"Dead Man's Ridge Walk 2012" - 17th Airborne Division.

Hi falks,

See below the informations related to our 4th edition of the DMRW dedicate this year to the 194GIR, 550GIB and 507PIR.
Feel free to ask any questions and don't hesitate to join us. You know how it works for the accomodation, the meals, ....

Veteran John J. Schumacher (HQ1/194GIR + D/194GIR) will be present for 10 days. All the benefits of the walk will entirely be used to help his journey.

Please spread the word around. Thanks.







John J. Schumacher

The map of the walk is on line on the blog :

http://17thairbornewalk.blogspot.com/

More info to follow.

Laurent

Dead Man’s Ridge Walk – 23-24-25 mars 2012.

Hello to all,

Here is all the information about our weekend. Except for the walk, which is public, all the rest is our private program. Of course, you are all welcome for the entire program.

As we told, John Schumacher will be present. It will the first time he is coming back in Europe since 1945 ! John was a member of the ’81-mm Mortar Platoon’ – HQ Company – 1st Battalion – 194th Glider Infantry Regiment – 17th Airborne Division. John is coming with one of his sons.
Eric Esposito, grand-son of Jack Macauley (HQ/2/513th PIR), will also be with us.

- Accommodation.

Gîte CBTJ à Bastogne.
Gîte d’Etape « Bastogne »
Domaine de Renval
Route de Marche
6600 Bastogne

It is the castle like building near the camping of Bastogne (Renval). It is located +- 1 km west of the McAuliffe square (towards Namur coming from the square). The accommodation will be open from 17h00 on Friday. We have it till Sunday evening (after the walk). You can take your sleeping bag (there are bed sheets, blankets, pillow available). The accommodation will be closed when we are out. Beware, it is forbidden to smoke inside.

Important : the people who wish to stay overnight from Sunday to Monday (to go to Germany to tour the Varsity area or for whatever reason) can sleep for free in the hall (salle des fêtes) in Houmont. You need your cot and sleeping bag. The hall in Houmont will be the departure, lunch and arrival point of the walk. Please, let us know if you wish to sleep with on Sunday night.

- Price.

This year, the price for all the weekend is 53€.
This includes : accommodation, supper on Friday in Houmont (organized by the local committee with the inhabitants in honor of John Schumacher), breakfast on Saturday, supper on Saturday, breakfast on Sunday and lunch on Sunday. The lunch of Saturday is at your own cost (will be taken in Bastogne).
If you only come from the Saturday, the price is 41€.
If you only come for the walk on Sunday, then it is only 5€.

Thank you to confirm for Friday 16th of March if you are coming.

- Program.

Friday 23 March
1700 : Opening of the accommodation (will probably be open before as we need to prepare everything).
1800 : Meeting with John and unveiling of his frame in the pub ‘Le Carré’ in Bastogne.
1930 : Supper in Houmont with John and the locals.

Saturday 24 March
1000 : Ceremony at the 17th Airborne Division monument in Flamièrge.
1100 : Reception at the Town Hall in Bertogne.
1230 : Free lunch in Bastogne.
1400 : Unveiling of the plate and tree of John Shumacher and Robert Patterson (513th – he was there last year) in the ‘Peace Wood’.
1500 : Battlefield Tour with John in the 194th GIR and the 550th IABn footsteps.
1930 : Supper at our accommodation in Renval with John.

Sunday 25 March
0800 : Opening of the hall in Houmont for the participants of the walk.
0900 : Unveiling of two new monuments (for the 17th Airborne and the 11th Armored) and ceremony in Houmont.
0930 : Departure of the walk.
From 1100 (under reserve) : Helicopter flight on the battlefield and around Bastogne.
End afternoon : end of the walk and cleaning.

Monday 26 March
0830 : Departure to Germany for a Battlefield Tour ‘Varsity’ with John.
1130 : Visit of Duisburg and lunch in town.
1400 : Visit around ‘LZ S’ Northeast of Wesel.

Thursday 27 March
1830 : Birthday supper of John at the Baraque de Fraîture (John will be 86 years old).

Saturday 31 March
0900 : Visit of Brussels for John.
1830 : Supper with John at Brussels (before his departure back to the USA on Sunday AM).


Thank you to let me know if you wish to come with us to Germany on Monday. Same for other parts of the program.
(for your information, John’s parents were coming from Germany, so on Wednesday 28, Thursday 29 and Friday 30, John will visit the villages where his parents came from).

If you have a 17th Airborne t-shirt, you can take it for the Saturday 24’s supper.


During the walk, we will represent a Platoon of the 194th GIR in January 1945, with full gear and weapons. For the rest of the event, we will be in uniform without equipment and weapon, except for the Saturday AM ceremony, where we will go with light webbing and weapons.


See you soon in the combat area of the 194th Glider Infantry Regiment, 550th Infantry Airborne Battalion and 507th Parachute Infantry Regiment

Feel free to ask any question.

Laurent
+32.479.96.19.34
oli_wla_1942@yahoo.fr

Heard that we'll organize a GMC trip from Suippes on the friday eve? Correct?

But only for you Clem. And this time, you will not be in the GMC, but in front... pulling it all the way

Rangers lead the way...

If our 2nd Amd In Europe friends are coming, we'll invite the new Stars Sisters ! A godd reason to come isn't?

I like Clems thinking

If guys are going for the weekend from the uk and theres space for one more then sign me up as long as were back sunday night! Otherwise ill have to look at taking leave which is also a possibility but ill need to know asap!

Pencil me in for the time being!

Rob Grover

Is there any function as Facebook like 'I Like it?" on this forum ?

@Marky
Could be possible but not yet definately sure.... News Stars Sisters sounds like already seen for us.... we intend to present you someone else. We'll tell you later.... but if so, you'll have to be present on Friday evening.

@Rob
Would be nice if you can come, we would have another occasion to meet and know each other this time. See ya there Ssgt.

See here the localisation of the group's billet in Bastogne.




And the map of the walk.

I'll bring my sister so...

Greg we are hoping to be there friday evening as long as the show is not any of you guys with wigs and skirts on

Rob I will call you re trip

mark a wrote:Greg we are hoping to be there friday evening as long as the show is not any of you guys with wigs and skirts on

Mark prefers guys as they are without dressing up in drag.

Id like to be there, just dont think I can make it.

Clems wrote:I'll bring my sister so...

Got any photos?

mmmmmh the sister of Clem lool