Airmen participate in 32nd Annual Bastogne Historic Walk

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Clay Murray
  • 52nd Fighter Wing Public Affairs
BASTOGNE, Belgium (AFNS) --  Cold ears, foggy breath and muscle fatigue that 52nd Fighter Wing and geographically-separated units experienced in Bastogne, Belgium, may have been the only things they had in common with the Axis and Allies who walked through that same location more than 60 years ago.

According to Ed Lapotsky, Bastogne Historic Walk event co-organizer, there were between 4,500 and 5,000 history enthusiasts who spent the day hiking through trails in eastern Belgium on the ground where the notorious Battle of the Bulge, a strategically significant victory for the Allies, took place.

Different trails of the Bastogne Historic Walk, spanning eight to 23 kilometers, were littered with locals, U.S. servicemembers and military members from Belgium, Germany, Luxembourg, France, Italy, the United Kingdom and others, said Mark Kitchell, an American living in Amsterdam who operated the registration counter for the walk.

Staff Sgt. Garrett Blake, an E-3A phase inspection craftsman from Oklahoma City stationed with a NATO Air Base Geilenkirchen, Germany, attended the historic walk for the second year in a row with several NATO members from his unit.

"I'm a member of the NATO E-3A Component Marching Team, consisting of members from all NATO countries and we do this march every year," Sergeant Blake said.

The historic walk is centered in the small Belgian town in an atmosphere heavy with war history. Sergeant Blake finds the historic culture to be the most interesting feature.

"I found it very interesting to be able to see all the people dressed in the old uniforms and all of the restored vehicles," he said.

Sergeant Blake cites military honor and appreciation as his biggest incentives to participate in the event.

"It is very important to never forget what happened here," Sergeant Blake said. "For me, to come here and do the historic walk is my way to honor and let the guys who were here know that we are all thankful and proud of them for what they did."

Military members, civilians and their counterparts, however, were not the only active members in the walk. Veterans and re-enactment teams accounted for a considerable amount of the population.

Francois Gryson, an airport checking agent from Charleroi, Belgium, acted as an American Army dergeant out of the 377th Field Artillery Regiment during the historic walk. Although he has been to this location in Bastogne before, this is the first time he has taken part in the event.

"(My favorite part of the event) is, to me, being part of and participating in the duty of memory," Mr. Gryson said. "We can never thank the troops of World War II enough; we can't show them the true extent of our gratitude, but I think it's the most we can do."

The 32nd Annual Bastogne Historic Walk is a three-day remembrance event for the Battle of the Bulge. For more information about the historic walk, visit www.bastognehistoricwalk.com. Bastogne is about 90 minutes from Spangdahlem Air Base, Germany.