European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - April 5, 2007, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 30 stars and stripes thursday april 5 2007 ardennes from Page 29 he remembers too the Ameri can counterattack tank after tank toward our House that you dont forget one Day his father was out gathering Snow the Well was his family could have a hot beverage he received a shot in the Chest he could run Home mss each of us and he fell to the ground he was dead it was an american Shell it was a Fluke an Accident he says to the Shell it makes no difference Bastogne on any itinerary related to the baffle of the bulge is the essential Stop the Bastogne memorial museum has Battle artefacts its own life size dioramas and a Short film that puts things in perspective near the museum is the mar Dasson Hill american memorial a Star shaped Structure nearly 40 feet tall celebrating our country sacrifice on behalf of his some of the besieged americans de fended the town from this Hill from the top of the memorial you can see Bastogne today a City of some neighbouring villages the Barracks used As Mcauliffee Headquarters the land All these Woods mignon shows me with a sweep of his Arm were occupied by the germans on the 25th of Decem Ber the germans attacked from that direction with 18 tanks along some of the roads through those roads paved now were mud in the Winter of Are Foxholes and Shell craters still Ive guided a lot of veterans who were in these Woods says mignon it was very difficult to bring supplies and they never saw a warm meal usually they were freezing and starving when the War ended it left Bastogne badly damaged says mignon they rebuilt of course exactly the people of Houff Alize re built As Well during the Battle of the bulge americans bombed by Day the Royal air Force bombed by night the town mignon remembers was completely levelled they destroyed the town to de stroy the Road it was the Way of waging War at that time there was no other Means As he talks about that time a curious enthusiasm emerges from mignon he is 8 years old again Isaw thousands of flying fortresses he says of the b17s that helped win the War for the children it was spectacular a child enjoys a chaotic situation we were completely free and we had no fear we played with ammunition despite the fact that my father was killed that was a great period in my life we were so Happy to be Liber ated he says of the Allied bomb ing people accepted it i think Many thought it was the Price to pay on Jan 17 patrons 3rd army and the 1st army under the command of Gen Courtney Hodges would meet in Houf fal ize cutting off the German forces and breaking the Back of the enemy offensive it is today a Lovely town so is German soldiers who died in the Battle for Bastogne rest in the German War Graves cemetery about 3 Miles North of the City near Recone Belgium Clervaux were in Luxembourg on a Ridge above this Sweet Little Village that lets us see the 12thcentury Castle a hotel be fore the War and now a museum near the Castle on a Square surrounded by Small hotels and by restaurants with shaded tables tourists drawn More by Charm than military history sip beverages and Munch on snacks visible from Many of those tables is a very Large statue of an american i one of the Guys who froze and starved in the Woods the real heroes of the Battle of the bulge across from the statue Cut into a Wall where a window would be a marvelous lifelike Relief sculpture of citizens of Clervaux cheering the statue of the american i from Clervaux mignon and i would Circle Back to Bastogne the next Day alone i would be looking for stave lot and Malm Edy and i would find Claire de Spirlet stave lot today archaeologists Are sifting through remnants of an Lith Century Abbey that stood Here More recent Abbey build Ings House museums one devoted to the racing cars that annually compete in the belgian grand prix at the nearby spa rancor champs circuit near the Abbey Are markers one in English honors the soldiers of the 30th us infantry and particularly the men of Chicago Tribune photos us and German tanks met in Battle at Clervaux Luxembourg which today is Home to one of the More inspiring tributes to american gis in Belgium the 117th Cour age earned our thanks another is in French 133 victims devils Datro cafes Narjes in decembre 1944 it honors the men women and children civilians of stave lot and near by villages 93 from stave lot alone murdered on dec 18 by of the German 1st is Panzer division Almedy a wonderful Little town with Flowers everywhere alongside the Interior with much White and Gold is especially handsome Are multiple memorials including one to local resistance fight ers another to those from Malme by who died in German concentration Camps about nine Miles out of town at what would be known As the Baugnet Crossroads is a Grassy Comer with a wooden Flower Box in the shape of a five pointed Star the Box is filled with Bush is that on this Day Are bursting with Brilliant red roses a gift from Tyler Texas an american Flag flies Over the Flowers on a Stone Wall is a plaque to the memory of the soldiers of the United states army who while prisoners of War were massacred by nazi troops on this spot on 17 december 1944 also on the Wall Are the names of 84 us soldiers in warm weather this is an especially pleasant part of the ardennes Here it is a land of deep Hills and fresh pastures grazed by cows and sheep of Golden Fields and expanses of dark Green Forest in the forests of the ardennes there Are Foxholes in the towns and villages and Countryside there is gratitude still Call 01805 988333 Point Click go faves Lor 108 from 8tf travel Morocco South Africa Edinburgh military Tattoo Baltic capitols Egypt Nile cruise Moscow St Petersburg Moscow St Petersburg Malta Egypt Nile cruise Irodia Egypt Nile cruise includes airfare full details available reservations available at  Chicago Miami new York Orlando washing roundtrip flights subject to availability applicable tax please Contact kit for additional destinations child discounts 81 5 May 1829jun 1 21 7 aug 1 7 oct 61 3 oct 1 421 oct 30 oct2 Hov 411nov 814nov 1724nov 1725nov 2229 dec 059 059 269 229 peeing