AOL Travel Ideas

Following in the Footsteps of Our Fallen Fathers in Belgium

David Kiley — 2011-08-08T13:00:00+00:00

Crossing over to Belgium from Germany is seamless. AOL Auto's David Kiley finds his way to the next and last stop on the journey to find the footsteps and final resting place of his Uncle Eddie. The trip was made easy by the navigation system in the 2011 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited he took on the trip.

Crossing over to Belgium from Germany is seamless. And finding our way to our next and last stop on the journey to find the footsteps and final resting place of my Uncle Eddie is made easy by the navigation system in the 2011 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited I took on the trip.

To see the video of David Kiley's Journey to find a lost uncle, click here.

It feels right driving a Jeep for this trip. The brand, owned by Chrysler, is celebrating its 70th anniversary this month. It all started with the Willys GPW (Jeep) in 1941, a military vehicle ordered up by the War Dept. in 1940 to essentially replace wagons and mules in the battlefield theaters of war.

My destination was Henri Chapelle American Cemetery in Hombourg, Belgium, one of several overseas cemeteries run by the American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC). About 10 miles over the German border, south of Liege, it is much smaller than, say, Arlington National cemetery in Virginia. And because it is more intimate, the ground seems all the more hallowed by the sacrifice of those who are buried there.

My father, Charles Kiley, who was writing in Paris for The Stars and Stripes newspaper when he got word of his brother's death, drove a Willys Jeep to the area when Cpl. Eddie Kiley was laid in a grave with just a wooden cross. Two of my six siblings have been to this place, but it was a first for me.

Hallowed Ground and Dedication to Honor

Not only does the ABMC do a phenomenal job of maintaining Henri Chapelle, but there are citizens of Belgium, Holland and even Germany who have adopted graves there. They come to visit, and lay flowers, especially on the days that mark a soldier's birth and death. I discovered the names of a local couple who look after my Uncle's grave, and I will send them some pictures I know they don't have. I met a young couple from Holland in the visitor's center who run a website for adopters like himself.

If you are next of kin, like I am, the superintendent gives you special attention. After a talk about the cemetery and battle--the Battle of the Huertgen Forest-- in which my uncle fought, he walked my friends and I to my uncle's grave. There, he rubbed wet sand from Omaha Beach into the letters of his grave so his name will be easier to see in the photos we took. The sand washes away, of course, in the next rainfall. Taps and The Star Spangled Banner is played over the cemetery's speakers. The atmosphere is like being in a cathedral, but outside. And there isn't a sign of unnecessary adornments. Just a tragic sea of white Italian marble crosses and Stars of David, perfect manicured green grass, and a great deal of solemnity.

I have been to World War One cemeteries in the Somme Valley, and was involuntarily brought to my knees reading headstones of young men identified on their markers as "school master," "carpenter," "painter." When you see your own family's name on a stone, connect a grave with the stories you have heard about a young man, close kin, deprived of life, the depth of feeling, of course, is much closer to one's heart.

Staying in Brussels

Upon leaving, we had choices of where to spend the night. Aachen was a possibility, or Liege. But we were leaving to head back to the U.S. from the Brussels Airport the next day, so we drove the 70 miles to the nation's capital and the seat of NATO. Lodging is abundant and reasonable in summer, and we opted for the Brussels Marriott on Auguste Ortsstraat, in the heart of the city.

I hit the Internet looking for a really good restaurant, as we had not had what I would call a first-class meal the whole week. I found La Clef des Champs on Rue Rollebeek. Not only does it come highly recommended, but the sweetbreads casserole and Guinea fowl on the menu seemed right up my street. Alas, when we arrived in a downpour, it was full, owing in part to the outdoor seating being out of commission. No problem. We went down the street to La Tortue where we had mussels in a champagne and garlic broth that was to die for, and a half-lobster. A plate of French and Belgian cheeses and a local Reisling from Mosel was just the capper we needed after an emotional day. We could see that there were a dozen restaurants in this neighborhood, and that none would disappoint.

Brussels, like Berlin, is a fabulous city to see on foot, or better yet, by bike. Bike lanes abound and vehicular traffic are generally very respectful. It is not uncommon to find men and women in their 60s and 70s cycling from here to to there. No wonder they all look more fit than people in a typical American city.

With little time on a Sunday morning before departure, I rode to The Eglise Saint-Nicolas (St. Nicholas Church) for Sunday service, and to light s candle for my uncle. The choir was spectacular.

If you find yourself in Belgium, make sure you get over to the Grand Place in the morning for coffee and croissants. Sit in the square that author Victor Hugo described as the most beautiful in the world. He wasn't kidding.

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Germany: Following in The Footsteps of Fallen Fathers: Part 2

David Kiley — 2011-08-04T16:00:00+00:00

Filed under: Real Life Stories

David Kiley/AOL Travel

As I turned South onto Rt. 399 from the A4, the trip through Germany with my traveling partner got almost involuntarily quieter. It was the road leading us to Hurtgenwald, a small village that was the epicenter of the 1944 battle in which my Uncle Eddie was killed.

