Buffalo NY Reunion Address
by Roger Marquet

Mr. President, 
Ladies and Gentlemen, 
Dear Veterans, 
Dear Old Chaps, 

Before coming to this podium, my plan was to tell you that I was a bit embarrassed, although very honored, to be the guest speaker at this Reunion. Yes, I was embarrassed because I am a nobody, I was not born yet during the War, I am not even a professional historian, and yet, I agreed to speak in front of men who suffered during this war. How daring! 

But now, after President Stout’s introduction (it was too much, Frank !), I just feel like a VIP, like a pro. After Frank Stout, I’m probably the best connoisseur in the world of the Battle of the Bulge. Just kidding, folks !

More seriously, I’m here to bring you the special greetings from the City of Bastogne, the Center for Research and Information about the Battle of the Bulge (CRIBA) and the tiny village of Chenogne, Belgium, my village.

To be more precise, I would like to say hello to you from Mrs. Louise Mars, an 89-year-old lady, living in Chenogne. And I would like to tell you the story of her village during the Battle of the Bulge, that is the story that some of you lived yourselves. 

Chenogne was a 32 house village, with mostly small farms. It had one church, one school and one store. During the von Rundstedt Offensive it was taken by the Germans on December 21, 1944. Thus, it was outside Bastogne's perimeter. 

During the American counter-offensive, the village became the meeting point of two simultaneous attacks: one by German Führer Begleit Brigade who tried to reduce the breakthrough corridor of Bastogne and the other by the American VIII Corps whose goal was to enlarge this corridor. 

Chenogne didn't resist to the shock of two armies. After the battle, only one house stood, the remainder 31 had burnt to the ground; the cattle was killed, the roads destroyed, there was no more electricity, no more water and 23 people had been killed. 

Mrs. Louise Mars's house was the only one that had been spared; 48 people found refuge there during several days. 

But please listen to the vivid testimony of Josée Willot, 18 years old at the time: 

My family and I stayed as long as possible in our house. But on December 29 - the day of the big bombing - we had to take refuge in our cellar because the house was burning. Incendiary bombs were dropped right on our house. 

Nobody was wounded; a true miracle! Our house was burning as well as the neighbors'. We didn't find any other solution than to try to make the cellar our shelter. We had some refugees with us: two families coming from the encircled Bastogne; one of them had six children and the mother was pregnant again. She was afraid to be stuck in the cellar because of her big tummy. 

Anyway we couldn't stay in the cellar: it was just too hot and too smoky, so we went out and we ran towards some kind of trench that my dad had dug up several days ago in our backyard. 

We immediately saw that it was impossible to stay over there: shells were exploding, bullets and splinters were whistling by, there was fire everywhere, walls of houses were collapsing, the sky was black and red: a true hell on earth! 

Then we began to run back and fourth, across the burning village, just like crazy people, not knowing where to go. Suddenly, my sister Augustine yelled and fell to the ground : "I'm hit". Luckily it was only a scratch. One can only imagine those poor people with young children, wandering about the 

streets, completely lost, afraid and despaired. It is the saddest memory of my life. 

After a while, we were able to see the Burnotte's farm - the biggest of the village - which seemed to be intact and not burning. 

A small hopes after great despair! 

We ran into the farm where we were happy to find a lot of other families. 

Some of us went in the barn and others in the cellar. About 80 people took refuge in that farm, plus the German soldiers who would transform this house into a resistance nest. 

Anyway, we were happy, we were saved!" 

Josée Willot believed she was saved and indeed, she was. But she didn't know what was going to happen during the next few days. 

On December 30, 31 and January 1, 1945 the village was attacked by the Americans from the 11th Armored Division. That is YOU, Gentlemen ! 

It was not easy to do but you finally succeeded in liberating it. With your sweat, your pain and your blood and sometimes with your life, you liberated Chenogne. 

As I previously told you, some 80 people took refuge into the biggest farm of the village. They unfortunately were with some Germans who didn't want to surrender until... but please listen to André Burnotte's account, a then15 year old boy who was present in the farm cellar at the time. André Burnotte told me the following : 

We were suffocated by the smoke, nearly deafened by the noise, almost paralyzed by fear, and the Germans didn't seem to be ready to surrender. One room of the cellar was already being used as a morgue; the wounded were everywhere. After four days without sleep or food, we were exhausted. Suddenly a woman took a piece of white sheet and fixed it on the gun of a German rifle and said: "Now stop it, it's enough, you surrender!" 

