November 10, 2006
Friday AM

This past summer Matthew Perry toured Europe with the Sound of America Honor Band. At the end of their trip they visited the Luxembourg American Cemetery and Memorial where they had an informal memorial service and trumpet players played taps.

The Cemetery and Memorial is one of 14 permanent cemeteries created from the 83 temporary cemeteries in Africa, Italy, and the rest of Europe. There are 5,076 American dead buried there, among them 22 sets of brothers buried side by side, there are 101 "Unknowns" whose remains could not be identified.

From the entrance may be seen, in profile, the Memorial. The dedication on it reads "IN PROUD REMEMBRANCE OF THE ACHIEVEMENTS OF HER SONS AND IN HUMBLE TRIBUTE TO THEIR SACRIFICES THIS MEMORIAL HAS BEEN ERECTED BY THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA"

It is fitting that Luxembourg is represented on the memorial with the Luxembourg Coat of Arms across from the Great Seal of the United States. The Grand Duchy of Luxembourg with a then population of 350,000, was occupied by enemy forces which conscripted over 12,000 of the countries young men for service on the Russian Front. One third of this group was killed or missing in action.

It is understandable that the troops of the U.S. Fifth Armored Division of the U.S. First Army received a joyous welcome when the liberated the Capital on 10 September 1944. Despite their grievous losses, the people of the Grand Duchy devoted themselves at once to render important material aid to the Allied forces.

At the center of the memorial terrace there is a bronze inscription which reads, "ALL WHO SHALL HEREAFTER LIVE IN FREEDOM WILL BE HERE REMINDED THAT TO THESE MEN AND THEIR COMRADES WE OWE A DEBT TO BE PAID WITH GRATEFUL REMEMBRANCE OF THEIR SACRIFICE AND WITH THE HIGH RESOLVE THAT THE CAUSE FOR WHICH THEY DIED SHALL LIVE ETERMNALLY".

The Battle of the Bulge opened on 16 December 1944 when a lightning German counter-attack under Field Marshal von Rundstedt swept back across the northern half of this country and into Belgium. To help stem the onslaught and eventually to close the salient, the U.S. Third Army under the command of General George Patton was diverted at Metz and, swinging north through Luxembourg City itself, these troops managed not only to liberate Luxembourg a second time, but also to relieve our beleaguered forces holding the town of Bastogne in Belgium. American casualties resulting from the Third Army engagement were brought to this site, where the present cemetery was opened on 29 December 1944.

General Patton was buried with the rest of the soldiers, but so many people came to view his grave each year, the grass on his and nearby graves was killed by heavy foot traffic. The problem was solved by moving his grave to the area between two flagpoles.

On two memorial pylons on the terrace are inscribed the names, rank, organization and state of entry of 371 Missing in Action of the U.S. Army and Army Air Forces whose remains were never recovered. Above the names on each pylon is the inscription: "HERE ARE RECORDED THE NAMES OF AMERICANS WHO GAVE THEIR LIVES IN THE SERVICE OF THEIR COUNTRY AND WHO SLEEP IN UNKNOWN GRAVES".

In the Chapel at the feet of the four angels adorning the ceiling is this running inscription encircling the ceiling "IN PROUD AND GRATEFUL MEMORY OF THOSE MEN OF THE ARMED SERVICES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA WHO IN THIS REGION AND IN THE SKIES ABOE IT ENDURED ALL AND GAVE ALL THAT JUSTICE AMONG NATIONS MIGHT PREVAIL AND THAT MANKIND MIGHT ENJOY FREEDOM AND PEACE".

On December 16, 1949, control of the cemetery passed from the American Graves Registration Command to the American Battle Monuments Commission. The Commission rightfully considers that the graves themselves are its primary responsibility so their first project was the erection of gravestones to replace the wooden markers which had served during the period of military operations. The stones were quarried and inscribed in the Italian Dolomites and were erected with great care.

Each stone weighs 125 pounds and there are 6 _ miles of reinforced concrete beam under the lawn to hold these markers permanently erect. The arrangement of the graves is unusual. The rows are concentric arcs swung from a theoretical center point which would lie about 500 feet directly behind the chapel. These arcs, and a gentle "S" in elevation flowing down the slope, plus the uniform spacing of graves within each row, were the essentials that had to be attained- with a tolerance of only 3/32 nds of an inch in any direction as each headstone was erected.

There are 117 graves marked with the Star of David, indicating the deceased were of the Jewish faith. All others are marked with the Roman Cross. There are also 101 graves of unknown soldiers or airmen. The headstones marking these graves bear the inscription: HERE LIES IN HONORED GLORY A COMRADE IN ARMS KNOWN BUT TO GOD.

The grateful people of Luxembourg who had been liberated in September by the U.S First Army and again after the Ardennes offensive by the U.S. Third Army led by General Patton, collected money and bought the 50.5 acres of land to give to the United States, however, due to problems in extraterritoriality, the site is leased to the U.S. in perpetuity.

Let us all take time this November 11, to think of the Veterans, both the dead and the living, the active duty personnel, and the sacrifices they have given for you and me.


Jerry Cegelske
Ketchikan, AK

 

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