AOL Autos Editor-In-Chief David Kiley took off on a road trip in Europe to celebrate the 70th anniversary of Jeep and explore family history connected to World War II.

As I turned South onto Rt. 399 from the A4, the trip through Germany with my traveling partner got almost involuntarily quieter. It was the road leading us to Hurtgenwald, a small village that was the epicenter of the 1944 battle in which my Uncle Eddie was killed.

The area is about 150 miles Northwest of Frankfurt and 60 miles south of Dusseldorf.

I had never been to this part of Germany. Route 399 is a typically peaceful country road, village after small village, much of the stretch providing a bike lane on roads as smooth as bowling alleys. Indeed, the whole Huertgen region, a roughly 40-mile by 40-mile block south of Aachen, is a cyclists' paradise whether you're navigating with a road bike or mountain bike.

The Huertgen Forest area is in the southern Rhineland region, which means you aren't far from Cologne, the Belgian border or Holland, or even the Mosel wine region.The Hurtgen itself, though, is a prime spot for backpacking, camping and exploring WW2 history.

In Huertgen, there is a small museum dedicated to the battle, which went on for a remarkable five months. The Battle of Huertgen Forest is not nearly as well known as The Battle of The Bulge, which took place to the west in Belgium as the Germans tried to capture the port of Antwerp. In fact, despite its length, the battle only took up one paragraph in General Dwight Eisenhower's biography; principally, say historians, because the bloody campaign that claimed 33,000 Allied casualties out of about 100,000 who fought, is considered one of the worst decisions of "Ike's" career.

Exploring "The Bloody Huertgen"

Allied soldiers, mostly American, were asked to fight across the German border for the first time since the war began. The Fall of 1944 turned out to be one of the wettest in decades, a weather purgatory that would give way to one of the wettest, coldest winters in memory. And the Americans did not have proper winter gear or adequate supplies. The Germans were defending their homeland for the first time, and put up a fierce fight, bolstered by the fortifications and supplies laid into the Siegfried line, and in a thick pine forest that was a nightmare for tank warfare.

Starting in Huertgenald, hikers and cyclists can follow the Kall trail through the area, which, with the help of maps that can be picked up at the museum, will take you to remnants of the war. You can find so-called "Dragon's Teeth," which are long rows of concrete pyramids set in the ground to block tank and troop advances; pillboxes; bunkers, memorials. There is a beautiful and moving cemetery where German soldiers are buried, and where U.S. soldiers have left a memorial tribute to a German soldier who treated Americans humanely.

As I toured the cemetery, it was hard to think of the Germans buried there as the enemy; rather, just young boys caught up in the maw of war and who probably hated warfare as much as the Americans they were fighting.

History in this area is still in the making. In early 2011, the remains of a German soldier were discovered in a farmer's field, and re-interred in the cemetery. Unexploded ordinance is still uncovered today. Relic prospectors can be seen with metal detectors still turning up bomb casings, guns, barbed wire, bullet cartridges and other flotsam associated with a five-month long battle.

A visit to the Huertgenwald museum, which is open only on Sunday, as well as surveying some of the battlefield area websites that are online, will give an adequate sense of the area. You can easily spend a whole day here. Because I had only a half-day, and wanted to make sure I saw what I went for, I contracted a guide I found on the internet for the day at a cost of $200.00. This was not only a help with the area, but he served as an interpreter for the German language exhibits at the museum. But I could have certainly gotten along without him with a whole day and my maps to explore.

He was invaluable, though, in finding the exact field where my Uncle was killed on December 11, 1944. It was on the edge of a small village called Kleinhau, next to Huertgenwald. As I did research on the Internet before I went o the trip, I discovered stories written by other people who have been to the area to locate, based on the detailed information they have from the Defense Dept. and historical data of the battle, almost the exact place where their loved one likely fell.

I never knew my uncle. And my father seldom talked about him. But I made a connection with a family member that I only know through pictures, as well as my family's history and contribution to the war effort and world freedom. It's heady stuff that I recommend to anyone with a family connection to the war.

The service records of a loved one killed in battle can be gotten without too much drama from the Defense Dept. If you are not a direct next-of-kin, a letter mentioning the Freedom of Information Act is a good, I am told by a government administrator. Those records combined with the abundant history of every battle, plus finding blogs and websites created by others who have done this before, makes putting your journey together a fairly easy and rewarding proposition.

Camping, lodging and big city hotels

Camping is possible alongside the River Rur, which was a dividing line between the advancing Allied forces and the gateway to the German industrial heartland, or in the forest itself in approved areas.

Lodging in the area is certainly possible, but be aware that the sidewalks tend to roll up early. If sitting on a patio under the stars with a bottle of wine suits you, you're set. But you may want to plan to leave the area after a day of touring, and drive to nearby Aachen, or even Dusseldorf for the night. In Aachen, try the Pullman Aachen Quellenhof ($140-$265), near the cathedral and with luxury amenities including spa, indoor pool and excellent bar and lounge atmosphere.

