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Today we headed to just outside the city of Luxembourg to another American Cemetery. This one holds the grave of General George S. Patton. This cemetery is probably the smallest we have seen with only 5,076 graves. Patton’s grave looks just like every other grave except it had to be moved to an area closer to the walkway because the grass around other graves was being ruined because of the amount of people viewing Patton’s grave. Each of these cemeteries has a chapel and a listing of names of those that were missing in actions. If there is a star by a name on the wall of the missing, it means the remains have been found. Just two weeks ago remains were identified in Germany along with part of an airplane. The remains were returned to the family somewhere in Florida. If brothers were killed in the war, their bodies are buried side by side in each of the cemeteries. In this cemetery there was a set of twins that were killed one day apart. Think of the sacrifice that family made.
Just a mile or so from the American Cemetery at Luxembourg is the Cemetery for German Soldiers at
Sandweiler. During the heavy fighting in the winter and spring of 1945 along the Luxembourg-Germany border and the Luxembourg-Belgium border the American Burial Service recovered their own as well as German victims of war. These bodies were buried in two separate cemeteries a mile apart but in the American military zone. When the US Army Burial Service had completed its work there were 5599 graves in the German Cemetery each being identified by a small wooden cross. Following an agreement between Germany and Luxembourg, the Germans moved all the other German remains to this cemetery bringing the total to 10914 German soldiers. It was the first cemetery or war that had been built outside Germany. The wooden crosses were replaced with granite and the ceremonial opening was held in 1955. Thanks to our government the process was started.
Next we went to the Ardennes Region and the area known for the Battle of the Bulge. Here we visited the Historical Center and the star-shaped Mardasson Monument to the soldiers who died in the Battle of the Bulge. At this museum they have a flag from every state in the United States (at that time). General “Nuts” McAuliffe is honored
here. They sell everything - shirts, mugs, pins - everything you can imagine. All over town you see some reference to “Nuts”. For those of you that don’t know, while the Americans were trying to hold on to Bastogne, the Germans demanded their surrender. They sent two messangers with the terms of surrender to General McAuliffe, who read the terms and replied in anger “Nuts”!! When asked what his reply would be he wrote “Nuts”. When the Germans didn’t understand it they were told it meant the same as “Go To Hell”!! Within an hour the battle resumed but and the Germans surrounded Bastogne. Eventually Patton broke through and the Germans retreated. Believe me the people of Bastogne appreciate Patton, “Nuts” McAuliffe, and the Americans. They even fly American flags in several places.
We went in to Bastogne, but it was what is known as “free day”, which is a holiday….everything was closed except the visitors center and restaurants. This is our third or fourth holiday on this trip!
From Bastogne we continued through the Ardennes Region to Diekrich, Luxembourg and the National Museum of Military History. In all the museums I have visited, I have never seen so
Bastogne
Sherman Tanks used there much collected about World War II. This museum had 3 or 4 levels filled with exhibits which included all kinds of uniforms, weapons, patches, vehicles, and every kind of memorabilia you can imagine. What made me sad was all of the propaganda the Germans gave to the American soldiers to try to get them to give up and go home. I took several pictures and I will share the ones you can read the easiest.
Once we left the museum we headed back to our hotel in Luxembourg City. Dinner was on our own this evening and we had free time. Unfortunately we were tired and everything is closed for holiday.
Tomorrow we head through France toward the beached of Caen and Normandy.
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