A few days ago Knee Deep Into History completed its 80^th Anniversary Battle of the Bulge Tour. It was the end of an exciting 2024 tour season, in part because a handful of WW2 veterans were still healthy enough to travel to Europe for the ceremonies! However, readers don’t need a major anniversary to join a battlefield tour, as Knee Deep Into History brings the battlefield to life.

As the name suggests, we specialize in taking clients into the field. A typical KDIH Tour is heavy on visiting the sites where history was made while light on visiting museums and memorials. On the first day of our arrival, for example, we visited the German Westwall at Hollerath, Germany and the Gedenkstätte Hasselpath, a section of preserved fox holes in Büllingen, Belgium. Yes, it was cold and damp in December and there was also a light dusting of snow. However, this helped participants experience the GI’s life during the Battle of the Bulge, if only for a few minutes.

Viewing the German Westwall defenses around Hollerath, Germany

GI foxhole in the woods where 99th Inf. Div. soldiers faced the German advance on 16 December 1944

We also specialize in running small-group tours. Most of our tours are capped at twelve participants. On this tour we had 13 participants. The small-group tour concept is extremely flexible, and it gives each participant a lot of quality time with the two guides. It also allows us to tailor the tour to the participants. We had families who had fathers or grandfathers who fought in the Bulge as infantrymen, paratroopers, engineers and MPs; and we were able to visit sites of significance to EACH of these four GIs. KDIH brings the battlefield to life with the help of maps, personal accounts, then and now photos and unit histories.

Reading a first-person account in the village of Flamierge, Belgium brings the battlefield to life for the Wegmann Family, whose father in the 513th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 17th Airborne Division fought in that village.

Tour participants Kevin and Alice Hinkle visit the memorial to the 159th Combat Engineer Battalion and other units 80 years to the day after his father was badly wounded in combat around Echternach, Belgium.

We also attempt to tell both sides of the story, and that helps bring the battlefield to life. On most of the tours we have two guides, often one European and one American. One of the pivotal stories of Hitler’s Ardennes Offensive was that of Kampfgruppe Peiper. This charismatic German officer’s combat team was ultimately supposed to be the spearhead of his armored division’s advance to the Meuse River and, ultimately, Antwerp, Belgium. However, through a series of delays—by strong resistance of small units of GIs and by engineer roadblocks and bridge demolitions—Peiper’s unit was ultimately surrounded and pent up in the town of La Gleize, Belgium. To bring this section of the battle to life, we use a lot of quotes from soldiers of both sides, along with countless then and now photos.

German guide Markus Klauer explains the significance of the King Tiger in La Gleize, Belgium.

Group photo at the last bridge blow by the Engineers, halting Peiper’s advance westward

KDIH offers tours for passionate history buffs. We are generally in the field from 9:00am to around 5:00pm, visiting and explaining the significance of each site that we visit. We also try to include an occasional walk of moderate length and duration where possible. These walks bring the battlefield to life for participants too. In the photos below we visited foxholes and bunkers just behind a place known as “Parker’s Crossroads” in the Bulge.

Exploring Parker’s Crossroads

Group photo at the site of bunkers and foxholes behind Parker’s Crossroads. Visiting such sites brings the battlefield to life.

One key piece of any KDIH tour is visiting those who did not return from combat and who are buried in overseas military cemeteries. On this tour we visited two American Battle Monuments Commission cemeteries, Henri-Chapelle American Cemetery and Luxembourg American Cemetery. We also visited the Deutscher Soldatenfriedhof Recogne, a German military cemetery outside of Bastogne.

Luxembourg American Cemetery in a bit of sunlight, which is rare in December

Walking the cemeteries brings home the true cost of war.

Commemoration flowers inside the chapel of the Deutscher Sodatenfriedhof Recogne

We also help our clients bridge cultures. We select family-owned, European-style hotel/restaurants, not American hotel chains. We typically add in one or two cultural activities. For example, on this tour we visited the German Christmas Market in Aachen. We also watched a military vehicle parade through the town of Bastogne. Our American participants marveled at how many Europeans chose to attend and to remember the sacrifices that the WW2 GIs made to liberate their countries! KDIH guides, even the American guides, have lived in Europe for a total of years, and they can transition seamlessly from one culture to another, helping Americans who have not traveled overseas often.

One cultural stop on the tour was the Aachen Christmas Market

Sherman driving in Bastogne’s Military Vehicle Parade

In conclusion, there are numerous ways to bring a battlefield to life—reading about it, watching documentaries and movies, wargaming, etc. However, the best way to bring a battlefield to life is to visit it with seasoned guides who can put the actions into context, who have strong local connections, and who understand the culture and speak the language. Come and get Knee Deep Into History with us on a battlefield tour! Here’s a link to our 2025 tour schedule.

After a day in the field, a traditional European dinner offers the chance to talk about the day