D-Day to Hitler`s Eagle`s Nest - The Association of Former Students

and
D-Day to Hitler's
Eagle's Nest
Normandy, Battle of the Bulge, Final redoubt
June 4-16, 2012
An unbridled passion for teaching Americans about their nation’s heritage and the role our heroes played motivated the late
Dr. Stephen E. Ambrose to develop a series of historical tours.
As America’s premier historian, Eisenhower biographer, founder of the National D-Day Museum in New Orleans and author
of 22 historical books, his goal was to take people to where they could experience history. Beginning in 1979 he chose to
lead tours to the places that spoke to his heart. Whether visiting Omaha Beach with D-Day veterans paying homage to their
fallen brothers or tromping Civil War battlefields, Dr. Ambrose sought to enlighten, entertain and educate.
Stephen Ambrose Historical Tours continues to preserve his legacy and expand the carefully conceived and executed
itineraries inspired by his life’s work. From the staging areas in London to the Siegfried Line, the D-Day to the Eagle’s Nest
tour will showcase the GI’s view of the campaign to liberate Europe.
Day 1 – Monday, June 4 • Flight to Paris
Day 2 – Tuesday, June 5 • Normandy
Arrive Charles De Gaulle in the morning, meet SAHT
representative and drive to our hotel in Normandy. Please
contact our office to discuss flight arrival times so we may
coordinate with the other guests.
Dinner reception.
Day 3 – Wednesday, June 6 • Normandy
We will spend the morning at Omaha Beach where the
Americans took the German fortifications after a fierce fight.
Losses were especially high in the first wave of landings.
Today the American Cemetery stretches along the bluff. We
will study the battlefield, traverse the beach, analyze the maps
and imagine
the courage
that saved our
freedom that day.
We also will pay
our respects (at
the thousands of
crosses and Stars
of David) to the
deceased.
Pointe-du-Hoc
is a sheer cliff
some forty meters high where the elite Ranger Force scaled
the German breastworks on D-Day. We will spend part of the
afternoon there, trying to fathom how they did it. Late afternoon
we will visit Ste-Mere-Eglise, taken by the American Airborne on
D-Day, and hear the stories of the veterans who took it.
Day 4 – Thursday, June 7 • Normandy
After breakfast, our tour begins where the first shots of the
Normandy invasion were fired, at the crucial Pegasus Bridge.
Then we will pass the British and Canadian Beaches: Sword,
Juno and Gold on the way to Arromanches. Here are still
“Mulberries,” large flotation devices
used to create an artificial port for
the landing. There is then a viewing
of the film The Price of Freedom at
the Cinema Circulaire 360. It is a
blend of present day photography
with information from the archives of
war correspondence.
From here we proceed to the heavy
gun emplacements at Longuessur-Mer, the battery against which
HMS Ajax scored the most accurate
(and perhaps the luckiest) hit of the
war. We will see the evidence that
remains.
Day 5 – Friday, June 8 • Paris
Arrive in Paris early afternoon. This
is a free day for exploring the city
and its many wonderful sites such
as the Eiffel Tower, the Louvre, Notre
Dame, the Tuileries gardens and Les Invalides, which houses
Napoleon’s Tomb.
and historical representations of the military operations in the
Ardennes from the American, German and civilian perspectives.
Free afternoon and evening in Paris.
We will drive to Bastogne, and tour the Bastogne Museum.
It relates the history of the Ardennes Battle through photos,
maps, weapons, equipment and uniforms. In Bastogne we
will visit General Anthony McAuliffe’s headquarters. This is
the place where the 101st Airborne and elements of the 10th
Armored Division held off fifteen German divisions for six days
in December 1944. From there we travel to the impressive
Mardasson Memorial, which represents the gratitude of the
Belgian population for the liberation of their country by the U.S.
Army.
Day 6 – Saturday, June 9 • Luxembourg
After breakfast, we depart for Reims, the city of coronations
and champagne. It was in Reims, France, at 2:41a.m. on May 7,
1945, that German General Alfred Jodl signed the unconditional
surrender of all German forces on all fronts, the first of two
documents that ended the European phase of WWII. Visit to the
Musée de la Reddition (the Surrender Museum) dedicated to this
event.
After the museum, we stop
at Verdun on the way to
Luxembourg. World War I
on the Western Front was
largely trench warfare—a
four-year stalemate where
millions of soldiers were
killed or wounded. The
Battle of Verdun, lasting
from February to December
1916, was the longest and
largest single battle in world history. In planning for the Second
World War, senior generals on both sides were determined to
avoid the futile slaughter of trench warfare.
The tour continues to Luxembourg. This small country with
winding valleys, rivers, verdant plateaus and towering castles is
a charming stop along the way.
Day 7 – Sunday, June 10 • Luxembourg
We drive north to where the Battle of the Bulge began. En route
we stop at the Malmedy Memorial that commemorates one of
the worst atrocities committed against prisoners of war in the
European Theater of Operations during WWII. Standartenführer
Joachim Peiper of the 1st SS Panzer Division ordered the
slaughter of 88 unarmed American soldiers. This SS division had
a fearsome reputation and Peiper was known as a man who
would let nothing stand in his way.
Our next stop is the medieval market town of Clervaux with its
imposing castle in a narrow valley surrounded by dense forests.
We will enjoy a brief stroll through its city square. A Sherman
tank remains here as tribute to the presence of the Allied forces.
We then head to the city of Wiltz, which was at the center of
intense fighting between American and German forces in 1944.
At our stop in the village of Dahl, we hear the story of the valiant
actions of U.S. Army Sgt. Day Turner of the 319th Infantry. He
commanded a nine-man squad that held a critical flank position
against the German attack. He was awarded the Medal of
Honor for his acts of heroism and bravery. We visit the actual
farmhouse where Turner repelled repeated enemy assaults for
more than four hours.
