Background from the Century Division web site:

In all, in 185 days of uninterrupted ground combat, out of an authorized strength of 13,688 officers and enlisted men, the 100th Infantry Division sustained 916 killed in action, 3,656 wounded in action, and lost 180 men missing in action. In other words, considering that the infantry units were rarely maintained above 80% strength, about 50% of all the infantrymen in the Division became casualties in the course of achieving the Division's magnificent record. In liberating or capturing over 400 cities, towns and villages, they defeated major elements of eight German divisions. In this process, the men of the 100th inflicted untold casualties on the enemy, the only calculable number of which is the 13,351 enemy prisoners taken.

U.S. Cemetary at Saint-Avold

The weather started to improve for our trip to Saint-Avold. We stopped first in Bitche for money and postcards (I bought a paper that said "Hiver en Mai"--Winter in May). Then we rode to Saint-Avold, where we rode past a sign for the Patton Pharmacy. The trees at the cemetary were imported from America since this is a piece of American soil.

We arrived at the reception area and asked for print outs and maps for the different units that individuals on the tour wanted to honor. Bob Heller, Liz, and I wanted the 325th Engineers, particularly C Company, but apparently that request broke their computer. The person in charge had only been on the job a short time, so had trouble figuring out what the problem was. We went on as a group to the memorial chapel, while the superintendent wrestled with the computer. It is both a peaceful and a moving place. The birds sang the whole time we were there. The grounds are immaculate. The shrubs were in bloom.

The chapel is a large, daunting block facing out toward the cemetary, but inside it's light and bright--and also icy cold inside.

On one wall is a series of maps of the theaters of operation during the war. The wall says, "Here we and all who shall hereafter live in freedom will be reminded that to these men and their comrades we owe a debt to be paid with grateful remembrance of their sacrifice and with the high resolve that the cause for which they died shall live."

On the other wall is a tile map of the European theatre and a narrative of the war in Europe in English and French. The inset is of Western France. Below, I've circled Raon l'Etape, Rimling, and Bitche, which appear on the map.

On the far end of the chapel, are sculptures of King David and Emperor Constantine on the left and King Arthur and George Washington on the right.

And then we posed in the chapel--

Ed Carrell, John Day, Bob Alcorn, Nat Gattinella, Bill McNutt, Bob Heller, John Sommer with the flag, Bill Moseley, Mike Escalera, and Bill Glazier.

The group shot of the rest of us didn't come out, but luckily the deputy photographer took two more shots--

Top photo: Nancy Sommer, Harriet Carrell, Diane Byrnes, George Byrnes, Lois Glazier

Bottom photo: Liz Morse, me, Virginia Gattinella, Shep Rilovick, Isabelle Escalera

We then went out to honor members of our units, each unit had a rose. The other units had print outs but no maps, so they spread out searching. We didn't have a print out yet, but Bob knew where a member of Company C rests. He'd been walking there once with Bill, carrying a rose. They hadn't been able to find the place where they wanted to leave it, so as they were walking out, Bob said that he'd put it at the next marker--and the next marker had been for someone he knew:

Norman F. Joyce

PFC, 325th Engr Cmbt BN 100 Div

Main, Dec 3 1944

Bob remembered him as the first man killed in the unit, a nice guy.

Bob went back to seek a list while Liz and I walked randomly searching and saying prayers for all the men. It's an overwhelming vista--filled with bird calls, the beautiful grounds, and over 10,000 headstones.

The shrubs in bloom there and the lilacs in full bloom throughout Lorraine reminded me of Whitman's poem upon the death of Lincoln and in honor of the men who'd died in the Civil War, "When Lilacs Last in the Dooryard Bloom'd."

Garfield wasn't there, which I was glad for, since it meant someone had brought him home. So many remembered him warmly. Bob remembered him, and remembered the medic who had tried to help him.

I was glad that we could find Lt. Joseph Banko, who Bob recalled as someone everyone liked and that T.C. Moore remembered so clearly. He was from West Virginia and died December 29, 1944.

We left our rose there with Lt. Banko in honor of Company C, the combat engineers, and all of the men who rest in Saint-Avold.

Bitche

We stopped off at the Century Division cul de sac in Bitche to pose for pictures--while Lise and Bob laughed about the word "cul de sac", which sounds so nice in English. "Cul" is a rude way to say bottom (rhyming with "sass").

John Day, Bill Glazier, Bob Heller, John Sommer, Bill Moseley, and Lise Pommois take pictures.

John Sommer and Bill Moseley and a close up of the sign.

When we got back to the hotel, the documentary film crew was there waiting for us. I hoped to be able to sit in and listen to the interviews, but we were all booted out. I did watch them set up, trying to get a shot of the person, the Citadel through the window, and the Century Division flag. They were making a film about the liberation of Bitche and the local citizens hiding in the citadel, so they were looking for people who had actually been in Bitche. I know they interviewed John Sommer, Mike Escalera, Bob Alcorn, and Bill Glazier.

The rest of us were a bit rowdy and noisy for the crew because two events occurred. First Michelle, who managed the hotel, invited her aunt to bring the famous flag. The family was in Sarreguemines (I think)--beyond the American advance anyway--when Northwind started. The American were so close but took another three months to reach them. So Michelle's aunt (or possibly her mother and her aunt?) stitched an American flag in secret while Germans lived in her house and they lived in the cellar as a way to keep hope alive that the Americans would come. As soon as they did, she flew it from her window and later from the Hotel Strasbourg in Bitche. Bill Glazier pointed out that she got one thing wrong--it's six stars across and eight stars deep, rather than the other way around.

Michelle's aunt, Michelle, and Bill Glazier

The material is so soft and the stitching is unbelievably fine. It's really a wonderful flag even without the story.

Michele's aunt had been in the U.S. until the age of 11, when her parents had returned to France, so she knew Americans and knew some English.

We were joined by a gentleman that Shep had invited. He'd met him in his previous travels in the area. Lise Pommois was busy helping the TV crew interview the veterans, so luckily Michelle's aunt agreed to help translate for him, though she was able to translate only about 1/3 of what he said.

His story:

He lives in Lemberg then and now. He was 15 when the Germans suddenly left. Then the Americans arrived and they were still hiding in the cellar fromt he artillery. The Americans suddenly appeared in the cellar stairs, flashing a flashlight and wearing grenades (the ammo belt had a clip for grenades and also the combat jackets had a place on the lapel for a grenade). They were terrified because they thought they were all going to blow up. With guns drawn and the flashlight, the GIs searched each face of the family, making sure in the darkness that none were Germans. Finally, his mother, through gestures, offered the soldiers schnapps and apples and everyone relaxed.

He remembered that for six years with the Germans, they got nothing. The American arrive and they immediately got some food. He particularly remembered corned beef in a can. They had nothing.

75% of the houses in Lemberg were damaged. They had no material to fix them. So they used shell casings, which were made of brass. They pounded them flat and thin and fixed the holes in the roof.

With the Germans, they had been forced to take German names and speak only German. Mike Escalera remembered that the GIs were nervous approaching this region because the French had welcomed them with ambivalence and now they were getting among people speaking German. Shep's friend commented that the freedom was nice, but the damage and death and injury made some resentful. Michelle's aunt chimed in that they weren't resentful at all but waiting for the Americans for months. She was 30 kilmeters beyond Lemberg and it took three months for the Americans to reach her town.

And then an interesting coincidence happened--He noticed Bob and Helen Hamer's name tags and got excited. Hamer is the name of his mother in law! They sorted things out and it seems that they probably aren't connected, at least closely.

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