 |
 |
BASTOGNE MEMORIAL
| The information and photographs used on this page are from James Baudhuin, in the name of his father-in-law, Clarence Bathke, PFC, Co A, 23rd Inf Regt., 2nd Infantry Division. The descriptions are James's, since he made the photos. Thanks to James for allowing them to be used here. |
Please click inside each of the photos for a larger view.
The memorial to the troops who participated in the Battle of the Bulge is a star-shaped structure with the names of all the states embossed around the top of the monument. It's about 20 feet high. Very impressive memorial and a very fitting tribute.
|
|
The inside of the memorial consists of 13
stone tablets on which is engraved a history
of the battle.
There are 13 tablets in all inside the memorial.
Tablet #1 starts out with something like,
"On December 16, 1944...." and
chronicles the battle through the point where
the German army was moving back east.The
monument is a very solemn, church-like setting.
As you walk from tablet to tablet, following
the chronology of the battle, one can't help
but become emotional, especially for those
of us whose parents were there.The prose
describing the battle is almost written as
poetry. A fitting tribute to all who served
there.
 |
Shown above are the tablets that chronicled the Elsenborn Ridge area of the battle. The writing cannot be read on the scanned photo so the transcript is included below, again, courtesy of James Baudhuin:
| The battle began with fog and darkness… The thin defending line was overwhelmed and broken under weight of fire and metal… The Ardennes door lay open… Through three great gaps in the line the spearheads were advancing towards St. Vith. From both flanks around the Schnee Eifel. Towards Bastogne, after leaping the River Our… Of reserves, the theater had but two divisions, undermanned and under-equipped… In the north, near Monschau, there is a ridge called Elsenborn which is nature's bastion. |
 |
| In the words of James Baudhuin: The monument in Bastogne is dedicated to everyone who fought in the Battle of the Bulge, not just the 101st. I don't recall how many division crests were displayed, but there were a lot of them. The tablets inside the monument chronicle the entire battle. With regards to Normandy, Omaha Beach was an experience! The day we were there was a quiet, September day with the winds blowing gently off the Channel. The tall grasses down on the beach seemed to whistle as they swayed in the breeze. Very few people were there. We drove down to the beach and climbed the bluff past the gun bunkers, to the cemetery on the crest. It was a very, very emotional solemn, experience. The cemetery is extremely well maintained, just like in "Pvt Ryan". Omaha Beach is about 4 miles from east to west. From the top of the bluff at the cemetery you can see both ends of the banana-shaped beach. Guns located on that bluff had clear sight lines in both directions. To stand on the bluff and look out over the beach is a chilling experience. To walk the cemetery and realize what happened there in 1944... The Nyland brothers (upon whom "Pvt Ryan" was based) are buried there. So is Gen Teddy Roosevelt, Jr. Walking the cemetery and seeing row upon row of crosses dated 6-6-44 is very emotional. To see crosses bearing the inscription "Here lies a comrade known only to God" is a real load to handle. Bring plenty of Kleenex if you plan to visit the site. We also visited the Amer Cemetery in Luxembourg where Patton is buried. Also very, very well maintained, and also a very emotional experience seeing row upon row crosses dated 12-16-44. All in all, an unforgettable experience. |
Home | Contents | Photo Album | Service Record | Decorations and Citations | Links | Web Rings | Email
Pre-Combat Normandy Northern France Rhineland Ardennes Central Europe