Luxembourg American Cemetery

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Luxembourg American Cemetery

The Luxembourg American Cemetery and Memorial, located in Hamm and established on 29 December 1944, contains the remains of 5,076 Americans. Most of them died during the so called Battle of the Bulge. Among these graves is the one of the famous hero of the Bulge, the American General George Patton.

When the German offensive in the Ardennes began on 19 December 1944, the U.S. General Georges Patton, who headed the 3rd U.S. Army, was still in action in the Alsace, in the east of France. Nevertheless he promised the U.S. General Eisenhower, commander of all the allied forces and installed in Reims, to arrive in Bastogne before Christmas 1944. A risky challenge, since the winter was very cold and the icy roads hindered the vehicles. Patton and his men had to travel a hundred miles with heavy tanks. Between 18 and 31 December 133,178 vehicles covered 2 million kilometers and carried 41,933 tons of materials; an unbelievable rush from the Alsace to Bastogne.

The U.S. 3rd Armored Division, a hard-fighting unit, reached the besieged American defenders of Bastogne on 26 December. It was lieutenant Boggess who broke, first, the encircling of the weary paratroopers of the American 101st Airborne Division. But the fights against some of the best German infantry and tank units continued for several days. General Patton wanted to extend the small corridor to Bastogne. As soon as he received enough fresh supplies, he launched a great attack in the direction of the north of Bastogne. On 15 January, the offensive was successful.

After the war General Georges Patton became a hero. The allied victory in the Ardennes had made an end to German hopes. But it also meant the death of a lot of American soldiers engaged in the fight. Patton died in a car accident in Germany in December 1945. He then joined his men on the cemetery of Hamm, Luxembourg.

Luxembourg American Cemetery

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