Field trip to Fort Hackenberg and Lorraine American Cemetery and Memorial

Bienvenue! I thought I'd put up a post about the field trip we took last Wednesday to the Lorraine American Cemetery and Memorial in St. Avold and the Hackenberg fortress on the Maginot Line.

Wednesday, June 13:
Classes were on hold for the day, as it was reserved for one of our two big GTL field trips. We split up into 2 groups based on a survey sent earlier in the week, and proceeded to load up on the buses at around 9 am. Our first destination was the largest American cemetery in Europe, the Lorraine American Cemetery and Memorial. We filed off the buses into the park where the cemetery rested and were immediately struck with a gut wrenching gloom, as the reality and gravity of World War II hung in the air. The 120 students were led to be seated on the stairs in front of the large memorial building. We were greeted by a French woman, who gave us some background information about the cemetery and shared some truly inspiring stories about some of the soldiers that were buried there. After her presentation, she asked for a male volunteer to read a letter written by 22 year old American to his father shortly before he was killed in combat. Jeff and I were sitting in the front row, so she immediately looked at the two of us. I knew it was going to be a tear-jerker and didn't feel like getting choked up in front of over a hundred of my peers. After a few seconds of cricket chirping, Jeff broke the awkward silence with a courageous, "I'll do it." He took the piece of paper from her and began to read, with over 10,000 crosses marking graves as the backdrop behind him. The letter spoke of all the things that this particular soldier missed from home; things that are all too often taken for granted in our own day to day lives. Jeff got a bit choked up towards the end, but held it together for what was a truly a powerful moment. Afterwards, the curator explained that we would notice gravestones that said "Here rests in honored glory a comrade in arms, known but to God." There are 151 of these unknown graves. On two large walls, adjacent to the monument, there is a list of names that were never accounted for in the burial process. Each name rests in one of those graves, somewhere on that 113 acre plot. Walking the grounds of cemetery was beyond surreal. You learn WWII facts in school your whole life, but are never faced with the hard truth of how devastating it was. It's hard to describe the weight of emotion standing there in that field on a cloudy morning, smelling the rain looming in the air, surrounded by bodies of men who were once my age, standing in that field, looking onward in honor to what was their certain demise. It's not ancient history. The shadow of this war still hangs with a great presence in this continent and there are still men alive that held first hand witness of this horrific point in time, and once they are gone, we can know nothing more than what our history books tell us.

(Medal of Honor recipient, Staff Sergeant Andrew Miller)

At around 11:30, after wandering the whole property, it was time to regroup at the monument and load up the buses. We drove about and hour or so to small French town, where we stopped for lunch. This is the part of the trip I was really dreading. On the last GTL field trip to downtown Metz, the organized meal was a  nightmare of line waiting and flimsy plastic tableware. It didn't help that we arrived at 'Le Petite Bistro' (yes, the small bistro was actually the name) with 120 or more college students. We filed inside to find that 'Le Petite Bistro' was actually quite big. "And, Oh! What's this? There are table settings! We get to sit down, eat, and be served?" Oh, were we served. We were presented with full 3 course meal! 1st course: quich and salad. 2nd: A sort of chicken pot pie biscuit and fries. 3rd course: a very delicate chocolate mousse. It was definitely a highlight meal of the trip so far. 

(I was too busy eating the 2nd and 3rd course to get a picture before it was gone.)

We then sauntered out of the restaurant, our bellies full and our expectations GREATLY exceeded. After a short bus ride out of the town and into the surrounding hills, we arrived at our destination. Hackenberg was the largest fortification on the Maginot line. This network of underground fortresses was used by the French as a heavy duty border against Germany. Hackenberg in particular housed a barracks, kitchen, infirmary, heavy defense weaponry, ammunition storage, and even a club! We herded our way into the main entrance dug into the hill and were greeted by our tour guide. He was a younger Frenchman with a very thick accent. He explained to us that he only took English in school for two years, and the rest he learned from video games. He was extremely knowledgeable and witty, making our visit much more than informational. Now, I could go through and try to explain each component of the fort, but that would be a lot of work and I'm looking to write a history paper. Plus, I'd probably be wrong somewhere along the way. Best just to leave you all with your books and interwebs. 

(Notice the train tracks. Old ammunition trains are now used for transporting visiters through the miles of tunnels that comprise Hackenberg.) 

(Kitchen.)

(Ship engines used to run the workings of the fort.)

(Original Nazi propaganda.)

(Ladder up into a turret.)

(The turret has a nice view.)

(Damage on the outer walls. After Germans had taken Hackenberg from the French, it was up to the USA to reclaim the great defense resource for the Allies. On our second attempt into the fort, this time from the North(?), the outer concrete walls took a beating from mortar shells and grenades.)

We made it out of the fort, blinded by the sun light, and boarded the bus back to home sweet Metz after an incredible and quite enriching day. 

Check back tomorrow for  a post on our trip to Belgium!