So Monday was a day to accomplish some things we didn’t get to in June. First we drove to Groesbeek to go through another WWII museum, one we had planned to visit in June when our Eerde experience took up most of the day. This museum focussed a lot on the people impacts from the war and the political events and situations that led to it.
At the museum I met an individual who worked doing tours and he asked what I was doing there. When I explained he was very interested and told me about many other events going on related to Operation Market Garden. Many other things we could have attended if we were staying in the area longer. As we were leaving the museum the U.S. ambassador to the Netherlands drove up. Lots of big activities taking place.
We then traveled to Nijmegan and walked across the bridge (known as Dr Oversteek or “The Crossing”) and back that was part of Operation Market Garden and was assigned for the 82nd Airborne to capture intact. 48 U.S. solders died just crossing the river in boats and coming up the embankment as part of the operation. It is a lengthy walk and quite a bridge. Everyday at sunset military personnel and civilians walk across the bridge to honor the 48 who died.
The picture shows the bridge structure but there is much more to it than you see because there is a second channel in the same river that gets crossed as well. There are 48 street lamps that get lit one by one as the evening procession passes. The March ends at a memorial on the far side of the river. So we went to eat supper and then Kathy, Terry, Cory, and I each walked with the procession tonight. It was very somber.
Participants waiting for the exact time of sunset to begin the walk.
Part of the markers at the memorial.
The memorial to the 48 who died.
The bridge at night.
And so tomorrow we are back at Eerde for the ceremonies there. Each day just excedes our expectations.
Bryan
In Our Father's Footsteps 