Another "early" morning today, with our alarm set for 7 am. The breakfast buffet opened at 8, and our guide would pick us up just after 9. We wanted to enjoy a leisurely breakfast and not have to rush. Wow, the breakfast buffet was fantastic! Lots of choices, and the pastries? Divine! As is my custom, I checked my messages for any last-minute changes or anything urgent.
I saw a message from our guide, who informed me that he was ill and unable to provide our tour as planned. I wished him a speedy recovery and told Cindy of our change of plans. Now that we pretty much had the day to do as we wished, we decided to go to the Bastogne War Museum and then Bois Jacques. Depending on how much time we had left, we'd try to go to the 101st Airborne Museum as well.
As a reminder, any links in blue will open in a new window. You won't lose your place here. Clicking on a photo will display a larger version of it.
After
breakfast, we returned to our room to pack our bags. One thing about Cindy, she's very resourceful. She started looking for alternate transportation to Luxembourg and found a website called GetTransfer. This site helps travelers find long-distance transportation with a private driver. She checked the prices and found that it would be about half of what our tour would've cost, so she booked us a driver to take us from this hotel to our hotel in Luxembourg, with a 5:30 pm pickup. Cool! This allowed us the whole day to sightsee and not be constrained by an early afternoon bus ride.
We took our bags downstairs to check out. The hotel
staff showed us a place we could store our bags until ready to leave. We asked
about a taxi service and apparently there is one taxi in Bastogne. Yes, ONE
taxi. They called to arrange a pickup, but he was unavailable. We thanked the
nice lady for her help and mentioned we'd just take a nice walk to the
museum.
She
looked outside and shook her head. "Please give me a moment and I will
drive you there in my own car. We don't want you walking in the
rain."
Seriously?
Wow! What a generous offer! It turns out, this nice lady was one of the owners.
She really had no duty to help us out, as we were already checked out of the
hotel, but she was insistent in helping us out.
Even
without this kindness, we will definitely return to Hotel Melba the next time we're
in Bastogne. Their breakfast buffet was fantastic, their bar selection was huge
and everyone there was helpful and friendly. Our room was comfortable and
quiet. If your travel plans ever include Bastogne, Hotel Melba has both Cindy's
and my highest recommendation. Please make a note of that, Will, for your other
clients.
Our first
stop was the Bastogne War Museum. Buying a ticket
there would also allow access to the Bois Jacques woods, made famous by the
book and mini-series Band of Brothers. Access to that part
of Bois Jacques is limited to ticket holders to help maintain the site and
avoid any damage to the existing fighting positions.
Before we
start our tour, I want to introduce y'all to a longtime friend of mine: John
Myers. I first met John (and consequently, Arthur Dent) at Texas A&I
University 42 years ago. We happened to be living in the same dormitory, and we
both had enrolled in the Army ROTC program. We became instant friends and have
maintained that closeness ever since. Our respective Army careers diverged
after commissioning, with me going into the reserve component and John going
active duty.
ROTC Cadets
That's me on the left, and
John on the right at one of the military balls we attended. During John's
active duty time, he became a paratrooper and served with the 101st Airborne
Division during the first Gulf War, and later held an assignment with the 82nd
Airborne Division.
LTC Myers
photo courtesy of John Myers
What does any of this have
to do with Cindy and me touring museums in Bastogne? Take a good look at John's
combat patch on his right shoulder. Yep, that's the Screaming Eagles patch.
While the Battle of the Bulge in World War II involved other units besides the
101st, the siege of Bastogne was mainly fought by the men of the Screaming
Eagles. We would be walking in the footsteps of those men of the 101st, and
what better way to honor my friend than to take his jump wings and 101st
patches with us. He couldn't physically join us on our trip, but he could be
there in spirit. John graciously allowed me to take some of his memorabilia
with us on our trip.
