Battle of the Bulge: US veterans and Belgian royals to descend on Bastogne for 80th anniversary commemoration in December

King Philippe and Queen Mathilde of Belgium will join American veterans and international dignitaries for the 80th anniversary of the Battle of the Bulge in Bastogne on 14 December.

In what is likely to be last large-scale commemoration of World War Two in Belgium with living veterans in attendance, the Ardennes town and memorial tourism hub has unveiled its special anniversary programme.  

From 13 to 15 December, Bastogne is hosting the special annual Nuts’ weekend that honours the sacrifice of soldiers and civilians during the final major offensive by Nazi Germany. The event is named after the famous retort by Brigadier General McAuliffe of the US army’s 101st Airborne Division who when asked to surrender or be annihilated by massed artillery, responded, “Nuts!”.

A dozen surviving soldiers of the bloody battle that besieged Bastogne for weeks during  bitter winter conditions are preparing to make the transatlantic journey. They can expect a hero’s welcome by the grateful town and country.

The ever-dwindling number of Allied troops who were also part of the Normandy D-Day invasion in 1944 will be accompanied by a large delegation of dignitaries from the US, including politicians whose fathers and grandfathers fought in the battle.

With major commemorations held every five years, organisers recognise that this year’s event could be the last to involve living soldiers. Their stories of the horrors of war have become particularly poignant following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine; the first large-scale ground war in Europe since 1945.

Bastogne mayor Benoît Lutgen underlined this message, saying: "Paying tribute to our war heroes is not just about remembering them. It is also about becoming aware of our responsibility to pass on our common history to future generations, and above all to defend the values of democracy and mutual respect and fight against all forms of extremism."

The royal couple will participate in a wreath laying ceremony at the McAuliffe monument on 14 December before heading to the town hall to meet the veterans and participate in the traditional nut-throwing ceremony from the balcony. This symbolic moment will be followed by a patriotic parade in the Grand-Rue and the laying of flowers at the memorial to General Patton.

Over the weekend, reenactments, sound and light shows, a military fair and concerts are to be staged at locations in and around the town, including the Bastogne War Museum, the Bastogne War Rooms, the Bastogne Memorial, the Bastogne Barracks and the 101st Airborne Museum.

If weather permits on Sunday, parachute drops will be made on the Mardasson Memorial as well as a flypast of vintage fighter planes.

Among the hundreds of activities scheduled, the new Pôle Culture is showing three exhibitions, including Femmes résistantes, 1936-1945. Through photos and explanatory panels, visitors can learn about the various ways women contributed to the resistance movement.

The timing of the Nuts weekend also coincides with seasonal winter activities. Bastogne’s Christmas Market in Place Saint-Pierre is open every evening from 18.00 to midnight, there’s music and entertainment in the Maison du Tourisme and Father Christmas graces a garden in the Latin Quarter.

The rural town of Bastogne in the southern Luxembourg province of Belgium has established itself as a major tourism memorial hub. It is reliant economically on its tourism benefits, while enduringly conscious of the sacrifice involved in the Ardennes Offensive.

In February 2024, the town opened a new modern interpretation centre in McAuliffe’s underground headquarters. Bastogne War Rooms (pictured above) takes visitors on an immersive and interactive journey into the six-week Battle of the Bulge. 

Nuts! New museum in Bastogne commemorates famous symbol of WWII resistance | The Bulletin

Photos: Benoît Lutgen and organising partners ©Sarah Crew; Bastogne War Rooms ©Tempora