Surprisingly, the Germans obeyed the woman's order and the soldier with the white flag began to climb the stairs to go outside. It was not a good move on his part as he was immediately killed by the Americans who were facing the cellar door. The same was done to the 20 other German soldiers! As soon as they came outside the house, the Sammies shot them. I remember very well having to climb some German bodies when my turn came to escape the burning house. 

As we arrived in the yard, the Americans immediately took care of the wounded but they chased the other people into the fields. It was still too dangerous to stay over there. We ran to the snowy fields in front of the house and, not knowing what else to do, we laid down in the snow. We stayed maybe one hour and, when the German fire seemed to cease, we came back close to our farm to meet our liberators. But they were still nervous because of the snipers and they counseled us to escape towards Sibret. That's what I did! I left my village and I didn’t see it again until a few months later. At that time, I had to live with my family in a shack for several years". 

As you can hear, the War was not easy for the civilians, not more than for the soldiers.

As a second part of my remark, I would like to tell you a story about my special relationship with the 11th Armored Division and the Battle of the Bulge.

As I was researching what happened to the 11th during the Bulge, I received an account from John Fague (21st A.I.B/11th Armd Div.). In this account, John - here present -told from an infantryman's point of view what happened to him and his comrades during the Bulge. I was very impressed by the combats and especially touched by the death of all these young men

who came from overseas to liberate my country. When I found out that one of these KIAs was buried in the Henri Chapelle American Cemetery (only 20 miles away from my house at the time), I decided to adopt his grave, meaning that I would attend the Memorial Day Service every year and place flowers three times a year on the grave. His name was Robert Allen FORDYCE and he was from Company B / 21st Armored Infantry Battalion / 11th Armored Division. 

Bob was born on April 30, 1925, in Waynesburg, PA. He graduated from high school in 1943. He was involved in school activities and played on the basket ball team (just like my son and daughter, 30 years later). He was inducted into the Army on July 26, 1943 and received basic training at Camp Roberts, CA. He studied under the ASTP at the College of Puget Sound in Tacoma, WA (I visited Tacoma 7 years ago). After ending ASTP, he was transferred to the 21st A.I.B at Camp Cooke, CA. He arrived in Belgium on December 29, 1944 and was killed in action 2 days later. 

On New Year's Eve, December 31, 1944, as he was in his foxhole, with Frank Hartzell - here 

present too - on the slope facing the village of Chenogne, he received a German shell and died instantly... alone, in the cold and snowy weather, far away from his parents, girlfriend and country. And he was only 19 ... What a cruel world we are living in! 

I happened to find his picture in the 50th Anniversary Thunderbolts book; I had it reprinted and enlarged and the picture is now on my office wall. 

The story is not over. 

My wife and I wanted to retire in the Ardennes (we were at the time living in the Liège area), and since we knew the exact place where Bob Fordyce was KIA , (John Fague had showed me the place when he came back to Belgium in 1997), we were able to buy that same land and had our new home build over there, in the tiny village of Chenogne. 

While our house was being built, we had the visit from the man who was just beside Bob when the German shell exploded; Frank Hartzell who was a Sergeant in the same Company B. Frank came to the spot and was able to confirm to me that the place was indeed correct. 

After moving to our new house in February 2001, I planted a tree and put a 

plaque on a rock in front of it. I dedicated it to Bob Fordyce's memory, at the exact spot where Bob was killed.

I find this story very positive : Bob's blood gave life to a new home for his adoptive friends beyond the grave. Bob Fordyce's death is a concrete example of giving his life to free the lives of other people. Bob is now a member of my family, just like a glorious ancestor who could have been my son at the same time because he was only 19 and he looks so young and so 

ingenuous on the picture. I was born on September 9, 1945, so age wise, Bob could have been my father. But, because his life was cut short at the age of 19 and because I am now 58, I consider myself more like a possible father to him. Very strange and emotional feelings! 

And the story in not over yet! 

