December 16th, 1944, German forces began a massive offense against Allied forces from Ardennes to Antwerp. This battle lasted until January 25th, 1945 and would be known as the Battle of the Bulge, the last major campaign in Europe during World War II. Now, you can find many memorials and reminders of this battle all through this area. I had a chance recently to go visit the American cemetery in Luxembourg, the foxholes at Foy, and the city of Bastogne.
The foxholes at Foy
These foxholes are where Easy company fought away the German forces in the small village of Foy. They would sit in these dug positions, typically in incredibly cold temperatures. On December 22 and 23, the soldiers of Easy Co. held back German forces as they tried to advance through Foy.
Many people leave homemade memorials to Easy Co.
Nowadays, the foxholes remain dug, and people come and leave their own tributes to the soldiers of Easy Co. The forest surrounding it is now owned by loggers, but the trees that regrow leave a very austere feeling to the whole forest.
On December 22nd, 1944, General Anthony McAuliffe received a letter from the German Major. It read:
To the U.S.A. Commander of the encircled town of Bastogne.
The fortune of war is changing. This time the U.S.A. forces in and near Bastogne have been encircled by strong German armored units. More German armored units have crossed the river Our near Ortheuville, have taken Marche and reached St. Hubert by passing through Hompre-Sibret-Tillet. Libramont is in German hands.
There is only one possibility to save the encircled U.S.A. troops from total annihilation: that is the honorable surrender of the encircled town. In order to think it over a term of two hours will be granted beginning with the presentation of this note.
If this proposal should be rejected one German Artillery Corps and six heavy A. A. Battalions are ready to annihilate the U.S.A. troops in and near Bastogne. The order for firing will be given immediately after this two hours term.
All the serious civilian losses caused by this artillery fire would not correspond with the well-known American humanity.
The German Commander.
When Gen. McAuliffe read this, he balled the paper up and muttered, "Aw, nuts." His Colonel, Joseph Harker, heard this and figured it the best possible response. He wrote back:
To the German Commander.
NUTS!
The American Commander
The German major, confused, asked what this meant. Colonel Harker responded, "In plain English? Go to hell."
The bunker outside Bastogne
In this bunker, on December 26th, 1944, the 4th Armored Division of Patton's 3rd Army met with the 101st Airborne and devised a plan to break the siege of Bastogne. The next day, they succeeded in creating a corridor into Bastogne, effectively ending the siege and turning the tide of the battle.
The Luxembourg American Cemetery is the final resting place for 5,076 soldiers. 101 of them are unknown, 2 of them are Medal of Honor Recipients, and one is General George Patton. It's so strange to stand in this place because everything above this ultimately led to this moment. Europe is free from Nazi influence, America and Germany are allies again, and these men (and one woman) rest here. There are no words to truly describe the feeling that comes with being among these people.
Overall, this trip was a fantastic history lesson in the most real way possible. As a history enthusiast, it was so incredible to stand where these events played out, and to see what they look like now.
