What's new? 2007

National Museum of Military History’s new Asian contacs

In light of the upcoming 60th anniversary of the Korean conflict (in 2010), NMMH curator Roland Gaul recently visited South Korea to take up contact with officials of the National War Memorial Museum of Korea in Seoul, as well as with the Freedom Protection Peace Museum in Dongducheon-Si, also site of the Belgian-Luxembourg BUNC Korean war Memorial.

In his capacity, he was warmly welcomed on September 27, 2007 at the most impressive War Memorial Museum in Seoul by its President, Lt.Gen (ret.) Kwon Young-Hyo and curator Mr. Kim Yong Nam and staff for a ceremony in front of the Belgium/Luxembourg plaque and a tour of the museum’s exhibits and showrooms.  During an official exchange of points of view both parties signed an agreement outlining areas of future cooperation of both museums.

Lt.Gen (ret) Kwon Young-Hyo and Roland Gaul after the signing of the agreement for mutual cooperation.

On September 28, 2007, curator Gaul travelled to Dongducheon-Si, where he was warmly welcomed by a party of Korean veterans who had served 1951-1953 with the Belgian-Luxembourg battalion (BUNC) engaged in the area, as well as in nearby Chorwon – White Horse mountain area.  Headed by veteran Kim Hosik the party of veterans joined Roland Gaul in a small but intimate floral tribute at the BUNC memorial of Dungducheon-Si which has the national crests of Belgium and Luxembourg as well as the names of the fallen Belgian and Luxembourg UN soldiers.

Dongducheon-Si Belgian-Luxembourg Korean War Memorial: Korean veterans (2nd from left: Mr. Kim Hosik), who fought with Belgian and Luxembourg UN soldiers in 1951-53 .

Gaul also met here with the curators of the Freedom Protection Peace Museum, which is key focused on the Korean conflict and which has a selection of Luxembourg memorabilia on display.  Again, here, areas of mutual cooperation were discussed and in the future, there will be frequent contact between Luxembourg and South Korea in regard to military history.   A further visit on that same day after a joint lunch hosted my the Korean veterans, brought Gaul to the „White Horse“ position near Chorwon, where a Luxembourg BUNC soldier had distinguished himself in 1953 and was awarded the American Bronze Star with „V“ only a few years ago. Gaul wound up his South Korea military history-related tour with visits of the Incheon landing sites and memorials, as well as the UN cemetry in Pusan, where two KIA Luxembourg soldiers were buried pending their final transfer to their homeland.

Honor plaque for two KIA Luxembourg soldiers, Cpl. Robert MORES and Cpl. Roger STUTZ at the Dongducheon BUNC Memorial.

During the final leg of his Asia tour to Japan, Gaul also visited Okinawa, where he was shown the various key landing and battle sites related to the April 1945 battle of Okinawa by expert guide and historian, Chris MAJEWSKI.  Chris himself is more than a history buff – knowing every cave and position in the area – he has also, together with the late Dave Davenport and others in countless hours put together a museum with numerous  Japanese and U.S artifacts at the Naha-based USMC Cap Kinzer, opened in 1994.   Chris can be contacted for individual tours at: iceberg0445@aol.com.

Chris Majewski, tour guide, historian and curator explaining one of the many Japanse caves near Naha, Okinawa.

Chris Majewski at the museum he co-founded and helped to put together at USMC Camp Kinzer, Naha, Okinawa.

AMBA extends towards Germany and France

When AMBA was founded in September 2001 in Bastogne (Belgium), the key objective was to bring together the museums in Belgium and Luxembourg portraying the “Battle of the Ardennes” as well as associations and organizations in both countries that are in topical connection with this chapter of history.  The 60th anniversary of the “Bulge” has demonstrated that similar associations, museums and study circles in the German border areas as well as in northern France are pursuing similar objectives.  Furthermore, one cannot historically dissociate the “Battle of the Ardennes” from the earlier battles of Aachen and Huertgen Forest (Germany), Metz (France), as well as the aftermath – the “Westwall” or “Siegfried Line/Rhineland” campaign.  For that reason, several (already) German partners of AMBA and one French association have requested associate membership of AMBA which was granted during AMBA’s recent annual meeting.