Thanks to Harold Brandt - he is here too - another friend from 11th Armored , I was able to come in contact with Bob's sister, Mae Jean Frazell - present here too -and, who after a while decided to make me a sort of heir to Bob's memorabilia. Thus she sent me three packages containing a lot of emotional things that I engaged myself to give to my own son when my time on earth ends. So, I am now the owner of the flag which was on Bob 's 

casket during his funeral, all his medals, badges and patches, a lot of pictures, his birth certificate, his scholar results, his High School Band's hat, some newspapers clippings, and so on, and so on... 

Now, the circle is closed up and I will do my best so that Bob Fordyce's story never ends in our memory. One of my motto is : ''If someone remembers you, you will never die'' 

I also adopted a second grave in the Henri Chapelle American Cemetery (in fact this second adopted grave was the first in time). It is the one of Ralph MAVIS, 55th Armored Infantry Battalion. This is the way this adoption happened. 

In 1994, Paul Deadrich, a Californian veteran from the 55th A.I.B. came to my home for a 4 day stay. I invited him to make a presentation of his war in front of the pupils of the very tiny school of my village where my wife Monique was a teacher. In order to make this presentation more official, we invited the population of the village to attend this special lesson. We also invited the Deputy Mayor of the Commune and several other VIP’s alongside with reporters of local press. After the Paul’s speech, we had reserved a bus to bring all the attendees to the Henri Chapelle Cemetery. We had, only by chance, reserved a grave to be adopted and this grave happened to be Ralph Mavis’s. We arrived in the cemetery and the grave was already decorated with both the American and Belgian flags. The grave was officially adopted by Paul Deadrich and by the children of the school but, to make it easier, my name was written as the adopting person. Later on, I was able to find a nephew of Ralph Mavis who bore the same name as his belated uncle; I wrote him but he never answered me. So Ralph Mavis is my only adopted G.I. of whom I don’t own any picture. If someone can help, he would be very welcome. 

I don’t own any picture of Ralph Mavis, but I do have one picture of the third G.I. who’s grave I adopted . His name is Harmon Senn. He was in the 55th Armored Infantry battalion. This is how it happened. In 1999, I received an email asking me if I could try to find someone to adopt a G.I.’s grave in Henri Chapelle. This message was signed Harmon Senn, Jr. and his request was made for his own father’s grave. I didn’t hesitate long and I answered my now friend Harm that an adopting person for his father’s grave had already been found: myself !

In May 2000, Harmon Senn Jr. made the trip with Pat Kearney’s party to Europe and I had the honor and privilege to be with Harm when he saw for the first time in his life his father’s grave. Before his arrival in the cemetery, I visited the grave and had put a big picture of the deceased against the cross. When we arrived together with Harmon in front of the grave, we instinctively put each others’ arms around our shoulders, and we began to cry. For me, it was just like visiting my own father’s grave and Harm is now a kind of brother to me. 

Those anecdotes are quite moving and I would have liked to also tell you some anecdotes which occurred during my 11th friends visits in Belgium.

But it would have been too long and I propose you to ask the guys I will name now to tell themselves their story during the rest of our stay over here. If they are present, of course! 

Can I suggest you to ask Paul Deadrich tell you about the Peace Wood and about his dog tag? How this dog tag was dug up by a collector, 58 years later. This collector didn’t know Paul and he didn’t know me. He wrote me out of the blue and by chance found the only Belgian citizen who knew Paul very well. The end of this story is that this collector, Christian Grégoire, gave the tag back to Paul, just for free and for honoring him. 

Please ask Charles Torluccio to tell you about Andy Ferrara’s party in 1994 and the parade in the streets of Bastogne. Do you remember, Charles, your tears of joy while parading in the middle of the streets of Bastogne? 

Ask John Fague and his family to tell you about the way he was received in Chenogne in 1997. With all the habitants of that time, with the Mayor, the Priest, a Baroness, an over fly by 3 F-16 from the Belgian Air Force, with the autograph he had to deliver in his brand new book in French and with a sun that is quite unusual in Belgium. 

… And ask Greg Urda to tell you the story of the Sherman tank on the McAuliffe Square at Bastogne ?

