CHIÈVRES, Belgium -- It was a special day as Army Capt. Curtis Radoff, commander of Headquarters and Headquarters Company at U.S. Army Garrison Benelux, joined Marcel D'Haese, chairman of the Belgian 5th Fusiliers Battalion, in a wreath laying ceremony Nov. 4 in Charleroi, Belgium. The men saluted during the playing of the U.S. and Belgian national anthems after placing a wreath by a commemorative plaque in the town. The plaque reminds visitors of the veterans' bravery and sacrifices in World War II.
The battalion's origin dates back to Oct. 9, 1944, when it was first activated at Caserne Trésignies in Charleroi. The battalion was the first Belgian Army unit to be activated in 1944 in the province of Hainaut.
Originally, the members of this unit were resistants of an underground army. On Sept. 28, 1944, they were formally organized with official enlistments taking place in Mons.
After two months of extensive training in the techniques of tactical warfare that were practiced in Great Britain, the battalion joined the 23rd Tanks Group of the First U.S. Army, which was stationed in the Ardennes. Their participation in the Battle of the Ardennes began Dec. 19, 1944. They were positioned on the front lines in the battles of Stavelot, Malmedy and Bastogne, and the battalion suffered many losses.
The 5th Fusiliers Battalion has a proud history. In March 1945, they crossed the Rhine River between Bonn and Remagen and pushed back German regiments. Victory for the battalion came May 8, 1945. While positioned along the Werra River, southeast of Kassel, the battalion joined forces with the Russian troops who were stationed on the other side of the river.
The 5th Fusiliers Battalion returned to Belgium in June 1945 and in November of the same year the unit was inactivated. The following year, the 5th Fusiliers Battalion Association was formed, which consisted of three chapters: Charleroi Center, Mons Borinage and Tournai/Ath.
The battalion still exists today and keeps up the friendly bond with the U.S. Army. These Belgian veterans and the U.S. Forces assigned to Belgium express this very special relationship by jointly attending numerous commemorative events.
ARMISTICE DAY EVENTS
In 1918, on the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month, World War I hostilities ended. Nov. 11 became Armistice Day, a universally recognized day of commemoration honoring not only the military victims of both wars but also the civilian ones.
Many Belgian cities will host a commemoration on Saturday. The following ceremonies will be held in the local community.
Brugelette: The ceremony starts with a religious service at the Brugelette Church at 10:30 a.m., followed by a parade through town with three flower-laying ceremonies, among which at Belgian Air Force Lt. Col. Joseph Daumerie's plaque.
Chièvres: There will be a religious service at the church at 9 a.m. and then a ceremony at the town cemetery at 10:30 a.m. The evet will be followed by another ceremony on the square at 11 a.m.
Flanders Field: A ceremony in Flanders Field pays homage to the 368 dead American WW1 Soldiers who died while liberating Belgium. There is a central chapel bearing the names of 43 unidentified or missing Soldiers. Flanders Field American Cemetery will host its annual Veterans Day ceremony Saturday at 11 a.m. Attendance is free and open to the public.
Liège: Henri-Chapelle American Cemetery will host a Veterans Day Ceremony Nov. 11 at 1 p.m.
Mons: The cemetery will host few ceremonies Saturday at 10:55 a.m. There will be also a special ceremony of tribute to the War Memorial on Place du Parc and a tribute ceremony to commemorative plaques placed under the entrance porch of the Hôtel de Ville, or city hall, on the square.
Soignies: A mass will be held at the Collégiale at 10 a.m. before a ceremony on Place Verte at 10:45 a.m.
Ypres: The Armistice is commemorated each year in Ypres with an extensive schedule of events. Highlights include the Special Last Post ceremony at the Menin Gate Saturday at 11 a.m. and the "The Great War Remembered" concert in St Martin's Cathedral at 4:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.
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