Lest we forget . . .

NR reminds us of the Battle of the Bulge in December 1944. I travelled to Bastogne ten years ago and its inhabitants remember the siege and the Screaming Eagles' defense of the town like it was yesterday. My brother married a Belgian gal whose mother was an eleven-year old who hid with her family in a basement during those awful days. I was introduced to her during my trip and conversation was awkward for the first few minutes--Madame spoke no English and my brother's wife handled the translation. After a few minutes, I heard my sister in law tell her I had been an officer in the "cent et une division paracommando." Her mother's demeanor changed instantly--she kissed and hugged me, and started speaking so fast her daughter could not keep up with the translation. She showed me a bedroom in her home converted to a library with every book that had been published on the battle in French and Flemish. We departed later with a generous selection from her vast beer cellar. The talking heads say that America is hated in Europe and no one remembers the effort it took to free Europe. It may be so in some places but in one small town in the Ardennes the sacrafice made so many years ago will not be forgotten.