The Remember 39-45 Museum, Belgium

The Remember 39-45 Museum was created and maintained by Mathilde and Marcel Schmetz, who  are known by all United States Veterans of the Battle of the Bulge  as the Belgian M&Ms  is setting up a special area to display memorabilia about “Rosie the Riviter”. Mathilde and Marcel would like any Rosie the Riviter to please send them any pictures taken during World War II and a current photo, which would then be displayed in the museum.

The Remember 1939-1945 Museum was opened by American veterans in June 1994. It is a private collection made up mainly of objects abandoned by the GIs in December 1944 in the farm of the owner, before they set off for the battle of the Ardennes. The various dioramas, divided up on three floors, trace the history of our region, part of which ended up annexed to Germany. The museum’s mission is primarily educational, which is why all visits take the form of guided tours. This is a chance for children in new classes to take a history course with images and relief works. Many are the US veterans who have entered this museum, happy to to see that what they did for us has not been forgotten.

After their visit, all visitors feel a sense of gratitude towards the Belgian and American veterans who risked their lives to offer us a present that we shall probably never be able to give back to them: Freedom

Address and contact information for the museum:
Les Bolles, 4
4890 Thimister-Clermont
Phone 087 44 61 81
Fax 087 44 65 08
Web site www.remembermuseum.com

M&Ms are asking all veterans of the Battle of the Bulge to please help them contact any of their acquaintances who may have been a Rosie the Riviter. Anyone desiring further information may contact:
Christian W. de Marcken
Secretary and historian of chapter 22, Central Massachusetts
e-mail cwdemarcken@verizon.net

Belgian student requests info from veterans

Hello, 

 My name is Louis Vander Stuyft. I’m 17 years old living in Belgium. For school I need to make a paper about a certain topic we can choose. Because I’m interested in the second world war I choose the topic: The Battle of the Bulge.
The title of my work is:How did the Allies counter the german attack at the battle of the bulge at world war II?

I already described what I found in history books. To make my work more personal I would like answers to the following questions.

What is your name?
What is your nationality?
How old were you when you fought in the battle of the bulge?
In what division, battalion, regiment did you fight in the war?
What rank did you have?
How did you get involved in the war? Did you volunteer?
Where and when did you fight in the battle?
Did you thought the war was as good as over before the Germans launched their offensive in the Ardennes?
What did you think when you heard the Germans launched a big offensive?
Was the battle of the Bulge a battle like any other battle in the second world war or was it different at any way?
How was the moral of the troops, of your friends, of you at the time?
How was the weather?  Did you or your friends had trouble with the weather conditions? What did you do against it?
Did the enemy had more recourses (weapons, ammunitions, food …) then you did?
How did the allies win the battle of the bulge? Whas it the courage, the hard fighting of the troops on the field or where it the plans of the generals who made the difference (or a combination of both)?
Were there many casualties in your unit?
Did you get help from the people who lived in the area of the battle?
Did you ever return to Belgium? How did it feel? 

Do you have some more interesting information,  facts, stories…?  You can always tell me.
Can you maybe add a picture of you (at the battle)?  

Thank you very much for your help! Kind regards

Louis

                      ***************************

Please forward your response by 3/1/13 to either of the following:

Ralph@battleofthebulge.org

or

VBOB, PO Box 336, Blue Bell, PA 19422

 

 

Lehigh Valley Chapter – French Legion of Honor

Ten members of the Lehigh Valley Chapter, pictured below, were awarded the French Legion of Honor at the French Embassy in Washington DC on November 20, 2012.

 

Front row (l-r)
William Leopold – 75th Infantry Division
Evangeline Coeyman – 59th Field Hospital

Back row (l-r)
Gene R. Nadig – 750th Tank Battalion
Morris D. Metz – 94th Infantry Division
John A. Caponigro – 87th Infantry Division
Jack A. Lippincott – 8th Convalescent Hospital
Nathan Kline – 9th Air Force
Roy A. Minnerly – 11th Armored Division
Frank Maresca – 75thInfantry Division
Donald W. Burdick – 16th Field Artillery

Two other chapter members were awarded French Legion of Honor, but are not in the group picture

Floyd Stewart - 702nd Tank Battalion

 

Mark Kistler - 4th Cavalry Division

MA Chapter – French Legion of Honor

Six members of the Veterans of the Battle of the Bulge who are also members of the Lamar Souter Chapter of  VBOB were awarded the French Legion of Honor on October 23, 2012.

(l-r standing)
Robert Nordgren – 83rd Infantry Division
Fabien Fieschi – Consul General of France
Frank Woolridge – 90th Infantry Division

(l-r sitting)
Armand Descoteau – 80th Tank Battalion
Edward J. Pizzetti – 75th Infantry Division
Margaret Hammond Walenski – 16th General Hospital
Roger Wheeler – 702nd Tank Destroyer Battalion

Submitted by Christian W. de Marcken, Associate