So, you will see several
photos in the museums and at Bois Jacques with me holding one of his patches. I
had the privilege of helping connect him to his "tribal ancestors" at
Bois Jacques, and this would be a good way to do it. Thank you, brother, for trusting me with your stuff. And I'll get it back to you soon.
Once we paid admission, the staff handed us an audio system that would narrate our visit based on our location in the museum. This narration would be told by four fictional characters, based on real-life people and events.
"See the war through our eyes."
From left to right:
Émile Mostade — Belgian schoolboy, Age: 13
Born and raised in Bastogne, Émile is the son of a bicycle repair shop owner. He loves music and frequently carries an accordion. His story presents the war through the eyes of a child whose hometown becomes a battlefield.
Mathilde Devillers — Belgian schoolteacher
Age: Approximately 25
A young primary-school teacher from Bastogne who also becomes involved with the Belgian Resistance. Her perspective illustrates civilian life under occupation and the dangers experienced by ordinary Belgians.
Hans Wegmüller — German officer
Age: Approximately 21
A lieutenant in the German 26th Volksgrenadier Division, one of the formations tasked with capturing Bastogne. His account provides the perspective of a German soldier fighting on the front lines.
Robert Keane — American paratrooper
Age: Approximately 20
A corporal in the 101st Airborne Division, assigned to defend Bastogne. Positioned in the surrounding woods, he witnesses the harsh conditions and frontline combat of the winter campaign.
As you progress through the museum, their stories will converge at some point. I won't reveal any spoilers here because everyone should have the chance to discover their stories on their own.
The museum covered events leading up to World War II to provide context for the stories of the narrators and how the events shaped the course of history.
"The patch"
This jeep, based on the bumper identification, belonged to the 101st Airborne Division. You can see me holding one of John's patches in this photo. You'll see plenty more as we continue. I took many more pictures than what I have here, but all of the ones here help me tell our story of the visit more than serve as just a museum guidebook.
German "Hetzer" tank destroyer
In the last episode, I showed a photo of a Sherman tank with a "disabling shot." Below is the same tank, but from a different angle. Notice the hole in the rear portion of the tank. That's where it was hit, most likely knocking out the engine. The crew was able to walk (or more likely run) away.
Disabled Sherman tank
Now, let's imagine we're in Bastogne at the height of the battle. Another Sherman tank moves to its next position, unaware that a German Hetzer is waiting in ambush.
Wham!
A violent explosion.
"Kill shot"
I can only imagine the absolute carnage inside the tank. This poor crew had no need for a medic. Only a Chaplain and a clean-up crew would be of use. There are many fine history books that cover every aspect of The Battle of the Bulge, and I don't need to reinvent the wheel here. I'm just providing a little context for what the men on both sides endured.
Both Cindy and I were amazed at all the interactive and immersive displays in this museum. Another display was in a theater-like room showing a snowy forest scene. We sat on "logs" to watch the presentation unfold. It reminded me a LOT of an Apollo landing feature we saw when we visited the KSC visitor's center. A darkened room, that slowly came to life with plenty of visual and sound effects. Other displays would rise from the floor as the "show" continued.
It wasn't just the soldiers that suffered throughout all of this. The civilians probably had it even harder, with their homes and businesses destroyed. A cherished family heirloom burned to cinders. A child's favorite toy crushed under the rubble of her house.
We spent close to three hours in the museum before going outside to the other monument, the Mardasson Memorial. This structure honors all of those who fought for freedom and shows each state's contribution. It was closed for renovation when we were there, so here are some photos from the outside.
Looking south
The views from this location were incredible. We took our time looking around, imagining what it must've looked like in late 1944. I bet coming back here in late December would be fun, just to see how it looks in winter.
The taxi situation was still uncertain, so we walked back to the main museum entrance to ask for the staff to try contacting the taxi driver again. Luckily, he answered and said he could pick us up in about 20 minutes and take us back to Hotel Melba. Good enough for us! We waited near the entrance to the parking lot and of course I opened the geocaching app to see if there were any caches nearby. Yep, sure enough, there was one very close to us. Cool, another Belgian smiley!
