WW II Memorial European Trip

My father and I are planning a trip to Europe next year through Image Tours. It is a 15 day World War II Memorial Tour. We have talked about doing this for years. Well there has to be a time when you stop talking about doing it - and do it.

Here is the daily planned itinerary. I'll post some later on the the history of these sites as I research them.

1. Fly to Amsterdam
2. Holland - Leusden
3. Holland - Leusden
4. Holland - Arnhem, Nijmegen, Groesbeek, Best, Heerlen
5. Germany - Remagen, Boppard, St. Goar, Rhine cruise, Franconian wine region
6. Germany - Nuremberg, Sauerlach, Munich
7. Germany - Sauerlach
8. Germany - Dachau, Ulm, Bad Herrenalb
9. France - Saverne, St. Avold, Fort Hackenberg, Thionville
10. Luxembourg - American Cemetery & Belgium - Bastogne & France - Thionville
11. France - Verdun, Reims, Compiegne
12. France - Caen
13. France - Normandy,
14. France - Paris
15. Fly to US

[see a more detailed itinerary here]

In addition, there are extra side trips to Hitler's Eagle's Nest and some Bavarian beer stuff.

Let me know if you have any experience with Image Tours and how this trip sounds. I think it might possibly be the trip of a lifetime...

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The Rising Tide

The Rising Tide by Jeff Shaara

This is a historical novel of WWII, or more specifically - America's first steps into the wider European conflict. Throughout our lives we have seen movies and read plenty of America's involvement in WWII, Hitler, the Pacific front, D-day, VJ-day.... This is the first I've read of our involvement in north Africa.

I've long been a WWII history lover. I like the strategy of the battles, the gritty, dirty "boots on the ground" drama and the historical detail of different points of view. This novel delivers. We see how Eisenhower assumes command of the European front, how Montgomery revitalized a near beaten British army, how Patton bullied his way in the front, Rommels generalship, and the man in the tank doing the fighting...

Some months ago I was on a trip with a friend of mine who is in his 70s. He was there in the European front during WWII as an enlisted man. I asked him about Patton and what he remembered about him. His comment was "patton was the kind of leader that if he was asked to take that hill - he would get you that hill. No matter what the cost of human life, he got the hill."