On Saturday, 12 Dec 09, over 4,000 people descended on the town of Bastogne to participate in the 32d Historic Perimeter Walk and 65th Anniversary of the Battle of the Bulge. During our 16 KM walk through the snow and mud of the towns, fields and woods surrounding Bastogne, my good friend, my 9-year old son and I saw many Bulge reenactors adding to the realism of the day. At one spot in particular a reenactor called to my son, “Hey scout, hey scout, do you know the scout hand shake?” My son is a Bear Scout and wore his hat and scarf during the walk. My son did as the gentleman asked and shook his hand. My friend and I walked over and began to converse with this reenactor. Many of the reenactors are Belgian, but this gentleman was American. We learned he was an active duty Army officer serving in Germany. This officer said he normally portrays an enlisted man; however, several of his soldiers were also participating in the events and wanted him to portray an officer.

During our conversation, this officer told us that all the Bulge reenactors spent the night in the woods. I complimented the officer on how realistic the camp was to include the foxholes. He replied the foxholes came with the territory. “Excuse me?” I asked. The officer reiterated, “…these are the original foxholes dug 65 years ago by the soldiers defending Bastogne.” The officer continued by saying he slept in the foxhole during the previous night and did nothing to disturb it. “This is sacred ground,” he said. As my friend, son and I paused to appreciate the significance of this discovery, we gained a tremendous appreciation for the Bulge veterans and their personal sacrifice during this pivotal battle of WW II. How fortunate we were to see this original equipment dug into the earth that kept the soldiers safe during extremely difficult times.

Later on we came across the closing ceremony at the Boggess Bunker which was the site where in the evening of 26 Dec 44, the 4th Armored Division of General Patton’s 3rd Army met with the 101st Airborne Division thus breaking the encirclement of Bastogne. Luckily for us, there were about a half dozen Battle of the Bulge veterans in attendance at this ceremony. Two of the Bulge veterans laid a wreath at the bunker in remembrance of all the sacrifices made by the veterans of the Battle of the Bulge. Along with the Bulge veterans at this ceremony were the airmen of the 52d Fighter Wing Honor Guard from Spangdahlem Air Base who presented the colors during the ceremony. They proudly represented the Air Force and Department of Defense to our allies and friends.

How fortunate we were to see and experience the 65th anniversary of the Battle of the Bulge. It was an extremely special day for all of us. We are grateful for the Battle of the Bulge veterans and thank them for their sacrifice and service.

LtCol L. Alan Estes
USAFE Deputy Director of Staff
Ramstein AB, Germany