🎖️ Battle of the Bulge Anniversary Trip (Ardennes, Belgium & Luxembourg) – Band of Brothers 15th Reunion
Welcome back readers (and hopefully fans) for my blog.
I am writing this post on 26th December, just a few days after the anniversary of the Battle of the Bulge (Ardennes Offensive, December 1944–January 1945).
This trip was not a return to Bastogne alone — that was covered in a previous visit with author Ian Gardner focusing on the 3rd Battalion perspective. Instead, this post covers something very different: attending the 15th anniversary celebration of Band of Brothers alongside veterans, actors, and historians connected to the Second World War.
As anyone who knows me will confirm, I was not going to miss this opportunity.
🚗 Luxembourg to Houffalize – Into the Heart of the Ardennes
This was a quick trip, which meant an early “0-dark-thirty” departure from Luxembourg City into Belgium.
Given the popularity of the anniversary and the usual seasonal commemorations, Bastogne was always going to be busy. We managed to secure a room at the Hotel du Commerce in Houffalize.
For those familiar with the Battle of the Bulge, Houffalize holds significant historical importance. It is also ideally located just a 15-minute drive down the N30 into Bastogne, passing through Foy along the way.
Fans of Band of Brothers will immediately recognise Foy from the scene where Speirs runs through the village..
🪖 Foy – Foy (Bastogne Sector) – Easy Company and Band of Brothers Battlefield Location
The view from the bridge on the N30 gives a clear perspective of the church and surrounding village.
A Tiger tank recovered from the river after the battle remains one of the most striking physical reminders of the fighting in this area.
The landscape still reflects the intensity of the 1944–45 winter fighting, even decades later.
🍺 Arrival in Houffalize – Belgian Beer and Ardennes Atmosphere
After checking into the hotel came the obligatory Belgian beer — and a reminder that some of them are deceptively strong at around 8%.
With that appropriately handled, we headed into Bastogne for some evening sightseeing.
🎤 Band of Brothers 15th Anniversary VIP Event – Voices of History
The evening was dedicated to a VIP reception hosted by WW2 Foundation head Tim Gray, honouring veterans of the Battle of the Bulge and marking the 15th anniversary of Band of Brothers.
The event began with a Q&A session featuring both cast members and veterans, including Vince Speranza and Bob Izumi.
Hearing both veterans and actors discuss the meaning of the battle from their different perspectives was a genuinely unique experience and something that will stay with me for a long time.
🎬 Meeting the Band of Brothers Cast
Following the Q&A session, there was an opportunity to meet the actors, take photographs, and collect autographs.
Nadia had more success with photos than I did:
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| Nadia with Doug Spain... |
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| Nadia with Rick Warden and James Madio.... |
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| Nadia with Rick Gomez and Ross McCall... |
I didn’t leave empty-handed though.
One of the highlights was meeting Captain Dale Dye, who was incredibly generous with his time and spent a great deal of effort engaging with fans
🤝 Friends, Veterans, and Shared History
The event also provided a chance to meet people connected through history and social media.
The photo above is me with Linda Cautaert and Chris Langwah. What is great is that Chris is the grandson of Doc Roe, played by Shane Taylor in BoB, and an all round really nice guy. I am honoured to have been able to meet both Linda and Chris. I also had the chance to catch-up with, and say hi to, a few other friends that I've met before including Joey Van Messen. Now Joey is definitely worth knowing as he produces one of the best WW2 history VLOGs out there, specialising in metal detecting across Europe, the kids a star!
🌍 Margraten American Cemetery – Remembering Market Garden
The following day, we took a break from Bastogne and drove north into the Netherlands to visit the American Cemetery at Margraten.
This cemetery is the final resting place of over 8,000 American servicemen, many of whom were killed during Operation Market Garden.
Whilst visiting the cemetery we paid our respects to an Easy Company member killed during Market Garden...
🌉 Remagen Bridge – Crossing the Rhine
From Margraten, we drove east into Germany to Remagen.
The Ludendorff Bridge at Remagen became one of the most significant crossings of the Rhine in 1945. The remains of the bridge now house a museum containing artefacts and historical displays related to the battle.
After visiting the museum, we drove back past the Eiffel Forrest skirting Luxembourg and back to Houffalize, Belgium...three countries in six hours which has to be a new record for me!
🏛 Bastogne War Museum – Modern Interpretation of the Bulge
Back in Belgium, we visited the Bastogne War Museum, located near the Mardasson Memorial.
This modern museum features interactive exhibits, immersive displays, and historical vehicles including a battle-damaged Sherman tank and a Jagdpanzer.
It is one of the most effective interpretive museums on the Battle of the Bulge and well worth visiting.
The war memorial is just outside of the museum. The memorial is imposing and gives a fantastic view of the surrounding area including Bastogne....
🪖 Bastogne Barracks – Armour and Living History
Next stop was the Bastogne Barracks, an active Belgian Army site that also contains one of the most impressive collections of military vehicles in the region.
The collection includes Centurion tanks, German armour, and a range of support vehicles. The site also functions as a restoration and preservation facility.
Unexpectedly, we also encountered members of the Band of Brothers cast again during the visit.
⚰️ Hamm American Cemetery – Luxembourg
Our final stop was the Hamm American Cemetery in Luxembourg, located near Luxembourg City airport.
This cemetery contains numerous burials from the Battle of the Bulge, including members of Easy Company:
Alex Penkala, Skip Muck and John Julian
Contrary to popular belief, Patton was not originally buried at the head of his troops. His grave was relocated due to the high number of visitors causing disruption to surrounding plots, following an agreement between Luxembourg and his family.
🧭 Final Reflections – A Weekend Among History and Memory
All in all, this was another exceptional trip with a number of unique experiences — from meeting veterans and actors, to visiting key sites across three countries in a single journey.
More than anything, it reinforced how interconnected these places are, and how the history of the Battle of the Bulge still resonates strongly today.
💬 Reader Question
If you could attend a single WWII anniversary event — battlefield visit, reunion, or commemoration — which one would it be and why?
🤝 Acknowledgements
A sincere thanks to everyone involved in organising and participating in the event, including Tim Gray and the WW2 Foundation, the veterans who shared their stories, and the cast and guests who made the anniversary so memorable.
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