Day 8 – Monday, June 11 • Luxembourg
We start our day with a drive to Diekirch to visit Le Musée
National D’Histoire Militaire. The museum is primarily dedicated
to the Battle of the Bulge, and is filled with amazing artifacts
After lunch, we visit the Bois Jacques forest and view the
remaining foxholes, and the Easy Company memorial. Returning
to Luxembourg City, we visit the Luxembourg American
Cemetery in Hamm. The 609th Quartermaster Company of the
U.S. Third Army established the cemetery on December 29,
1944 while Allied Forces were stemming the enemy’s desperate
Ardennes Offensive. This is the final resting place of General
George S. Patton. Sgt. Day Turner also is buried here. We will lay
a wreath at the cemetery in remembrance of the sacrifices of
those who gave their lives here in 1944 and 1945.
The evening is free.
Day 9 – Tuesday, June 12 • Frankfurt
Our morning will begin by paying tribute to the many fallen at the
American Cemetery in Hamm and General George S. Patton’s
grave. Gen. Patton rests among his men in a cemetery as
beautiful and moving in its own way as the one at Normandy.
The afternoon holds a special treat as tour participants will
venture on an afternoon lunch cruise along the Rhine River, with
its spectacular scenery and landscapes.
Finally, we travel to Frankfurt where we’ll enjoy a free afternoon
in the city prior to a farewell dinner. At this last gathering, we
will have an opportunity for reflection and good conversation
about the tour. Day 10 – Wednesday, June 13 • Berchtesgaden
We will continue our journey southeast towards Munich and
begin our exploration of the final days of Hitler’s reign.
We stop at Dachau, site of some
of the most nefarious acts of
and against humankind during
the war. Dachau was the first
camp of this kind and the model
for all subsequent concentration
camps. In total, over 200,000
prisoners from more than 30
countries were housed in Dachau.
At least 30,000 are believed to have
died: notably Jews, resistance
fighters, clergymen, politicians,
communists, writers, artists and royalty. Dachau was one of the
first places to expose the west to Nazi brutality.
Day 12 – Friday, June 15 • Berchtesgaden
Today is a free day. You may choose to explore the charming
walkable town of Berchtesgaden.
Another option would be the hour train or bus to Salzburg,
Austria. This city is well known as Mozart’s birthplace and home.
In Salzburg and its environs, the movie The Sound of Music was
filmed.
Day 13 – Saturday, June 16 • Flight home
We have an early morning departure from our hotel in
Berchtesgaden for the Munich International Airport.
Day 11 – Thursday, June 14 • Berchtesgaden
The morning begins with a city tour of Berchtesgaden and
Obersalzberg. We will have an overview of Hitler’s life, and
the Nazi party’s take over and development of the mountain for
Hitler’s Southern Headquarters.
After our city tour, we will head to Hitler’s Alpine retreat and
visit the Eagle’s Nest, built as a 50th birthday present to him
from the Nazi party, as well as the remains of the vast Nazi Party
complex. Perched at 6017 feet, the Eagle’s Nest and the road
network leading to it were considered feats of engineering as
they were completed in only 13 months time in 1937-38.
Note: The road up to Eagle’s Nest is narrow and winding, and
closes for inclement weather.
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$4,700 per person based on double occupancy.
$800 single supplement
$300 deposit required for this tour
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11 nights hotel accommodations
9 dinners, breakfasts daily
Full time historian and logistical escort
Land based transportation by motorcoach
All entrance fees to attractions and museums
Porterage, service charges and taxes
Price: $4,700.00 per person, based on double
occupancy. Price does not include airfare. Single
Supplement: $800.00 per person
NE
TH
UK
D-Day to Hitler's
Eagle's Nest
Normandy
GERMANY
Frankfurt
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Luxembourg
•
Paris
•
AUS
Berchtesgaden
FRANCE
Contact the Traveling Aggies at 979-845-7514 or
E-mail: [email protected]
www.AggieNetwork.com/travel
SWISS
LY
A
IT
Tour operator is Stephen Ambrose Historical Tours.
Toll Free 1-888-903-3329
www.stephenambrosetours.com
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2012 Registration
Personal Information
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 D-Day to Hitler’s Eagle’s Nest
JUNE 4 – 16, 2012
Tour price is $4,700.00 per person based on double occupancy. Does not include airfare.
If you choose to room alone, an additional $800.00 charge will apply.
Extra nights before or after the tour are available.
Participants are encouraged to purchase airline tickets no sooner than 60 days before the tour begins to avoid airline cancellation penalties if a
tour is cancelled or otherwise modified. Stephen Ambrose Historical Tours accepts no liability for the purchase of non-refundable airline tickets.
In order to register for this tour, we require a deposit of $300.00 per person. This deposit is refundable up to 90 days prior to departure minus
$50 per person administration fee. 50% of your balance is due 90 days before the tour; the remaining balance is due 45 days before depature.
If paying by check, please return your check with this form.
If paying by credit card, please check one of the boxes below. Note: Additional charges of 3% will apply.
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Cardmember Name______________________________________________________________________________________________
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Billing Address (if different than above)______________________________________________________________________________
Contact the Traveling Aggies at 979-845-7514 or E-mail: [email protected] • www.AggieNetwork.com/travel
Tour operator is Stephen Ambrose Historical Tours.
Toll Free 1-888-903-3329 • www.stephenambrosetours.com
Please make deposit check payable to: Stephen Ambrose Historical Tours,
and mail to: The Association of Former Students, 505 George Bush Drive, College Station, TX 77840-2918.