American Military Cemeteries | Georgia Rambler

Skip to content

# Category Archives: American Military Cemeteries

American Military Cemeteries, General Patton's Grave, Luxembourg American Cemetery, Luxembourg and Luxembourg City, Statue of the Consoler of the Afflicted

# Luxembourg City and a poignant visit to another WWII cemetery

October 11, 2018 1954 1 Comment

The Rambler hadn’t read the daily program carefully the night before and didn’t realize that we would not be visiting Trier today. Instead, we would ride a bus to Luxembourg City and the WWII cemetery there. The River Queen would indeed dock at Trier at 1:00 PM but most of the cruisers would board busses at 1:15 for our trip to Luxembourg returning at 6:30, just before our boat would move to another dock near Trier at Schweich. The Ramblers only view of Luxembourg had been from its train station, while we waited for a connecting train 20 years ago. We had looked down on the city from the railroad station, and thought it might be an interesting place to visit. Now we would have the chance. Luxembourg City is surrounded by high cliffs and therefore is a smallish, compact place.

Little did we know that our guide would stop our bus so that we could look down on the city from those same cliffs.

Luxembourg has the highest GDP in the EU (3rd in the world), because its population is small (under 600,000, highly educated and benefits from hosting several branches of EU government as well as high tech industry and banking. This year, its GDP per capita is a startling 107,000 dollars. Our cruise manager commented that it was a shopper’s paradise, every trendy and exclusive brand had a shop there. Needless to say, some of our fellow cruisers were excited by this.

Luxembourg City was less than an hour’s journey by bus both from Trier and from our dock, so no long bus ride involved and more time in Luxembourg City.

The small but beautiful chapel stands tall near the entrance to the cemetery.

Our first stop as we neared its outskirts was the Luxembourg American Cemetery and Memorial. Many of the Americans buried here were killed in the drive to push the German forces out of Belgium and back into Germany in the last year of the war. There was fierce fighting on both sides at Bastogne and in the Ardennes during the Battle of the Bulge, and casualties were high for both Germans and Americans. (There is a German military cemetery one mile away, also established by the US Army graves registration service, which we did not visit.)

Flags mark the location of the 6 American cemeteries in relatively close proximity where Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Belgium and France border Germany.

A temporary military burial ground was established on this spot in December 1944 to inter the bodies of the many soldiers who had been killed in the Battle of the Bulge. Later the use of this area as a military cemetery was granted by the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg without charge or taxation, in perpetuity.

The Luxembourg American Cemetery and Memorial is half the size of the one at Normandy 5,076 graves opposed to over 10,000, and gets many fewer visitors. ironically, there are three more American Cemeteries not far away in Belgium and the Netherlands: the Ardennes American Cemetery, the Henri-Chappelle American Cemetery and the Netherlands American Cemetery near Aachen in Germany, Their locations are marked on the map by American flags. More than 50% of the 5,000 + graves at the Ardennes Cemetery are those of airmen shot down while supporting the ground forces.

Another 8,000 graves can be found at the Henri_Chapelle Cemetery, most of the men buried there were killed as the US forces moved relentlessly towards Germany. At the only American military cemetery located in the Netherlands, the Dutch have adopted the grave sites of the men buried there. Twice a year they have a days of remembrance where they decorate the graves with flowers and display photos of the fallen. The furthest of these is only 123 miles away as the crow flies.

This photo gives some idea of the massive size of the Meuse Argonne cemetery, row, upon row of crosses.

Even closer are two more American cemeteries, the Meuse-Argonne and the Lorraine Cemetery. The Meuse Argonne’s over 130 acres hold the largest number of American military dead in Europe, almost 15,000. Ironically most were killed during the “War to end all Wars” during the Meuse Argonne Offensive of 1918. A few were killed during the ill-fated US expedition to Russia in 1918-1919. It is not far from the huge French and Germany cemeteries at Verdun where a million men ultimately lost their lives. The Lorraine Cemetery contains 10,489 graves. Most of the men from the 7th Army who lie here were killed driving the Germans from the fortress city of Metz. The Ramblers visited this cemetery twenty years ago with French friends while living in Metz for a study abroad program. It is a beautiful place.

The Ramblers walked slowly thru the lines of graves reading the inscriptions.

The Ramblers were touched that Uniworld had included a stop at the American Cemetery as part of the Luxembourg tour and it is well worth visiting. The cemetery is a peaceful place where visitors quietly honor the memory of the thousands of Americans and Germans who died here. Besides a small but beautiful chapel, there is a memorial pylon for 37 soldiers and airmen whose remains were never found.

Buried along with 5,076 American military dead including one army nurse, is General George Patton, who asked to be buried with his soldiers. His grave lies between two flagpoles overlooking the graves. Sadly, twenty two sets of brothers are buried here along with 101 unknown/ unidentified soldiers.

General Patton’s grave marker is a simple cross, although it is set apart next to the rows of crosses.

Leaving the solemnity of the cemetery behind, we boarded our bus and headed for our next stop, the center of Luxembourg City. We would have a brief tour of beautiful Notre Dame Cathedral and a walk around the Ducal Palace.

Luxembourg is not a kingdom but a Grand Duchy; its current head of state is the Grand Duke Henri, he and his wife have 5 children. The Ducal family was not in residence so we couldn’t see the changing of the guard ceremony nor did we have time to tour the palace. Although it is a private residence, the palace which was once the city hall and built about the same time as the cathedral. is open to the public during the summer for a small admission fee. Visiting dignitaries and heads of state are housed there when they come to Luxembourg.

Long view of the Palace, you can see the empty sentry boxes directly below the tower.

One place we did visit was the grand and very large cathedral of Notre Dame. This huge edifice was built at the end of the Gothic period at the beginning of the 17th century.

The cathedral Our Lady(Notre-Dame) of Luxembourg was built between 1613 and 1621 by the Jesuits to serve as a church for their college which is now the Luxembourg National Library. The north gate is a mixture of the semi-Renaissance, semi-Baroque style of the of the time when it was built.

Miraculous Statue of the Consoler of the Afflicted from the Cathedrale of Notre Dame
Statue of the beloved Grand Duchesse Margrethe who ruled Luxembourg during WWII from exile.

Since 1794, it has housed a revered statue of the Consoler of the Afflicted, one of the many titles of special devotion given to the Virgin Mary. It is especially appropriate as Mary is the patron saint of Catholic Luxembourg. Notre Dame was named a cathedral church in 1870 and enlarged from 1935 to 1938. Today the church is truly enormous as befits the only cathedral in Luxembourg. Some of its outstanding features include a choir screen in richly sculpted alabaster, columns decorated with arabesques, stained glass from the 19th and 20th centuries, neo-Gothic confessionals, modern sculptures in bas relief, and bronze gates by Auguste Trémont.

The crypt is the resting place of John the Blind, King of Bohemia and Count of Luxembourg, as well as deceased members of the Grand Ducal family, including Grand Duchess Margrethe, the two lions flanking the entrance are also the work of Auguste Trémont.

Baroque detail above the entrance door

After our tour we had free time to enjoy the lively scene in the Place d’Armes the main square near the Palace which pulsed with activity. It was originally a parade ground for soldiers, hence its name, Many shops, hotels and cafes line its perimeter.

The balloon man doing a brisk business in the Place d’Armes.

The Ramblers were happy to find a bench in the shade and enjoy some excellent people watching before it was time to head back to the River Queen. We particularly enjoyed the balloon man who did a brisk business selling balloons he twisted into many fantastic shapes.

The time passed quickly on a beautiful sunny day and soon it was time for our group to gather nearby for the short walk to our waiting bus.

## Ramble the world with us