This weekend, local commemoration ceremonies took place in Hamm and Bastogne to remember the 80th anniversary of the Battle of the Bulge, with five veterans being honoured.

On the third weekend of Advent, the centres of Bastogne and Hamm were closed to traffic. People, from the town and from further afield, gathered along the streets to commemorate the Battle of the Bulge and to honour the soldiers who liberated the towns 80 years ago.

"These victims paved the way for liberation, reconstruction and peace in Europe. It is our duty to never forget those who sacrificed their lives," the Grand Duke declared at a time when a war is once again causing ripple effects across Europe.
 
The ceremony was graced by the presence of the Grand Ducal couple and the King and Queen of Belgium. However, the royal dignitaries were not the only special guests in attendance. Among those honoured were five veterans, including 99-year-old Jack Foy of the 87th Infantry Division, who had witnessed the Battle of the Bulge with his own eyes. On this day of commemoration, Foy vividly recalled the events of the battle as if they had happened yesterday.

"My division was decimated. Fifty men survived out of 200. From the twelve men in my section, five fell and three were gravely injured. These were my dear friends. This land was blessed. Now it is quiet in the Belgian Ardennes. The smoke of war has cleared and 80 years have passed. Yet the memories stay with you, and the dead."

On December 29, 1944, soldiers of the 3rd American Army buried their fellow soldiers between Hamm and Sandweiler. At the end of the war, 8,412 wooden crosses were erected. Today, 5,075 soldiers and one military nurse, Nancy Leo, lie in the American military cemetery, having sacrificed themselves for our freedom, far from home, in a country they didn't know.

"I also want to thank Luxembourgish citizens who stood by the Americans and the Allies during the Second World War and also during the Battle of the Bulge. They committed their lives to the purpose of a future where we can stand here today in freedom and peace. This is why we have to stand up for democracy, for human rights and for freedom, here at home in Europe, and everywhere in the world," said Prime Minister Luc Frieden, resolute in his commitment to uphold these three values.

Watch the video report in Luxembourgish