As we waited for the taxi, Cindy and I decided to ask the driver if he would consider taking us by Bois Jacques on the way back to the hotel. It wouldn't hurt to at least ask, right? No harm in at least trying.
The taxi arrived a few minutes later and we asked him about taking us to Bois Jacques first. "We will happily pay you for your time," we assured him. He agreed to this and said he could
spare about 10 - 15 minutes. Perfect! Let's do this!
He gave us a good history of the local area and what we could expect upon arrival. Both Cindy and I were looking forward to actually being able to walk in the footsteps of the Screaming Eagles. And John would be there with us, in spirit.
There's an app you can download that provides an augmented reality experience on your phone. Certain locations in the woods have a sign that indicates where this will happen. I tried it in a few locations, but it seemed to be too slow to load. Rather than squander our precious little time here, I just explored without using it.
I won't try captioning every photo of Bois Jacques, as I want them to speak for themselves. Sound good? Ok, let's get started.
Entrance
photo by Cindy Newman
Augmented Reality spot
photo by Cindy Newman
Walking through these woods, looking at the actual fighting positions/foxholes, and trying to imagine what it was like was....surreal. That foxhole over there? Did Bull Randleman or "Doc" Roe seek cover in it? Don't get me wrong. I'm thankful we got to spend what time we did here, but I definitely could've spent an hour or two just walking around, and talking to the spirits. Yes, I did just that. It's not important what I said to the souls that may still inhabit these woods. It's important that I told them.
As we exited the woods, there was a group of tourists, about 12 total, that were about to enter. They were laughing and joking about something. As much as I wanted to tell them that this was not the place to laugh and joke, I held my tongue. It wasn't my place to tell them anything. It still bothered me, though. To me, Bois Jacques should be treated much like Arlington National Cemetery. It's a place for reflection and remembrance, not yukking it up.
Back in the cab, our driver told us he was taking a different route back to the hotel. "I want to show you something else, that's related to your visit here." A few minutes later, he pulled over at a monument next to an older building. "We are now in Foy. I will wait for you to take some photos of this monument and then we'll go to the hotel."
A few weeks after we got home, our guide sent me several photos that he would've shared with us on the tour had he not gotten sick. Two photos in particular caught my eye. They were of this very building, the Chapel of Saint-Barthélemy. Below are the historical photos taken during the Siege of Bastogne.
For added context, the next time, or maybe your first time, you watch Band of Brothers, Episode 6 (Bastogne) and Episode 7 (The Breaking Point) feature all of these areas. Granted, these episodes weren't filmed in these locations, but watching them will help you relate to what I wrote here.
No sooner had our driver dropped us off at the hotel than we were walking around the corner to The 101st Airborne Museum. Another phenomenally well done museum! Our first museum featured the Battle of the Bulge as a whole, from many different perspectives. This museum, obviously, was devoted to the Screaming Eagles.
Here are several photos from our time there, and again, with one or two exceptions, I'll let them speak for themselves.
There are several dioramas here that show the combat medics hard at work. I wanted to include a few as a shoutout to another veteran and friend of mine who was a combat medic. These are for you, Tim!
And of course I need a special shoutout to my fellow Redlegs....
M2A1 howitzer (105 mm)Now I'm sure some of you Redlegs out there are thinking, "Dude, that's an M101, not an M2A1." From research, this howitzer was referred to as the M2A1 during WWII and was redesignated as the M101 in the 1960s.
It's funny how first impressions can be so misleading at times. I was showing Cindy another howitzer in the outdoor display when these two guys walked up to us. At first glance, they kinda, sorta reminded us of the stereotypical "cast in Hollywood" Russian mafia enforcers. They listened to me talk about the howitzer for a few minutes. Here's a paraphrase of our conversation. My thoughts are in italics.
