My uncle died during the Battle of the Bulge and is buried in the Lorraine American Cemetery in France.
I have been wanting to visit his grave since I was a boy and recently obtained a passport for that purpose. What's the best way to go about it? I have never traveled to Europe before. Should I just buy a plane ticket? Take a ship? I dislike being a part of a tour, but would that be the best way to go?
Is the current refugee situation in Europe any cause for concern? Or should I postpone my trip for yet another year?
Any suggestions?
Well, if you decide to fly via Newcastle, let me know and we'll look after you :-) I'm sure you can fly from here to a suitable airport in Belgium :-)
Quote from: bob48 on May 18, 2016, 12:20:14 PM
Well, if you decide to fly via Newcastle, let me know and we'll look after you :-) I'm sure you can fly from here to a suitable airport in Belgium :-)
Sounds like one approach--I'd even buy you a beer or some other beverage of your choice.
don't need a tour group; can usually find good local hotels much nicer/cheaper than the big chains
plane ticket is going to be easiest / cheapest way to go
depending on where you're flying into / ultimately ending up, it's entirely possible to spend a week or more on the continent and not use a car at all
I did something similar for my father and his uncle (my great uncle) who died in the battle to take Carentan.
Here is some of the things I did to help understand what happened (my great uncle was re buried back in the United States after the war so his grave was no longer in Europe).
1. Find out the unit your uncle served in. There should be a unit historical society that will help map out the actions the unit fought in. Many times there are specific tour guides associated with the battle and that unit that offer discounts to relatives.
2. Buy some good topographical maps and if you can get them army intelligence maps of the battlegrounds. Couple this with Google earth when you are there and you can pretty much put yourself within 50 feet of any action that takes place.
3. Scour the internet for veteran stories from your uncles unit. We were able to find an account of my great uncles battle buddy who fought with him for 6 days before he was mortally wounded in the battle. This veteran survived and had recorded his history in a post written in the 90s which his son had then posted on the internet. These are eyewitness accounts and make a powerful impression when you are walking the same woods/lanes that these guys did under fire 70 years previously.
4. The unit historians will also be able to give you a location of the aid posts on the days of the battles. This will help narrow down your search area of where your uncles final days were.
5. Buy some good books of the battle (I am sure you have those already but get as many as you can with maps and photographs).
6. Get a phone that you can put a local sim card in when you get there (this will allow you to pull up maps etc).
7. Learn some basic French. I had a Normandie Farmer say to me I spoke French like a Pregnant Cow! It will make like a lot simpler if you can ask locals about locations etc. This same farmer once we explained with hands and feet what we were doing took us all along the battle sights in the hedgerows where he farmed and showed us still the fighting holes and gave us a bunch of M1 shells and as souvenirs. Would never have happened if we hadn't tried talking with him. Most of the French in Normandie at least really respect the veterans and relatives who are trying to retrace the footsteps.
8. Combine the visit with going to Normandie the museums and sights are a must do for any WWII historian. I could write another post on all the amazing things we saw.
9. Bring a photo of your uncle in uniform and leave it on the grave. We did this for the spot plus a small plaque that I had especially prepared where my great uncle was mortally wounded. It was a very touching moment for my dad.
10. Fly into Amsterdam (their airport is the best dont fly into Brussels its a shithole and I am sure that the bombing didnt improve it). Rent a car with a good GPS and make sure they switch it to English. This will get you around the best. Most of the sites are far away from each other and not easily reached by public transport after you leave the main cities.
11. Make sure you take the time to do it right. It might cost more money and require research but these trips are memories for a lifetime.
I plan on recreating this trip with my boys when they are old enough to know about WWII.
Con
If you plan to rent a car you could easily do a great Battle of the Bulge tour, Bastogne for example is a 2h drive away from Lorraine American Cemetery and there are many interesting places to discover.