The thus “enlarged” AMBA will continue to foster cooperation among its Belgian and Luxembourg members while participating in projects of mutual interest in the “great region” encompassing Belgium, northern France, parts of Germany and Luxembourg in the context of preserving the collective memory and history of the final war years, 1944-45.

In the months ahead, the enlarged AMBA will re-structure itself and develop joint “European” projects together with key towns and communities in all four countries that were heavily affected by the 1944-45 historical facts.  AMBA has thus merged from a bi-national to a multinational, trans-border catalyzer aiming to promote collective memory and awareness of a painful past by jointly reflecting on history that once separated us, but for many decades after the war has reunited us all.

The following is a resolution that AMBA and its former German partners – now associates - had constituted to outline the philosophy of cooperation in preserving collective memory:

 Joint resolution

On the occasion of the 60th anniversary of the „Battle of the ‚Bulge’ (Ardennes) 44/45“and the end of the war, a range of large-scale joint commemorations took place in Belgium, Luxembourg and the German border area.  They were attended by numerous VIPs, veterans and youth groups.   The key objective of the three countries’ organizers was primarily to counter the loss of remembrance.  A series of dignified ceremonies and special exhibits, as well as visits of museums, former battlefields, military cemeteries and historical trails made the past come to life again!  Former war opponents met during roundtable discussions to foster the memory of a collective and painful past in the spirit of trans-border friendship, collective digesting of the past and bands of friendship among nations.

For a number of  years, several individual associations, historical circles and WWII museums in the combined greater region of the three countries have been working in a volunteer effort diligently to maintain “quiet witnesses” of the past as powerful icons of peace.

Thanks to the outstanding cooperation among the authorities and sponsors of regional military cemeteries, museums and thematic circuits, as well as communities and war memorials, numerous international groups of visitors were welcomed.  Friendship meetings between former opponents and interviews with living witnesses were also organized.

The ‘Belgian-Luxembourg’ Association of Museums of the Battle of the Ardennes (AMBA), founded in September 2001 and currently consisting of 10 museums, has decided in 2005 to cooperate in the future with German partners in areas of documenting the final phase of World War II and to thus contribute to the objective writing of European history.  The key goal of this synergy is the close cooperation among Belgium, Germany and Luxembourg and to promote collective awareness of a common, painful past through joint trans-border activities.  This initiative results in a range of pedagogically- valuable projects, but also in the promotion of a quality- and historically-oriented tourist attractions’ offer.  In turn, the latter will thus necessarily contribute to the enhancing of tourism in the greater region.

 

The following partners in Belgium, Germany and Luxembourg are currently cooperating in those areas or have signalled their positive interest to an active participation in the future:

1. Belgium :
   
   „Circuit historique“ Bastogne (historical trail)
   Community of Büllingen
   Community of Bütgenbach
   Community of St. Vith
   AMBA, consisting in Belgium of the following “Bulge” museums and partners :
   Bastogne Historical Center, Bastogne
   Historical Museum „December 1944“, La Gleize
   Ardennen 44 Museum, Poteau/ (St. Vith)
   Musée de la Bataille des Ardennes, La Roche
   Truschbaum Museum , Belgian army training grounds of Elsenborn
   Centre de Recherche et d’Informations sur la Bataille des Ardennes (CRIBA)
   Fédération Touristique du Luxembourg belge
   Office de Promotion du Tourisme (OPT)
   
