Okay, my original plan was to work through all of my travel in Germany chronologically before adding new travel. However, I finished a fantastic trip last week and I want to share before I forget some of the details.

The nature of my job means that I get to move around quite a bit. As most of you already know, I was asked to move from Germany to teach for two terms in England. After asking them to “twist my arm,” As I began making plans to move I started planning a driving route that would take me through a couple of key cities in Belgium since I had time to explore. My brother Josh helped me pick cities that would resonate with my love of history: Bastogne, Ghent, Bruges, and Dunkirk (France).

I woke on the day of my departure to a light snow falling in Germany and it continued snowing throughout the day. It was a beautiful way to pass through the countryside. I arrived in Bastogne mid-day and went straight to the Bastogne War Museum that commemorates the Battle of the Bulge and the American soldiers who fought off the Germans final major blitzkrieg through parts of France and Belgium towards Antwerp. The fighting was brutal and the smaller, worn Allied troops from the 101st Airborne dug in at Bastogne and held out without resupply for several weeks in December of 1944. The War Museum and adjacent Mardasson Memorial commemorate the entire battle of the Ardennes. I spent over 4 hours working through the audio guided museum that covers the entirety of the Ardennes defense. It is interactive and sobering.

After the museum, I made my way out to the Memorial, named after the hill upon which it is constructed. In the center of the star lies a stone with the following inscription:

LIBERATORIBUS AMERICANIS

 POPULUS BELGICUS MEMOR

VII. MCMXLVI

(The Belgian people remember their American liberators – 4th July 1946)

The Memorial is in the shape of the star of freedom, with five points. The names of the 48 states (as of the year of dedication) are engraved on the crown. Around the outside are insignias from the main battalions that participated in the Battle of the Bulge. The inner walls contain descriptions of the battle’s progression, including 10 paintings. There is a crypt below the memorial to honor the 76,890 soldiers who died in the battle reflecting Catholic, Protestant, and Jewish faiths.

The day I spent walking through the history of this place and these battles will stay with me forever.