A small memorial at the 1/2 way point
Mike and Doug get some drinks at the tent
mmmmmmm.....bacon
Can you spot the snipers?
Mike plays Tank Commander
As usual I’m a few trips behind on my blog. On the 16th of December we participated in the 29th Annual Bastogne March. This also coincided with the 62nd anniversary of the Battle of the Bulge. The march can be done in length of 7, 14, or 21 kilometers. I chose the shortest of 7K, which is just less than 4.5 miles. Our friends Neely and Doug Rozas walked with us. There were an estimated 800 Americans participating and a few hundred other participants ranging from the Boy Scouts, to the Dutch, French, Belgium, Germany, and Canadian military. The base at Geilenkirchen had 3 busloads of marchers.
Mike and I had to wake up at 4:30 am to get to the bus by 5:30 am and them we rode for a little over two hours, arriving in Bastogne, Belgium a little before the 8:00 am scheduled starting time. Unfortunately, the veteran from the original battle who was supposed to start the walk had become ill, so we didn’t get to meet any vets. This isn’t surprising considering that they would have to be at least 80 years old.
The walk started promptly at 8:00 am (which is surprising for a European event). We were near the front, but the serious marchers quickly passed us by. The weather was just above freezing and a bit windy, but it was better than last years march which I was told had consisted of a full day of a blinding snow storm. The first kilometer of the march was a slight uphill climb towards the memorial that over looks the village. Then it leveled off. The first 3rd of the hike was on a nice paved biking trail and then we switched to a narrow road. The total group of marchers was so large that we couldn’t see the beginning or the end of the line.
At the halfway point WWII enthusiasts had set up first aid tents and were passing out hot chocolate and Glugwein (a hot spiced wine). They had jeeps, full uniforms, and WWII tents that made the rest station look very authentic. At this point the 7K hikers turned back towards the village where we walked along and old railroad bed. The tracks and ties had been removed, but it was some tough and muddy walking. I ended up with a nasty blister on my left foot and that stretch of the trail became the most bitched about section for anyone on the march as the 14K and 21K hikers also came back down the section of trail. On a good note, the WWII actors really put on a good show for us. We passed by a surgery tent (I don’t think that the mannequin was going to make it), a single soldier cooking his breakfast (mmmm…bacon), a snipers nest (yep, they shot everyone before we spotted them) and even witnessed the arrest of a German spy. It’s just still weird to see so many Europeans wearing US uniforms. One Belgian even had his two sons dressed to the 9’s in GI Joe outfits. It made me very proud to be an American that day.
Once we made it back into the village the first thing on out list was beer and a bathroom…but not in that order. We went into the first open pub that we saw and took care of business. After refreshing ourselves we walked to the main square and had a wonder lunch at “Le Grille.” Then it was onto shopping where I tried to help the local economy with the purchase of souvenirs and more beer. The rain started so we decided to head back up to the memorial where we were meeting our bus at 3:00pm. This was when the rain started. By the time we made it back up the hill we were pretty damp and I was just sore from my blister and walking like a little old lady.
It was still a very fun day and everyone was delighted that the rain had at least waited until the walk was over. Even after only 7K I still have a great appreciation for the miles and miles that were marched by the US service men in WWII. Plus they had to carry 70 pounds of gear. I know that I’m not that tough! Once everyone was back on the busses we headed back to Geilenkirchen. People were dosing off left and right out of sheer exhaustion since we had been up so early. I’m sure that the driver was thinking that we were the quietest bus load of Americans that he had ever driven (ha ha).