[Click here to watch the video of David Kiley's journey in search of his "lost uncle." And more stories around the 70th Anniversary of Jeep can be found here.]

For part one of David's journey, click here.

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German History on the Road with AOL Autos' David Kiley

David Kiley — 2011-08-02T10:55:00+00:00

Filed under: Adventure Travel, News

David Kiley, AOL Autos

Bumping around Europe to see old-world cities, museums and the like is always fun. But sometimes I like to have a mission, a journey, even a quest to guide my travels. Ten years ago, I tried to extend a business trip to Frankfurt, Germany with a side-trip to the Aachen area to the West where my uncle Eddie was killed during World War II, and then to his grave in Belgium; I had never been. But my trip was interrupted by the terrorist attacks on 9/11 back in the U.S. On the tenth anniversary of the attacks, I decided it was time to take care of unfinished business.

AOL Autos Editor-In-Chief David Kiley took off on a road trip in Europe to celebrate the 70th anniversary of Jeep and explore family history connected to World War II.

Bumping around Europe to see old-world cities, museums and the like is always fun. But sometimes I like to have a mission, a journey, even a quest to guide my travels. Ten years ago, I tried to extend a business trip to Frankfurt, Germany with a side-trip to the Aachen area to the West where my uncle Eddie was killed during World War II, and then to his grave in Belgium; I had never been. But my trip was interrupted by the terrorist attacks on 9/11 back in the U.S. On the 10th anniversary of the attacks, I decided it was time to take care of unfinished business.

There are estimates that around 1,000 World War II veterans die each day. There will be far fewer who will be around to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the D-Day invasion in Normandy, France in 2014 or the end of the war in 2015. At AOL Autos, we used this year's 70th anniversary of Jeep to not only tell the story of my uncle, but spotlight the rewards of engaging in one's family history connected to World War II.

The Journey Begins

I began my journey in Berlin where I had been test-driving the 2012 Volkswagen Beetle, an all new design from the company hitting U.S. showrooms this Fall. It was somehow appropriate - beginning my journey at the seat of Adolph Hitler's Third Reich government. The Beetle I had been driving is the descendant of the original Beetle, which was, among other things, a propaganda project of Hitler's to bring a cheap "people's car" to the masses. I also got to drive a 1958 Beetle around the city.

For two days, I called the Mandala Hotel, a modern designer hotel about a ten minute walk to the Brandenburg Gate, home for $243.00 per night. But I have to say my favorite hotel visit was to the lobby of the Hotel Adlon Kempinski, 100 yards from the Brandenburg Gate, where I had a late-night Calvados with a friend. It has the old world charm of the Waldorf-Astoria or Plaza in New York, and amazingly was the setting for the movie, "Unknown," the Liam Neeson flick that came out earlier this year that was playing on my return flight to the states.

Berlin by Bike

Berlin is a tantalizing city, full of history of the once divided city and bike lanes. It is more like Washington, D.C. than New York or San Francisco, but much friendlier to bikes. There are bike lanes all over Berlin. You can opt for the Call-A-Bike system in which you can grab one of hundreds of bikes and ride by the minute. But the website to register is in German, and cumbersome to navigate. Many tourist shops have bikes to rent, which I did for a half day for $13.00. I rode to the Reichstag, the seat of German government today, and sat down amidst what seemed like a half dozen different small groups of students and tourists discussing the events surrounding the tear down of the Berlin Wall in 1989. Then it was over to the Holocaust Memorial, a powerful outdoor park and sculpture, which proved a thoughtful setting by which to eat my sandwich. Then, an exploratory ride all over the city that took me to an outdoor rehearsal by the Berlin Philharmonic. I must be blessed.

Most of the Berlin Wall has come down and been sold off in tiny chunks to collectors around the world, but Berliners have preserved a relatively long stretch of the wall along Muehlenstrasse. Checkpoint Charlie has been recreated at its original spot, and is now a popular place to get your photo taken. Next to "Charlie" is Haus am Checkpoint Charlie, a museum displaying memorabilia related to the Berlin Wall, including stories about those who escaped, or attempted to escape into West Berlin.

About a 20-minute cab ride or 45-minute bike ride from the Brandenburg Gate area is the German-Russian Museum. This will interest hard-core history buffs, as the museum is housed in the building where the Germans surrendered to the Russians in May 1945. The signing room has been preserved as it was, and the rest of the museum is dedicated to chronicling German-Soviet/Russian relations after the war. It's a bit of a trudge, and almost none of the exhibits are translated into English. But in the spirit of tracing my family through the war, I had to go. My father was a Stars and Stripes newspaper correspondent during the war, and was present for the surrender as the worldwide pool reporter for negotiations between the Germans and the Allies.

From there, I began the next leg of my trip, in a 2011 Jeep Wrangler to mark the 70th anniversary of Jeep, to western Germany, near the city of Aachen, where the Battle of the Huertgen Forest was fought. It wasthe five-month long campaign in the Fall of 1944 and early 1945 that claimed the life of my uncle in December 1944.

For part two of David's journey, click here.

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