A few years back we made a Bulge trip ourselves and it was a wonderful experience, if you want to check out our tour reports go here:
https://wargamecenter.wordpress.com/2012/09/05/hfc-on-tour-battle-of-the-bulge-the-ardennes/ (https://wargamecenter.wordpress.com/2012/09/05/hfc-on-tour-battle-of-the-bulge-the-ardennes/)
https://wargamecenter.wordpress.com/2013/07/17/hfc-on-tour-battle-of-the-bulge-bastogne-and-the-ardennes-ii/ (https://wargamecenter.wordpress.com/2013/07/17/hfc-on-tour-battle-of-the-bulge-bastogne-and-the-ardennes-ii/)
Not being part of a tour group would be a relief. I hate those.
I'm not sure which would be the closest large airport. The Lorraine American Cemetery and Memorial, is located just outside Saint-Avold, Moselle, France. It is 28 miles due east of Metz and southeast of Luxembourg about half again as far.
Thanks, Brant.
While I was typing up my response to Brant, Cong and Grimnirsson posted with a lot of information and suggestions. Thank you both very much.
I have done a little research and learned that my uncle's unit (the 26th Infantry) was attempting to relieve the 101st at Bastogne when he was wounded on 24 December 1944. He died two days later. (By the way, a great deal of information can be found in a free online .pdf here (https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=5&ved=0ahUKEwjVyL_4nOTMAhVKLSYKHRSLA8EQFghcMAQ&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.history.army.mil%2Fhtml%2Fbooks%2F007%2F7-8-1%2FCMH_Pub_7-8-1.pdf&usg=AFQjCNHrO9TMN_36C__Tm4si7OpLoYOp8g&sig2=0lMUW9qXlo7XR0wsjLU1sw&bvm=bv.122129774,d.eWE&cad=rja). Beware! It is 759 pages long.)
Quote from: Greybriar on May 18, 2016, 01:18:12 PM
I'm not sure which would be the closest large airport. The Lorraine American Cemetery and Memorial, is located just outside Saint-Avold, Moselle, France. It is 28 miles due east of Metz and southeast of Luxembourg about half again as far.
Just a thought... why not contact the American Embassy in France, and see what if any advice they have for you? Maybe there are access issues they can tell you about.
https://fr.usembassy.gov/americancemeteries.html
Thanks, Boggit. I'll keep that in mind. O0
FYI
I was at company meeting today where literally 25+ attendees where not there due to a strike in France.
I dont know who or what partciualr strike was going down but its another reason to fly into Amsterdam and not France. I travel prob about 30% international and universally amongst my colleagues we all try and avoid Charles De Gaulle in Paris. If its not a strike then it's losing your baggage or getting lethargically groped in public groped by a lassize faire gendarme.
Con
I saw that, thanks to the link (https://fr.usembassy.gov/news-events/) that Boggit posted.
Strikes in France – June 11–17, 2016
"The U.S. Embassy in France informs U.S. citizens that several national unions across a variety of sectors continue strikes in protest of proposed labor laws. Affected sectors include, but are not limited to, the national rail network, air traffic control, airline pilots, the Paris public transportation system, truck transport, and oil refinery operations.
Travelers are advised to verify the status of their flights, trains, or other public transportation services prior to their travel. Travelers are advised that these strikes could result in delays or cancelations of trains, flights, and other transportation services...."
There's quite a bit more.
Quote from: Greybriar on May 18, 2016, 12:15:44 PM
Is the current refugee situation in Europe any cause for concern? Or should I postpone my trip for yet another year?
don't worry about the refugee situation, as a tourist you will not be hassled in enjoying your trip.
...and the so called "Balkan route" is closed for good :)
(at the moment refugees mostly start from the NorthAfrica Mediterranean coast in rubber boats and let them self pick up by maritime rescue forces and will IIRC be mostly brought to Italy (islands) to get processed their)
Take a plane and a rental car.
the smaller the city, village you pass the less you will see anything that is not picture perfect "European miniature wonderland"-like, and outside the hotspots of mayor metropolises the people will all be nice.
