The Land of Memory is a place of heroic stories and the resistance of men and women who lived through the two great wars. These stories share with us the memories of the events that took place, but also fascinating stories that make it easier to understand the tumultuous events of the 20th century.
We met a terrible murderer. Without mercy, Big Bertha wreaks havoc.
For the U.S. Army, the use of the Navajo language of Native Americans for its code talkers was decisive.
Painting of an American cemetery, an archival document, but also an emotional moment captured on canvas.
The art of recovery and a history lesson
A deadly labor strike in Luxembourg in 1942. Every year, the strike is commemorated on August 31 by the head of state and government representatives.
The U.S. Army offered the family that the brothers be reunited and buried in the same place. Their mother wanted it that way... united by love even in death.
War heroes were not only brave Allied soldiers. Heroic men and women were also among German civilians.
During the Occupation, the headquarters of the 5th German Army was housed in the town of Virton. As a result, the enemy military presence was very present, imposing very strict rules.
I remember an anecdote that is not very appetizing, but I can't resist the pleasure of telling it to you.
Fort Lantin was one of the last forts to be bombed.The garrison maintained its resistance, sometimes even deprived of access to toilets, forcing them to go out under enemy fire.
A family and their piano escaped unscathed from the von Rundstedt offensive in Bastogne.
Despite rejection, by sheer determination, he was hired as a military truck driver in 1916 and sent to Verdun.
"And I gave him his sock back with great fanfare..."
How the Cork of Liège prevented Wilhelm from taking the Champagne.
After various missions, they succeeded in bringing to Loncin a car and gendarmes in charge of securing the "war treasure" of the Fortified Position: 11 million gold francs!
Marcel's childhood memories... In November 1944, his parents' farm was transformed into a refuge for American soldiers. When the Americans moved on, they left many memories behind.
"The Son of all the mothers who have not found their Son." The Unknown Soldier, Jean-Yves Le Naour
Thanks to the tower of the monument, the light of the ossuary is visible from 40 km away. It has a shape whose real symbolism is often unknown.
Reynal repelled the repeated assaults of the enemy infantry, fighting for each corridor and each casemate, maintaining until the end by his example, the unshakeable firmness of the garrison.
"It is better to die of true determination than for the country to lose freedom." Motto of the Six Hundred Franchimontois, taken up by the soldiers of Fort Tancrémont
The Belgian Lignard Lange seized the flag and its harness among the German corpses. It was the very first flag conquered in combat on all the fronts of the Great War.
Yanick Strauch finds an object that belonged to his great-grandfather during the Second World War on display in the Bastogne War Museum.
"He then decided to clean his helmet with a little snow and then fill it with beer. He runs back to the church, under artillery shellfire."
Some militiamen without families had only their pay to buy either a pastry, a beer in the canteen, or a pack of cigarettes.
June 9, 2019: Rik finds the reconstruction of his father's grave 75 years after his death.
The same community of suffering brings hearts together, melts hatreds, gives rise to sympathy between indifferent and even adversarial people.
Were we the object of a hallucination? Was it the Armistice? It was beautiful... and disconcerting!
Many soldiers were shot to make an example during the First and Second World Wars. These victims sometimes forgotten.
The day the French made victims in their own ranks.
The battle proved to be the deadliest ever fought by the U.S. Army, which suffered over 100,000 casualties. The name of the battle was translated as "The Battle of the Bulge" for it's shape.
The museum street is also a real historical place, because there are pictures of Hitler in front of one of the houses on the street.
"We are not lost Corporal, we are in Normandy." Band of Brothers, HBO.
Veterans from the fort shared their stories to preserve the memory of those who lived and fought there. Some are over 100 years old, but their memories remain intact.
As he had a certain sense of Ruhe und Ordnung (calm and order) for the public good, the inhabitants admited that Jupille had never been so clean and so quiet...
Contrary to what its name may suggest, Liège coffee is not a specialty of the city of Liège.
The soldiers met regularly to play soccer. They tried to entertain themselves between battles, but the game turned into a nightmare.
Do you have information about events experienced by your family during the world wars? By sharing your story, you will enrich our “Drawing inspiration from heroes” section.