Day 16 - The Field Where It Happened

Day 16 – Monday, Apr 6 – The Big Surprise

Prelude

If you care to read about some remarkable Ruberg family history related to WW II, then by all means read on. It is a personal story but one that has profound meaning and probably would resonate with you no matter what your history and connection (or lack thereof) to WW II might be. The next two days are a story motivated by our Uncle Ray who fought and died in the largest battle in US history – the Battle of the Bulge (yes, bigger than the storming of the Normandy beaches). The Battle started on December 16, 1944 when the Germans launched an enormous surprise offensive (250,000 troops with many tanks and air support) along the German-Belgian border. The American heroics and sacrifice to initially slow, then stop and then reverse that offensive over a period of two months is a part of history that the BELGIAN people are committed to preserving in perpetuity.

This part of the trip was arranged through a connection with a local family. Don and Laureen have a nephew who was in the US armed forces and met a family in Belgium who ran a museum to remember the Battle of the Bulge and the US service men who died there. This connection led to a family – Vincent and Severine Guerra - who were acutely and specifically aware of our Uncle Ray. Through email correspondence – us giving some family information and context; them having local knowledge - they put together a two-day program for us to visit various sites and museums related to the Battle of the Bulge. What follows is our remarkable experience.

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We woke to a rare (for this trip) beautiful sunny morning ready to leave Amsterdam by train to the Belgian city of Liege (pronounced lee-ahj … but with a French flair). The trains were easy to navigate, but our luggage was another story – large bags, little/no storage space, steps up and down, limited time from doors open to doors close – perhaps you get the picture.  The luggage story continued through our transfer of trains in Maastricht (famous for its treaty in 1992 that created the EU), but it all ended well with our arrival in Liege and short taxi ride to the hotel.

We arrived at the very nice Selys Hotel at the recommendation of Vincent. After a confusing check-in process (perhaps you know the stereotype of the French … well Belgians but who speak French and have quite a bit of French culture). We had arranged to meet Vincent and Severine in the lobby of the hotel at 2:00pm (1400). After exchanging introductions and pleasantries, we loaded into their two cars  - Steve, Kurt and Mary with Severine, and Don/Laureen and Mark/Carol with Vincent. We were off to our first stop – about a 1-hour drive – the Tannenbaum Monument near the tiny village of Ottré, Belgium (the enterprising reader can look it up on Google maps).

Along with a very WW II knowledgeable friend, we had done some research about our Uncle Ray – henceforth just Ray. We knew where he was buried (Steve had been there in 1992 with a remarkable experience) what infantry division he was in, but as we prepared for this trip, we dug in even deeper along with our WW II knowledgeable friend. It’s amazing what is on the internet these days.

Anyway, Private Henry Tannenbaum was killed in the Battle of the Bulge and a war correspondent/photojournalist captured a picture of his dead body lying in the snow in an open pasture on a gentle hillside. [Note: temperatures were extremely cold during the Battle and even reached as low as  -15 to -20 in early January 1945]. The picture went viral by today’s standards as a singular representation of the truly frigid conditions and ultimate sacrifice of American soldiers during the Battle of the Bulge. Henry Tannebaum’s offspring, along with some other locals, wanted to memorialize the spot.

So, that was our first destination. On the way,  Kurt noted that there were signs for the town of Foy, which figured prominently in the made for TV movie “A Band of Brothers,” which is a true story about a platoon of US soldiers in WW II. It is his favorite show of all time. We did get to the “town” (a couple of farmhouses), and Kurt exclaimed, “This is where it happened!” He described the ultra-heroic efforts of one of the band of brothers and he recognized the stone wall behind which the soldiers took shelter. A very cool moment and he explained the circumstances and unbelievable bravery of the soldiers as they fought off the Germans. Anyway, back to Ottré.

The Tannenbaum monument/memorial is just outside the tiny (and I mean tiny) village of Ottré, which is in the middle of nowhere, but gorgeous Belgian countryside. The drive was beautiful on a warming, sunny Spring day. We were driving down this isolated, narrow country road when we got to the memorial. To say it is understated is its own understatement. If you didn’t know it was there and weren’t looking very carefully, you would easily drive right by it. It is at the corner of our isolated road and a dirt/gravel farm road that disappears down a hill and into the woods. We pulled over on the other side of the road where there was some gravel to park opposite the monument.

   

We had seen it on the internet – a single stone with a plaque, a large concrete star on the ground and three flag poles – and that’s what was in front of us. We walked across the street, and there was the stone with a plaque with the recognition of Henry Tannenbaum, 83^rd Infantry Division, 331 Infantry Regimen, 2^nd Battalion, F Company. That was exactly Ray’s unit! He and Henry were comrades in arms.

 

  

But there was a newer plaque just off to the side of the stone monument with the famous picture of Henry in the snow (top left) as well as other pictures, and then there it was – a list of the American soldiers from F Company that died – killed in action – on that field behind to the monument in what was known as the Ottré Massacre! On that list …

Raymond E Ruberg, died January 11, 1945, buried Henri-Chapelle.