(https://www.grogheads.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi.dailymail.co.uk%2Fi%2Fpix%2F2016%2F01%2F13%2F10%2F301F183700000578-3397077-Miniatur_Wunderland_is_located_alongside_the_River_Elbe_in_the_S-a-6_1452679311077.jpg&hash=789073020a4cb5d07e874858d0c8cb418f479718)
as like everywhere on the planet, stay away from the rundown ramshackle areas that may be existing here and there in the rim of mayor big metropoles, if you are not Han Solo and travel with a Wookie
Here those areas are easy to identify by a collection of very large multistory high tower boring housing complexes and seeing only non-European migrants roaming around.
There are no tourist attraction closely and you will only get close to those by accidental driving in the wrong direction for a very long time. (and even those, Its still "Europe" and not "Southcentral LA" in the 90ies)
I have to mention: There is a very tiny tiny risk of single-tango IS-terror attacks on softtargets (probably stabbing) in mayor capital cities.
But the governments and their agencies are all over it with maximum effort, espeically now where the soccer tournamnet is in full swing in France. A single selfradicalize maniac is hard to uncover but a group which use any communication and had a foreign contacts once will be spoiled and stopped in the track already in the very early planing process. And the softtargets are all well garded by armed police and even soldiers (France, Belgium) on watch.
Enjoy your trip. :)
In terms of general travel, check your library system for Rick Steve's travel guides.
He is very practical about things like trains versus rental cars, and has been doing it for over twenty years. You can also catch him on PBS when they air his series.
His suggestions are usually spot on. One very nice thing to do is a Rhine cruise. Extremely colorful and a lot of fun.
Duly noted. Thanks Mike and besilarius. O0
One option is to fly to Germany, I believe Frankfurt might be the closest airport to Lorraine. It is a nice airport as far as the international airports go. From there you can probably catch a train or a bus to Metz. Then, rent a car from Metz, ask for one with a navigator which should help you out.
Edit: or hop off the train/bus in Saarbrucken, and rent a car from there. I don't know what's the procedure to visit France with a German rental, I am sure it is allowed but might cost a tad more.
A phone you can put a local prepaid sim will certainly help. Buy one from French side of border, or if you need one in Germany get one there as well
In Germany you will be fine with speaking English, and probably so in the bigger French cities as well. It is only once you go to rural areas it might be more difficult, but even there the kids speak decent English for most part.
No worries about refugees per your trip. It is a worry on a larger scale, but not on a individual level. Having said that, the major railway stations are and have been areas for pickpockets and thieves, so look after your stuff. But that's it, no ones pulling a gun at you in Europe.
Traveled the German side and been to Strasbourg, don't know the details around Metz and Lorraine, but basically you should be fine. No border controls either, you're good to go with your US passport.
If you email or PM Sauron, he can give you good local advice for the Strasbourg/Alsace/Lorraine area, and nearby in Germany. He lives in Strasbourg, France but very close to Kehl in Germany. You might have to be patient for a reply as he has had a lot of trouble with his internet at the moment.
You do realise that we'll be expecting your full AAR, complete with pics, on the front page when you get back! 8)
Thanks, Crossroads and Boggit. :)
When I go to Europe, I'll post a bunch of photos. There have been some real life developments that may prevent my going this year, but hopefully I will still be able to make the trip before winter. If I were younger, I'd already be over there.
Quote from: Greybriar on June 19, 2016, 11:39:38 PM
Thanks, Crossroads and Boggit. :)
When I go to Europe, I'll post a bunch of photos. There have been some real life developments that may prevent my going this year, but hopefully I will still be able to make the trip before winter. If I were younger, I'd already be over there.
Hopefully those RL developments will resolve themselves in a good way, as you might wish. Fingers crossed for you whatever they are. :)
^^Absolutely! Happy Trails!