Bastogne American Memorial & Patton's Grave Photos (1 Viewer)

[ucla1967]

On our recent European vacation, we stopped briefly at the American Memorial in Bastogne which commemorates the 76,890 American soldiers who were killed or wounded during the Battle of the Bulge in December 1944 and January 1945. View from the top of the Memorial towards the German positions in the woods. M-10 tank destroyer. There is a Battle of the Bulge museum in town which I visited in 1994, but we didn't stop there on this trip.

 

[RPZ]

Odd feeling looking out over a landscape where a relatively short time ago great battles and loss of life took place.

 

[ucla1967]

Odd feeling looking out over a landscape where a relatively short time ago great battles and loss of life took place.

Yes, it is. I had intended to take a 360 degree panorama from the top of the Memorial, but all the other views were too changed from what it looked like during the battle with new development , a rock quarry, commercial built-up areas, etc. That's too bad.

 

[ucla1967]

This is the Luxembourg American Cemetery and Memorial where General George S. Patton, commander of the Third U.S. Army, is buried. This site was liberate by the U.S. 5th Armored Division in September, 1944. A temporary military burial ground was established here in December, 1944. Interestingly, there is a German Military Cemetery located about one mile from here in Sandweiler which was established by the U.S. Graves Registration Service.

The American Cemetery is located on 50 acres and has the graves of 5,075 men and one female army nurse; it includes 101 unknowns and 22 sets of brothers. The Memorial pylons contain the names of 371 missing in action whose remains were never recovered or rest in unknown graves. The trees in the background were brought over from the United States and planted here so that the area would have some resemblance to where these men came from.

 

[Lo1863]

Amazing trip and wonderful photos! Thanks so much for sharing these with us. I hope one day to make it over there and see these sites in person.

 

[ucla1967]

Amazing trip and wonderful photos! Thanks so much for sharing these with us. I hope one day to make it over there and see these sites in person.

Thanks, I am glad you liked them. Try to include the American cemetery above Omaha beach when you go. It is very special due to its size and location above the landing beaches.