… Ivan Goldstein to say how much he was moved in the meadow where his tank was destroyed ?

… Ralph Storm to tell you my nervousness to see him traveling by non reserved train in Europe ?

… Kenneth Aran to talk about the special lunch we had together in the middle of the Malmedy Square?

… Joe Waddle to tell you his manure pile story at Acul ? I engage you to really ask Joe because it is quite funny. Could you imagine one man recognizing a manure pile 57 years later ? Joe did it !

… Patrick Kearney to talk about our troubles with the 55th sign in Tillet ?

… Frank Stout, Dan O’Brien and Jim Power who made me “Tennessee Ambassador of Goodwill”. And I never went to Tennessee !

… Frank Hartzell to recall his emotion when back on the spot his friend Bob Fordyce was KIA ? 

… Harold Brandt to tell you how we were able to find his complete trail of 1944-1945?

… Jack Ness to explain the wonderful gift he received in Bastogne from young American officers ? And to tell you about the fact we found the right spot where he was wounded in action !

… Donna Paczek to recount his emotion in the village where his uncle Oliver Simmers was KIA ?

… Brett Pharis to explain what is the Belgian rain in the Jack’s Wood ?

… Marty Cacciopo to tell about the illegal ceremony we organized together in the Peace Wood ( there are no law enforcement representative , right) ? I can tell you we organize the pouring of his father Albert’s ashes in the Peace Wood without any authorization.

… Cameron Stewart to show you the bullets he found in the Jack’s Wood foxholes ? Still visible today

… Andy Hartzell to recount the pleasure he had by stepping in his own Uncle Buss’s foot steps on the trail.

… And, last but not least, to ask (but he is not over here) my oldest grandson, Alex, who is American to tell you how excited he was to find several Ration K lids while we were together in the foxholes of the area.… 

Indeed too long !

Well, I will soon stop speaking. (Nobody is allowed to smile). 

But before ending this speech, I would like to make a suggestion to the new Board of Governors and to the new President:

I recently read in The Thunderbolts newsletter that the 11th Armored Association plans to organize a trip in Europe in 2004.! One of the purposes of this trip is to officially give an 11th Flag to the Museum of Bastogne

This gave me an idea? 

Would you be confident to me for being your benevolent representative among the Bastogne City Officials ?

I already created a Committee to help organize the Veterans’ returns to Belgium and we plan a quite important activity in mid September 2004. This Committee is recognized by the city of Bastogne and has already several plans for activities. If the Honorable Members of the Board of Governors are interested in reading those plans, I could give them a copy after ending this Memorial Service.

This committee is called COBRA , that is, in French: Comité d'Organisation Bastognard "Remember Americans" and in English: Bastogne Organizational Committee "Remember American".

This is no joke at all. I am serious and I’m ready to give you more explanations just when you want. 

************************************************************ 

But I would like to finish this remark by recalling the names of those, former members of the glorious 11th Armored Division, who died liberating my tiny village of Chenogne.

I would ask you, Ladies and Gentlemen, to please stand up as the names are read: 


From 21st Armored Infantry Battalion
Pfc James O. CUST
Cpt Warren G.H.DALTON 
Sgt Edwin J. FRALEY
Pfc Robert A. FORDYCE
1Lt Wilbur F. JONES 
Pfc William D.KIDNEY, Jr
SSgt Carl E. PETERSEN 

From 41st Tank Battalion
T/4 Albert V. BATES 
Cpt William F. GARDNER 

From 22nd Tank Battalion 
Sgt Fred H.BECK 
Pfc William J. HEWITT, Jr. 
Pfc Lyle R.McVICAR 
Pfc John C. MORTIMER 

All of them were KIA while seizing Chenogne on December 30 and 31, 1944 and on January 1, 1945.

God bless them all.

God bless you all and thank you from the deepest of my heart for coming in my country 59 years ago and making me a free man. This debt will never be forgotten either by myself or by the whole Belgian people. Despite the divergent point of view between the Belgian Government and your Government in the Iraq affair, you could be assured the Belgian people is still recognizing to you and your sacrifices, you, members of the Greatest Generation. Thank you, guys !

God bless America. 

Thank you for listening. Please be seated. 

Roger Marquet