Luxembourg was too small to be a major combatant in the second World War, but it was occupied by the Nazis in 1940 and remained so until the end of 1944. For visitors looking for signs of this historic conflict, there is one that should not be missed: the Luxembourg American Cemetery Memorial. The cemetery itself was established by the Americans just after Christmas 1944 as the Allies were being pushed back by the Ardennes offensive, commonly known as the Battle of the Bulge. This was a last desperate attempt by Hitler to launch a counter-attack, in an attempt to split the Allied lines and force them into a ‘second Dunkirk’. Although the plan foundered and the end was nigh, the bodies continued to pile up on all sides and 5,076 American servicemen were buried in the Luxembourg cemetery, which is located at Hamm and opens at 9:30 a.m. daily.
The memorial takes the form of a stone chapel, with a mosaic ceiling and stained glass windows bearing the military insignias of the men and women who rest in the cemetery. The chapel sits on a white stone terrace, which has two pylons either side of a quote by General Eisenhower about the sacrifices made by members of the US military. The pylons themselves display the movements of the western front on the right and the Battle of the Bulge on the left. Inscribed on the other side of the maps are the 371 names of those missing in action. Some very prominent soldiers are buried in the cemetery, including General Patton, who finally succumbed from his wounds shortly before Christmas 1945.
Luxembourg had served as the headquarters for his third army over the previous year. Also there are the graves of 118 Jewish soldiers and there are 12 graves marked by bronze rosettes. These were filled by those among the 371 missing men whose remains were subsequently recovered. This is a truly sacred place, and one where people may come to reflect on the sacrifices made by a previous generation, even if none of their own family lie there.
