Despite a long, rocky road, the Vechta reservist comradeship was present for the commemoration of the 80th anniversary of the Battle of the Bulge. The first correspondence with those responsible for organising the commemorations to mark the 80th anniversary of the start of the so-called Rundstedt Offensive began in mid-October 2024. It was clear to me from the outset that it would not be easy, as the local elections had only just been held and there would indeed be some shifts in the local authorities. It quickly became clear that the Vechta reservist comradeship would be very welcome to join the commemorations. I was able to follow how enthusiastically the members reacted to this news via Telegram. To obtain permission to participate in Belgium uniform, the invitations had to be sent urgently from here to Vechta. At the same time, a call for volunteers was launched in Vechta. As not all volunteers had a uniform, it was decided to wear camouflage uniforms, and the guidelines for appearing in correct uniform were issue: black belt, lace-up boots, ranks, berets, everything was checked, reordered and/or replaced. Apparently some items had ‘shrunk’ in the wardrobe, or is there possibly another reason for this? On site, there were frequent phone calls to the Director General of Sankt Vith to get a proper overview of what was going on. The Vechta reservist comradeship were to arrive on the afternoon of Saturday 14 December 2024 and to take part in the rededication of the US memorial in Lanzerath. On Sunday 15 December, they would attend the memorial service in Sankt Vith and the official opening of a new memorial in Poteau. The original planning needed to be adjusted in order to ensure that everything ran smoothly.
In the meantime, correspondence was also conducted with Mr Tanski, the carer of a 102-year-old German veteran, Jochen Schmidt. The Vechta reservist comradeship offered to look after this elderly man, who took part in the memorial service in Lanzerath together with his companion.
The following day, everyone gathered at the 106th US Infantry Division memorial in Sankt Vith in time for the memorial service. Carl Wouters and Doug Mitchell led the ceremony and recalled the events. The Vechta reservist comradeship was honoured for their presence and joint commemoration five years earlier by receiving a ‘Flag of Friendship’. Mayor Werner Henkes gave a moving speech and invited everyone to come to Poteau.
The new US memorial in memory of the 14th Cavalry Group was dedicated by relatives of Major Larry Smith, who had died here during the battle. His grandson was given the floor. After this moving ceremony, everyone was invited to a breakfast in the nearby village of Recht. The reservist comradeship Vechta and the friends of the reservists Eupen, Malmedy, Sankt Vith had ordered a lunch of Liège boulettes in a local restaurant, which threw the schedule a little out of kilter, yet on the whole, everything went well.
The Vechta reservist comradeship and the friends of Eupen, Malmedy, Sankt Vith reservists laid a joint flower arrangement with a wreath at both locations.
After a final formation of the platoon and the Vechta salute (Forever Comrade), they parted ways – until the next meeting.
Patrick Vermeulen, Amel (Friends of the Reservists Eupen, Malmedy, Sankt Vith)