. Buy the book "Battle of the Bulge, Then and Now" and walk yourself through the different areas. Ecternach, Wiltz, St. Vith, Houffalize, Stavelot in addition to Bastogne. Think of the movie "Patton", when George C. Scott talks about traveling the same roads as the Roman Legions. Lots of history. Very sobering.

 

[Beemerguy53]

Only thing I remember is what the General told the Germans when he was asked to surrender.
"NUTS!"

The main square in downtown Bastogne is named for General Anthony McAuliffe. There's a bust of him in the square, next to a knocked-out Sherman tank. The citizens have never forgotten what the Americans did there...

 

[Beemerguy53]

Enjoy the trip. Some outstanding small museums in the towns where the battle raged. Buy the book "Battle of the Bulge, Then and Now" and walk yourself through the different areas. Ecternach, Wiltz, St. Vith, Houffalize, Stavelot in addition to Bastogne. Think of the movie "Patton", when George C. Scott talks about traveling the same roads as the Roman Legions. Lots of history. Very sobering.

Sobering indeed, in so many ways.

The USA lost 19,000 KIA in six weeks. I don't know how many the Germans lost, but it was probably close to that number.

The American Military Cemetery and Memorial in Luxembourg has about 5,300 buried there, including a number of sets of brothers.

The German cemetery nearby has about 10,000 graves. Unlike us, the Germans put the date of birth on tombstones. There were German soldiers KIA in the Battle of the Bulge who were only 16 or 17 when they were killed.

What's especially tragic is that the war was basically lost at that point. With the Americans, British, and Canadians closing in from the west, and the Soviets from the east, there was no way Germany could win, so they tried one last desperate attempt to avoid an unconditional surrender, with a terrible waste of human lives.

 

[SteveA]

My dad was in the 1st ID on the northern shoulder of the Bulge. I think it was Butgenbach area. Have a cousin buried in Margarten Cemetery in the Netherlands. He was killed during Market Garden with the 82nd Airborne. My borther took the Band of brothers tour a couple of years ago and really enjoyed it.

 

[VaTom]

Make sure you go to the village of Lanzerath. That’s where an I & R platoon of 20 soilders held off an entire German regiment on the first day. There is a small memorial up a gravel road where their dug in position was overlooking the village. The countryside and village is much the same as it was then. This is the book about it.
Worth the drive out to it.

 

[lihpster]

Make sure you go to the village of Lanzerath. That’s where an I & R platoon of 20 soilders held off an entire German regiment on the first day. There is a small memorial up a gravel road where their dug in position was overlooking the village. The countryside and village is much the same as it was then. This is the book about it.
Worth the drive out to it.

There is a guy on Youtube that does historical videos. Mostly military in nature. He has a good one on Lanzerath. He's got a bunch of good stuff on his channel. Search for The Fat Electrician. I can't link to it because he uses spicy language, you've been warned. The Lanzerath video is titled "22 vs 500: Americas Defiant Stand at Lanzerath Ridge.

 

[SPEEDGUNNER]

Make sure you go to the village of Lanzerath. That’s where an I & R platoon of 20 soilders held off an entire German regiment on the first day. There is a small memorial up a gravel road where their dug in position was overlooking the village. The countryside and village is much the same as it was then. This is the book about it.
Worth the drive out to it.

This battle is filled with fascinating stories, along with the above there is this amazing tale...

OUR WWII STORY: Eric Fisher Wood Jr. – Rambo of the Ardennes | The American Legion

 

[walnutred]

My favorite book on the battle is The Damned Engineers by Janice Holt Giles. She wrote it about her husbands unit, the 291st Engineers, participation in the battle. The movie Battle of the Bulge borrows heavily from her book.

 

[Marksman]

Another interesting book about the Battle of the Bulge is "The Bitter Woods" by General Eisenhower's son.

 

[Telecaster]

I’d visit at Christmas time, for maximum effect.

 

[Roofuss]

My dad was a tank driver with Patton { 610th Tank Destroyer Battalion} but never talked much about what happened. Landed on Utah Beach about a month after D-Day, saw action at the Bulge, Bastogne, The Ardennes, etc. I always wanted to take a Band of Brothers tour but doubt at 75 I'll be able to ever do it. God Bless them all !

 

[pmanton]

The 101st's GC's reply of "Nuts" to the Germans made a deep impression on me.
When my time to serve came, It was with the 101st Abn Div.

 

[Tom Kent]

I had a cousin whom I called the "last original hillbilly". He was border line too old to go. He got caught with a carload of non tax paid liquor. The judge gave him a choice of military service or prison. He often said he should have taken prison, it would have been easier. He wound up as a replacement for the 36th Infantry Division. He never talked about it much but when he died I went to my parents house to get his "Veterans Papers"" to give to his son. I had never looked at them before but I noticed that he got a silver star. I guess you don't mess with hillbillys.

 

[Glynn863]

My favorite book on the battle is The Damned Engineers by Janice Holt Giles. She wrote it about her husbands unit, the 291st Engineers, participation in the battle. The movie Battle of the Bulge borrows heavily from her book.

We had to read a book about the 291st Engineers when I went to EOBC at Ft Leonard Wood in 1990. It may have been the same book.

 

[bummer]

Had 2 uncles at the bulge , one in the 2ndID and the other in the 99th ID. I had another uncle in the 83rd ID that was wounded prior to the bulge and dear old dad was on his way to Europe as a replacement in the 17th AB