   
2. Germany :
   
   Volksbund Deutsche Kriegsgräberfürsorge, e.V. (German War Graves Commission)
   Community of Hellenthal
   Community of Monschau
   Deutsch-Belgischer Naturpark Hohes Venn-Eifel; (German-Belgian nature parc), Prüm
   Deutsch-Luxemburgischer Naturpark, (German-Luxembourg nature parc), Irrel
   Geschichtsverein/Museum Hürtgenwald
   Westwallmuseum/Panzerwerk „Katzenkopf“, Irrel
   Westwallmuseen Saar-Mosel, e.V
   Westwall-Zentrum Eifel; Dahlem
   Förderkreis „Alt Roth“, Roth a.d.Our
   
   
3. Grand-Duchy of Luxemburg :
   
   „Promenade du Souvenir 44/45“; Reisdorf/Hoesdorf/Bettendorf mit Wallendorf (D)
   „Sentier du Souvenir 1944/45“ Schumanns’Eck, Wiltz
   AMBA, consisting in Luxembourg of the following „Bulge“ museums und partners:
   Musée National d’Histoire Militaire, Diekirch
   General Patton Memorial Museum, Ettelbruck
   Musée de la Bataille des Ardennes, Clervaux
   Musée de la Bataille des Ardennes, Wiltz
   Cercle d’Etudes sur la Bataille des Ardennes (CEBA)
   U.S. Veterans Friends Luxembourg
   Office National du Tourisme (ONT)
   Patton’s 26th Infantry Division association
    
4. Private partners :
   
   Mr. Peter Drespa, Initiator, Historic Military Mission Travel, Dahlem
   H. Hanns-Georg Salm (historian)
   Westwallmuseum, Sinz

- Former AMBA-German partners' logo. - Logo initial AMBA-partenaires allemands. - Ursprüngliches Logo AMBA-deutsche Partner.	Logo AMBA	- Lest we forget - Contre l'oubli - Gegen das Vergessen

Smashing discoveries!

There isn’t hardly a month without 2-3 calls received at the museum about individuals clearing their attics reporting WWII relics that suddenly emerged from long-forgotten “secret” caches. Such was again – as so often before – the case on January 21, 2007, when the curator was alerted that some weapons were found in an old farmhouse in a small village of northern rural Luxembourg.

A few hours later, Mike Boehler, Marion Schaaf and Roland Gaul were ON SITE to “free” the owner of the house of the “Bulge relics” he wanted to dispose of in respect of his sons who might suddenly find an interest “playing” with those toys.

Great was the SURPRISE, as two U.S. M1 rifles (one with carved personal graffiti in the rifle butt) , a German MP 44 assault rifle with ammunition, and – above all – a very rare German G41 self loading rifle appeared! (The G41 was a first – limited success German development to come up with a self-loading gas-trap-equipped rifle, to be replaced later on with the more successful G43).

left to right: Two .30 cal U.S. M1 rifles “Garand” , the RARE German G41 self-loading rifle with Built-in 10-round magazine in 7.92 mm caliber and the legendary German MP44 assault rifle.

The rusty, but sill fair condition weapons had been stored in two 8,8 cm German wooden anti-tank gun (PAK 43) shell crates, tucked under the scaffolding of a roof, where they had been exposed for over 60 year to cold, dampness and heat.

Obviously interested himself, the kind and supportive owner of the house participated in a more thorough search and stalking in his attic for additional WWII relics. They did turn up!

Inspecting the G41 rifle – not a problem for reconditioning for museum quality display.

After a while, 3 German “Luftwaffe” backpacks, winter gloves, camouflaged shelter quarters, ammunition boxes, gas mask containers, life U.S..30 caliber ammunition, 8,8 cm shell cases, U.S. 90 mm shell cases, German field binoculars (in perfect condition), gas sheets, “jerry cans” and a U.S. communication wire steel drum, plus a number of other bits and saw daylight again!

Dusting off 62 years…! of a U.S. communication wire reel.

All in all – a GREAT find – which made the day of the three museum representatives while providing for additional artifacts for future displays. THANK YOU dear Mr. XY and family from XXXXXXX village for your kind support and interest to preserve history for the public!

This 90 mm U.S. brass shell case (from an M36 Tank Destroyer) actually served as a flower pot for many years.