Day 5: Luxembourg

Morning sightseeing with our tour guide hit the city history past and present.  We learned it is a constitutional monarchy with a grand Duke and a parliament.  They were known as a neutral unarmed country and when the Germans took over the country in WW II, they did so without firing a shot.  Next we drove to the American Cemetery in Luxembourg.  There are 5000 soldiers buried in the cemetery along with General George Patton.  This was a very emotional (and tearful) setting to think that all those Americans died for us...so that we could remain free.  General Eisenhower said, " The cause for which they died will live eternally".

80,000 Americans died in the "Battle of the Bulge".  The average age of the American soldiers who died in the battle was 27.  The average age of the German soldiers who died was 16 (they must have been scraping the bottom of the barrel).

In the afternoon we took a drive to Trier, Germany's oldest city.  They have a 2000 year history starting as a Roman city in 17 BC.  We viewed lots of unique Roman history and artifacts.

Gen. Patton gravesite.

All soldiers buried facing the USA.

History lesson on the Battle of the Bulge.