The 79th anniversary commemoration of the Battle of the Bulge, also known as the Ardennes Offensive, kicked off on Friday in Bastogne, with an estimated 15,000 to 20,000 people expected to attend throughout the weekend, according to the authorities.
The commemoration was scheduled to begin on Friday afternoon with the inauguration of the Liberation Route, led by the US Ambassador to Belgium.
“This is a pan-European project covering all cities affected by World War II, with the aim of raising awareness of the duty of remembrance across all generations and creating connections between different memorial sites across Europe,” Bastogne Mayor Benoit Lutgen explained.
A patriotic parade through the city’s streets on Saturday will culminate in the traditional tossing of nuts from the City Hall balcony at 3:30 p.m. Several American veterans of World War II, now around 100 years old, will be present for the occasion.
“It shows how much these commemorations mean to them and how their ties with the city have remained strong over the years,” the mayor stressed.
The commemoration will also feature historical reenactments, marches, and demonstrations of military hardware.
The city’s authorities have announced plans to inaugurate a new museum, the “Bastogne War Room,” in February 2024.
This museum, located in the McAuliffe Cellar, honours Brigadier General McAuliffe of the 101st Airborne, who famously responded “Nuts!” when the German forces asked him to surrender on 22 December 1944 while Bastogne was under siege.
