Mr. Ambassador,
I would like to thank you and say that it is indeed an honor to be here in the presence of many distinguished guests and survivors of the Battle of the Bulge. I also want to thank Colonel (Ret) Douglas Dillard, 82nd Airborne and President of our National Veterans of the Battle of the Bulge organization, along with Ralph Bozorth and John Bowen, without whose help I would not have had this opportunity to fulfill one of my final wishes and that is to present you with this map and for this I am truly grateful.
First let me say something about our family military history. My father was born in Italy in 1892 and came to America by himself at the age of seventeen, seeking a better life. When World War I broke out he volunteered to serve our country, whose language he could hardly speak. Yet, like many of his time, he was willing to put his life in harms’ way for the opportunity of becoming an American citizen. He joined the Army and served with the 53rd Field Artillery Brigade. He soon found himself in France, fighting in the Battle of Meuse Argonne and the Battle of St. Mihiel, at which time he found himself in hand-to-hand combat with a German soldier; he received a minor bayonet wound to his thigh and was too proud to report it. He told us that he killed the enemy but regretted doing so because he “was so young” and “he had no choice.” My father was awarded the French Legion of Honor Medal. His unit also served in Belgium, and there is a monument in Oudennard, Belgium honoring the 53rd Field Artillery Brigade.
Let me add that I started this Battle of the Bulge signature index map to honor my brother Joe and all of the brave men and women who served during the largest land battle ever fought and won by the United States Army. It is my contribution towards keeping the memories of all who served alive, especially those who were left behind, so that future generations are reminded of the sacrifices that were made by all who served during the Battle of the Bulge.
Mr. Ambassador, I am honored to present to you and the people of Luxembourg this Signature Index Map, signed by 105 Battle of the Bulge survivors who signed their names in the exact location where they fought.
Twenty-five of these names were signed in Luxembourg. I humbly ask that you extend our best wishes to the people of your country and I remind everyone that there are a little over one million WWII veterans alive today who are dying at the rate of one every 90 seconds. The day will soon come when there will be one survivor standing and it is possible that that person could be a Battle of the Bulge survivor and could be in this room today.
Respectfully,
Mike Ciquero, WWII Navy Seabee and VBOB Associate
December 15, 2013
