The Henri-Chapelle American Cemetery is a breathtaking sight. The history alone is fascinating and…read moretouching but the site itself is beautiful and a must see if you are in the area. The staff is very knowledgeable and extremely helpful.
The site holds fallen Americans of two major efforts. One involved the First U.S. Army's drive from September through December 1944 through northern France, Belgium, Holland, and Luxembourg into Germany. The second included the Battle of the Bulge and its elimination, enabling allied forces to advance farther into Germany. We were coming to visit the SO's great uncle, who passed away during the latter effort.
We arrived really late and they were closing the gates to the parking lot, but they were nice enough to direct us to park across the street so we could still visit. The manager actually went above and beyond and offered to make an appointment for us last minute to come back before the end of our trip. He explained that he could put together a family memorial service and information packet for us,
We came back a week later, and he gave us a brief tour and vast amounts of information- both about the site and about the SO's relative (the path of his final days, approximately where his last battle took place, etc) along with additional resources for us to request additional documents and records. We ended the very informative tour at the headstone, where the manager cleaned the stone and performed a short but touching ceremony. The SO's parents spoke some words and his father was presented with US and Belgium flags to take home. Words can't really describe it, but it was very moving.
If you are coming to visit a relative, I highly recommend scheduling an appointment in advance. What the staff and local village do here is nothing short of beautiful and amazing. The staff will take great care of you.
