Mardasson Memorial, Bastogne War Museum and Battle of the Bulge

The Bastogne War Museum and Mardasson Memorial can’t show us how trees exploded or how shrapnel of wooden spikes flew through the air during the Battle of the Buldge. The Mardasson Memorial can’t make me feel 10 degrees below zero with a wind chill of -20.  However, the Mardasson Memorial and Bastogne War Museum remind me of heroism. It reminds me that no one should have survived the Battle of the Bulge. Finally, The Mardasson Memorial reminds all of us of the harsh facts of WWII.

Bastogne War Museum

The museum immortalizes the Battle of the Buldge. The battle was one of the most horrific in WWII.  It memorializes what soldiers endured and why we need to remember the sacrifices made by WWII soldiers. However, it also reminds us of resistance.

It reminds us that if it wasn’t for the Belgium people, the citizens of the Netherlands, and the resistance movement, the American troops may not have survived the ghastly winter during the battle. This hallowed ground in the Belgium forest is also known as the Ardennes. Here is where some of the worst fighting and bombing humans have ever endured. The Battle of the Bulge was 16 December 1944 – 25 January 1945.

Go to Mardasson Memorial and Bastogne War Museum. You will be moved. I was. I think its one of the most moving places I have been too.

Every U.S. state and Army unit is memorialized at the Mardasson Memorial.

Mardasson Memorial

The Mardasson Memorial, pictured above, is a monument honoring the American soldiers wounded or killed during the Battle of the Bulge. It is located near Bastogne in the Luxembourg province of Belgium. Learn more about the Battle of the Bulge here.

The memorial has a Latin inscription on the memorial stone which reads:

LIBERATORIBVS

AMERICANIS

POPVLVS BELGICVS

MEMOR

IV.VII.MCMXLVI.

The English translation is “The Belgian people remember their American liberators – 4th July 1946.”

As we approach the 4th of July, the date is haunting.

Bastogne

In Bastogne, a sleepy little town carries visitors back to the days of WWII. Now, it is a quaint little town. today, Bastogne has bed and breakfasts, cafes, shops, and farms. The town is restored to the original design. The town doesn’t seem like it could have been the turning point of WWII. But it is.

The town of Bastogne retains its Belgium heritage. It is authentic and the look and feel, dating back to WWII. Here visitors find shopping and remembrances to WWII.

Inside the Bastogne War Museum

The front entrance of the museum is open with a large statue of a soldier kissing a girl dwarfed by the Belgium forest.

The museum recounts the battle conditions during the Battle of the Bulge as well as actual battle equipment like tanks.

Mardasson Memorial

Climb to the top of the Mardasson Memorial to understand how vast the area the Allied forces protected. The view at the top is spectacular.

Directional Markers

There are directional markers on top of the memorial that show the battle plans for the campaign.

Battle plans explain the difficult strategy that prevailed. It was a battle of the wills just to survive.

Closing Days

The Battle of Bastogne War Museum makes me thankful and grateful for their sacrifice. Without these brave soldiers, we would all live in a very different world.

If you want to learn more I recommend the HBO Series, Band of Brothers.

If you are visiting European WWII sites, consider including Berlin on your list of places to see. Below is my  Berlin Itinerary.

Berlin Itinerary