How many survivors from the Battle of the Bulge today?
WWII is now far away and there are not many war survivors from the battle of the Bulge, which occurred during the winter of 1944- 19945 in the Belgian Ardennes.
But the city of Bastogne keeps vivid memories of these troubled times. I took my guests on a special WWII tour yesterday and they saw that Belgium was still very much affected by what had happened then.
As soon as we arrived in Bastogne, we saw a Sherman tank on the main plaza, with a statue representing General McAuliffe. At the Bastogne museum, we were able to see many artifacts from the period, but the highlight was a documentary shot by the American army during the battle: it was extremely interesting. We then went to the American cemetery of Neupre where over 5,000 Americans are buried.
We ended the day at Germaine’s house: she was 11 years old during the battle and had to live in the stable of his parents’ home for 6 weeks during the battle. The Germans had taken over the farm to settle their hospital. She offered us coffee and Belgian cakes while sharing her memories with us. It was very moving and informative.
The American cemetery, Neupre, Belgium, August 2008.
All of us, Diana, Mary Anne, Rose, Karen, Rima, Caryl and Barb in front of the Medieval Veves Castle, Ardennes, Belgium, 2008.
The same crowd (plus Valerie in the center, minus Caryl) enjoying Belgian beer in Dinant, Belgium, 2008.
My name is Jackie Grandchamps. In 2003, I founded French Escapade, offering another way to travel in small groups of 8. "Don't be a tourist, be our guest" is the moto and spirit of my company.
Check www.frenchescapade.com
Through this blog, I will provide information about France, Belgium, California, (soon Italy) but also some stories from my guests on the tours.
Learn more about the company in the French Escapade section of this blog.