Them: You are.....American?
Uh ohhh, what's this? Is there gonna be a problem?
Me: Yes sir, from Texas
(Hey, most foreigners like Texans, right?)
Them: You Americans........you saved us!
Huh, not what I thought....
Me: Sir, I'm glad we were able to help our friends.
Them: No! You Americans saved Belgium. Thank you.
Me: I'm glad we could be there for our friends when you needed help.
We shook hands and parted ways.
About that time I noticed that Cindy had walked away and was....
.....taking a selfie??
I asked her about this, and she said she wanted to take a photo of those two Belgians without them knowing what she was doing.
My apologies to any Russian mafia enforcers who may have been offended by this. Please don't cut my fingers off.
We had enough time to stop by a local coffee shop for coffee and pastries before our GetTransfer driver would pick us up. After collecting our bags from the storage area, we bid the Hotel Melba staff a final goodbye and waited outside. What a day!
Oh yeah, this GetTransfer
thing is pretty cool! Much more convenient than trains and buses. Carlo, our driver, was fun to talk to and the 65-minute trip went by in a flash. He dropped us off close to our hotel and was off to another pickup.
Once we got
checked in, we had to hustle to get to Chocolate House Nathalie
Bonn. Like, really hustle.
We had a 20-minute walk to get there, which would put our arrival just 35
minutes before closing time. Y'all need to check their website to see all the
yummy treats they have to offer. Amazing! As much as I'd love to have an
all-chocolate dinner, the adult in me insisted that I also have
"real" food. Ok, fine!
Croque monsieur
All I really wanted was a grilled ham and cheese, but I didn't see "grilled ham and cheese" on the menu. So I ordered this croque monsieur instead. Hhhhmmmm, interesting... it
tasted just like a grilled ham and cheese after all.
By the time we finished dinner, the staff was already shutting down the displays of all the different pastries and chocolates. They offered to wait so we could choose something to take with us, but we politely declined. We chose a few chocolates on display and called it good. No sense in extending their workday any longer than necessary.
Now that we didn't have to hurry, we took a leisurely post-prandial stroll back to our hotel. As is usually the case, the walk back seemed much shorter than the walk to the restaurant.
Street lights
photo by Cindy Newman
A quick nightcap at the hotel bar and we went upstairs to our room. We still needed to figure out what we'd do in the morning. With Luxembourg's public transportation being free, we could take a bus to the Luxembourg American Cemetery and Memorial. General Patton's grave is there, and of course, some nearby geocaches. We could do that and catch the train to Traben-Trarbach.
As we talked through our options, I had to laugh at the display in our hotel room.
Ummmm, 21:15 pm? Ahhh, ok, thanks for clarifying that. I wouldn't want to confuse it with 21:15 am. That was a first for me. Kinda defeats the purpose of 24-hour time, I think.
I checked my phone for messages and found one from Signe, who happens to be German. My sister Victoria used to host exchange students from all over, and Signe had a friend who was an exchange student. She spent an extended time with Victoria and naturally I got to know her as well. Several months before we left, I contacted Signe to see if we could reconnect.
Her message tonight stated she'd love to meet us in Traben-Trarbach tomorrow with her son. Yay! I'm glad she could find some time to meet up with us. With that in mind, Cindy and I decided to catch the earliest train to Traben-Trarbach to allow the maximum time visiting with Signe. We'll just have to come back to Luxembourg another time.
Coming up next, a reunion 28 years in the making, and our day in Traben-Trarbach.
Minimum steps: 11222
5.13 miles
Did any of y'all notice a subtle reference I threw in earlier in this blog? Please let me know what you think it was in the comments section below. The first person who gets it right will receive a special shoutout from me in the next installment.
If you're just now joining the party, you can find all the previous episodes below. Just click on the title, and you'll jump right to it.
Until next time....
carpe cerevisi
