"The forgotten Angel of Bastogne" died in her sleep Aug. 23 in Brussels at the age of 94.
Family members, military and civilian officials paid tribute to Lady Augusta Chiwy during a funeral service Saturday at the Mardasson Memorial in Bastogne.
Belgian Air Force Col. Serge Vassart, representing King Philippe of the Belgians, U.S. Ambassador Denise Campbell Bauer and the Mayor of Bastogne Benoît Lutgen joined the family and many other people in honoring the Belgian nurse who helped save hundreds of U.S. Soldiers during the Battle of the Bulge.
Emotions were running high as people had gathered in the WWII memorial to say goodbye to the, now, unforgettable WWII hero.
"Today, we are mourning the loss of an Angel and of one the biggest treasures Belgium gave us," Bauer said. "During the worst days this city has ever seen, during the greatest hour of need, Augusta Chiwy risked her life to help save those fighting for freedom in Bastogne."
With Augusta's death, it is one of the last surviving witnesses and heroes of WWII who disappears.
"Through Augusta, I would like to pay tribute to all civilians, all the civilians who are popular heroes, notably those who, by their profession, treat people, sometimes risking their lives," Lutgen said.
Chiwy had come to Bastogne to visit her family when she unexpectedly became involved in the Battle of the Bulge during the final stages of WWII.
"She was not involved in this conflict, she didn't have to do anything but she was confronted with men belonging to the same humanity, and she considered that she had to have a human behavior that was well over the aspect of the conflict," said Chiwy's son, Alain Cornet.
On June 24, 2011, Chiwy received the medal of Knight of the Order of the Crown and on Dec. 12, 2011, she received the Civilian Award for Humanitarian Service by the United States Department of the Army.
After the funeral service held at the Mardasson, attendees headed to the cemetery in Bastogne where Chiwy was laid at her final resting place in a family plot.
Social Sharing