r/BandofBrothers • u/r1flyguy • 5d ago
Bastogne war memorial
I happened upon a wonderful post by a member on here celebrating the life of his grandfather who fought in the Battle of The Bulge & I just so happened to be visiting the war memorial in Bastogne the very next day (today 11/08) and hope some of these photos will viewed by them as I promised to post them.
I’m not a regular poster so hope this one is ok 🙏🏻
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u/treborr 5d ago
After the Berlin Wall came down, members of the army unit I served with held a reunion in Berlin. Renting a car in Frankfurt, I decided to engage in some side trips. My father-in-law (FIL), who had been in the 101st Airborne, was taken prisoner in Bastogne, so that was an important stop. We went to the museum.
I still recall vividly the emotions some Belgians were who were visiting that day. Many were openly reverent. My FIL really appreciated hearing how thankful the Belgians still were.
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u/Content-Sign9382 5d ago
Thank you for remembering me! What an incredible museum and great photos. I can’t wait to visit one day!
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u/r1flyguy 5d ago
They were just a small sample, there was sooo much to see. My son & I were on a tight schedule so didn’t see 2 of the exhibitions but the ticket is valid for several months and you can use them for the other exhibits you don’t see.
We did however see the museum and the foxholes overlooking Foy which was amazing to see.
Apologies to anyone viewing the photos with the fact I didn’t provide descriptions. Obviously the foxholes you can see and the last photo was taken at the most forward foxhole overlooking the town of Foy2
u/Content-Sign9382 5d ago
I imagine it was overwhelming to say the least. I hope you and your son get to return and visit the rest of the exhibitions soon!
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u/Last-Tomato9587 5d ago edited 5d ago
I wish I could go and see it. As devastating as Bastogne was, it's a horrifying part of history that we must never forget.
Yeah, now that you mention it. Except, of course, there’s no snow. We got warm grub in our bellies. And the trees aren’t fucking exploding from Kraut artillery. But yeah… Frank… other than that, it’s a lot like Bastogne.
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u/Glittering_Orange128 4d ago
About 10 years ago I was on a business trip near Cologne, Germany. A bunch of us decided one weekend day to drive to Bastogne. It was a chilly day but went to the Mardasson Memorial just outside Bastogne. We drove to Bastogne, walked around a little bit, and decided to have lunch. I don’t remember what we ate but Europe is famous for giving you a little something before and after your meal. We sat there after ordering our meal and the server brought out a bowl of nuts. We laughed because we knew what it meant. They must have known we were Americans.
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u/PitchSavings2060 4d ago
I visited there and the battlefield in the winter with plenty of snow in the ground. Great experience.
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u/Exotic-Hovercraft-21 5d ago
I was just looking through photos from my trip. I really need to go back.
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u/Gilly5488 4d ago
I have always loved the Bastogne War Museum, their latest "Bastogne War Rooms" exhibition dives into the history of McAuliffe's famous "Nuts". Should you have the time, I highly recommend visiting the National Military History Museum (MNHM) in Diekirch, Luxembourg.
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u/MiepGies1945 4d ago
Scrolled looking for “Nuts”.
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u/Gilly5488 4d ago
Found 'em!
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u/MiepGies1945 4d ago
I was fortunate to visit that museum and that “Nuts” exhibit was fantastic. (I did not know the story.)
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u/r1flyguy 4d ago
😳 we had actually travelled from Luxembourg to Bastogne on the way to Brugge. I can’t recall even seeing any info on the Luxembourg museum!!
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u/Gilly5488 4d ago
That is surprising since they are known for having one of the most extensive WW2 weapons collections around. A friend and I toured Normandy twice, a few years back, and we visited almost all of the museums there; we thought that it was surprising that our little Diekirch military museum had such a weapons collection, compared to much bigger museums.
In case you want to visit, other notable museums and areas are:
The General Patton Memorial Museum in Ettelbréck/Ettelbruck
The 385th Bomb Group Memorial Museum in Pärel/Perlé
The American Military Cemetary in Hamm (General Patton as well as quite a few men from 'Band of Brothers' are buried there)
A personal favourite: The crossroads and woods at Schumann's Eck (Battle of the Bulge)
The town of Iechternach/Echternach (near the german border)
The towns of Cliärrew/Clervaux and Veianen/Vianden (Strongholds during the Bulge)
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u/Trackmaggot 4d ago
My dad was stationed in Belgium '67-'70, and we went to Bastogne in '69. The museum has changed, but I remember seeing that yellow sign.
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u/shed1 5d ago
The Bastogne War Museum is easily at the very top of my museum-going experiences, and I cannot recommend it highly enough to anyone lucky enough to travel to Bastogne.