Bastogne

It is the end of another exhausting, but amazing days here in Europe. We began with a tour of two memorials for separate World War Two massacres. The first, where 11 African American soldiers with the 333rd division were tortured and killed, was extremely moving. We were able to meet a woman who was a sister to the man who set up the memorial. She still lived in the house where the men ate their last meal before being discovered. She let us inside, and showed us the table where they ate. This was definitely something I will never forget. After, we went to the site of the Malmedy massacre, where 84 American prisoners of war were gunned down in cold blood by a German Panzer division. Again, another very moving site. To finish the day, we went a little farther back in history with a visit to the battlefield in Waterloo where Napoleon was defeated for the first time. Being a Napoleon admirer, this was awesome for me. I was also very surprised by the scope of the battle, as it was much larger then I thought it was when I read about it in textbooks. Tomorrow is our last day in Belgium, and I expect it to be just as eventful! -Josh