Well, this is a hard one to put into words…
We visited the Bois Jacques woods today, where Easy Company fought in their foxholes during the encirclement of Bastogne.
It was a humbling experience, and the fact that everything has been so well-preserved is just utterly fantastic.
We were expecting to just ‘walk the ground’, soak up the history, and of course, reflect on the incredible sacrifice those brave men made in the cold and the mud, for our futures.
But what really turned the visit on its head was the unexpected meeting of Matthew Leitch (Floyd Talbert) @leitch.matthew from the Band of Brothers cast. He was absolutely lovely, and yes, I was NOT prepared for the moment, so I ended up half stumbling out some words of appreciation for him and for the show. He was joined by Lucie Jeanne (nurse Renée Lemaire), whom I also thanked profusely.
Then, later, as I was leaving, Don Sloane, a Second World War veteran, was entering the woods, so I shyly asked him for a photo and thanked him for everything he did. Again, I wasn’t prepared and was obviously over-awed for different reasons. But he was a true gentleman, and he was very kind to shake my hand and wish me well.
Of course, after this, I made a bee-line to the Easy Company memorial, just a stone’s throw away. To pay my respects.
The experience was powerful, and it’ll stay with me.
More photos from Bastogne to come!
(This is a repost from Instagram from December 15th, 2024)
