August 25, 2019 Battle of the Bulge: Dec 16, 1944 – Jan 25, 1945 Beginning September 6, 2019 and lasting through September 14th, Andrew "Tim" Kiniry, along with 13 other World War II veterans of this fighting arena, will visit Belgium, Luxembourg and Germany to commemorate the explosive charge by the German Army making one last attempt to beat back the Allied Forces and the subsequent counter-attack that led to the end of the war in Europe. This blog will highlight Sergeant Kiniry's visit.
It was a 3 hour trip today from our Munich hotel to the German Alps to see Hitler's famous hideaway and retreat. In the early 1940's Hitler's Nazi party built several retreats for their German leaders, including Hitler, Goebbels and Himmler. Those homes were destroyed by Allied bombing in the '44 and 45', but the bombs did not seriously damage the nearby Eagles Nest, the mountain top retreat where Hitler would occasionally meet with important leaders. Being afraid of heights, he rarely visited the location and spent no more than 15 minutes there when he did visit. Today, the site is a simple restaurant with magnificently beautiful views of the Alps and the valleys below. The weather today was beautiful and many tourists took the time to make the steep, 20 minute bus trip to the top, including Tim and our veterans. And, they were rock stars! People young and old asked for photo opportunities and selfies. We moved on to a brief visit to the bunkers ...
A crazy day to be sure. First to Sadzot to visit a memorial for a devastating mortar location. A very rural location. But while we were there a local farmer and his wife saw us and invited the entire bus to use their home to very rustic home for use of their bathroom. Continues to be absolutely amazing - the reverence/honor that this country shows these veterans. Blown away! Visited a crash site of a B24 (known as the Liberator) and a memorial to the five soldiers lost in that crash. From a hillside nearby in Dinet, Henri, our guide who was 9 at the time of the Bulge, was able to watch the Battle of the Bulge unfold in the fields and city below. Moved onto Ettelbruck, after lunch, in Luxembourg. Visited the home where one of our veterans was holed up before shelled and capture by the enemy. The vet has corresponded with this family for the last 75 years. Brought a flood of tears. Took some photos that I will post later bu...
Comments
Post a Comment