We were stunned and moved. This plaque at the Tannenbaum Monument was a completely new revelation to all of us. [Note: Some later research revealed that this plaque was NOT in a 2009 picture of the monument. Thus, we surmise that it was added since then, which was consistent with our view that the additional plaque looked newer than the rest of the monument.] The plaque contains a brief explanation of the events of that day – an ambush by Germans followed by the SS shooting wounded soldiers in the field overnight. Apparently, Ray was seriously wounded but must have been evacuated (the plaque notes that there were three such American soldiers).

We walked around the monument to scan the field behind it. It was an open area with a gentle slope away from the monument. There were hedgerows and trees along either side of the field, and it is a mystery to this day as to why Ray’s infantry team was led into an open field. The “ambush” description may suggest that they were unaware of the awaiting German troops. Nonetheless, there are 36 names on the plaque identified as killed in action, including Ray. As far as we know only three or four survived/escaped.

Mark and I walked down the dirt farm road alongside the field and imagined retracing the steps of the 331^st infantry division – walking up through the woods; coming to the field; and even walking through a break in the tree line/hedgerow to walk into the bottom of the field to look up the hill. With the Germans hiding at the top of the hill, the 331^st soldiers were doomed in the open, snow-covered field in their green Army uniforms and coats.

We stood marveling at the scene. We hugged. We cried. We talked. Vincent and Severine stood by patiently watching their newly met family trying to absorb the gravity of what they were seeing. It was a bit difficult to leave all of this behind, but through this blog and other family events, we are committed to keeping this alive in our family history and encouraging others of Ruberg descent to visit Belgium and this specific site near Ottré.

Next, we were off to the Bastogne War Museum that memorializes the chilling (in all senses of the word) battle that occurred for the small city of Bastogne. It was a bout a 20-minute drive from the Ottré Massacre site. The museum was well worth the visit – exhibits about WW II and events leading up to it, starting with Germany’s defeat in WW I and the economic devastation that followed for Germany and the election of Adolph Hitler and the dominance of the Nazi party. There were movies in the museum with plenty of real footage and pictures (I always look carefully just in case Ray might have been captured in one of these films/pictures) from the Bulge and specifically Bastogne.

 

  

This is the famous battle in which the American troops were surrounded by the German Army in their surprise blitz across the Ardennes Forest that started the Battle of the Bulge. It was here that General McAuliffe received a note from the Germans to surrender and his now-historic response, “Nut!” When the American soldiers delivered General McAuliffe’s response, the Germans did not understand it. The soldiers said, “It means ‘up your ass!’” The Americans held; the US made a massive airdrop of food and munitions while - unknown to the Americans - the Germans were running out of food and munitions. When the Germans saw the airdrop, they knew the battle was over. General Patton arrived two days later with a massive tank battalion and broke the siege of Bastogne and liberated the city once and for all. That was the turning point of the Battle of the Bulge in mid-January. And the rest is history as they say. The Belgian people still celebrate this day vigorously as “Liberation Day” and they are always mindful of the American who saved their country from the Nazis.

After the museum, Vincent and Severine drove us to the small town of Bastogne where we had a dinner reservation at Le Nuts on the Place de McAuliffe (sound familiar?). There are pictures of American servicemen on the post office with a big sign that says “Thank Boys.” There are American flags commemorating the liberation of Bastogne around town. The owner of le nuts welcomed us with open arms.

IT IS AMAZING! THE BELGIAN PEOPLE ARE MORE THANKFUL THAN MANY AMERICANS!!! This is not Americans coming to Belgium to do all of this – memorials, museums, signage, etc. – it is Belgians doing this for Americans!

 

I asked the owner – Guillaume – if he knew why we were there. He said, “Of course. You are Americans and you want to visit the heart of the Battle of the Bulge and learn its history.” He went on to greet others in our group and encourage us to drink some Belgian beer (they are very proud of the best beer in the world – Belgian beer).

     

We had our drinks outside on a beautiful evening while they prepared our food. When the food was ready, we went inside the restaurant for dinner. The walls were filled with memorabilia from the war – American memorabilia! Where I sat, there was a hand-written letter from General McAuliffe to Guillaume’s father thanking him for being his translator in Bastogne. Can you imagine that?! There were many pictures of American servicemen as well as American banners on the walls from various infantry divisions and tank battalions, etc. Those were nearly covered with American $1 dollar bills. The tradition is for Americans to write a note on a $1 bill and pin it to one of the many flags adorning the walls of the restaurant. We obliged this tradition, and I show my contribution here.

As we wrapped up dinner, Guillaume came by our table again – mostly because they don’t take credit cards and we needed to pay in cash (euros). That necessitated a visit to the bank around the corner by Mark and Kurt to get enough cash to cover the bill for the 7 of us as well as our 2 hosts. While we were leaving and sharing handshakes, I asked Guillaume again, “Do you know why we are here?” He replied, “I see you are insistent with this question, so there must be more.” I told him that our Uncle Ray died not far from Bastogne in Ottré during the Battle of the Bulge. He became very serious. “Do you have a picture?” My brother Mark showed him a picture on his iPhone. Guillaume said, “You send me a picture of your Uncle Ray. I will frame it and hang it in this restaurant. Then I will send a picture back to you.” What? Done!!! Mark was on the case.

This day was just too much. I get choked up just writing this blog … and we hadn’t even been to Henri-Chapelle Cemetery where Ray is buried. But that was for tomorrow. Tonight we went back to our wonderful hotel that Vincent had suggested (Hotel Selys) trying to absorb the events of the day.