European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - June 14, 1990, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Row after Row of White crosses Mark the Graves of soldiers who died in the Battle of the bulge. Scouting the Freedom Trail the scouts View the mar Dasson memorial. Story and photographs by Ron Mckinney staff writer John Culpepper 13, gazed in Awe at the Sherman tank resting peacefully at a Corner of Mcauliffe Square in the belgian City of Bastogne. The senior patrol Leader of boy scout troop 197 from Derheim West Germany turned to look in the direction the tank faces to the Southeast. It did t take much imagination to hear the tanks rumbling into position and firing artillery shells to level the scarred remains of the City to smell the smoke. Culpepper was about to see things he had previously seen Only in history books. He was at the first Stop of a five mile Battle of the bulge historical route called the Voie de la liberte or Freedom Trail. The Trail provides in depth information on the world War ii Battle for Bastogne. It left the Pivotal City in ruins and crippled the nazi offensive plan that has been called both Brilliant and foolish. Quot As you walk through the City keep in mind that this was the site of a major Battleground a scoutmaster Harvey Culpepper reminded his eight charges who would later be tested for background information to qualify for a historical Trail Patch. A few blocks to the North past several clothing and jewelry stores and numerous restaurants offering outdoor seating the troop stopped at St. Peter s Church one of the few buildings that remained standing after the nazi bombardment. A Stone statue at the Side of the Church depicts soldiers trying to help a decapitated ally. Quot where s his head Quot Louis Hunt asked thinking the statue was a victim of vandalism. Several scouts pointed grimly to the Bottom of the statue. The feeling of death at Bastogne began sinking in. The bloody struggle for Bastogne from dec. 18, 1944, to mid january 1945, ultimately led to the nazis defeat in the Battle of the bulge. Although the american soldiers in Bastogne were surrounded and shelled daily they fought valiantly to hold on to the Small town and to control the eight joining roads that intersected there. When the Battle of the bulge ended 76,890 americans were dead wounded or taken prisoner. The German toll was 120,000. Quot it was sad that All those people had to die Quot said Hunt. Down a Block from the Church is the memorial dedicated to the Bastogne civilians who died during both world wars. About half of the 3,500 who lived stripes Magazine june 14, 1990