The Real Easy Company Foxholes between Bastogne and Foy

This is part one of my visit to the WW2 battlefields and cemeteries of Belgium, Germany, and the Netherlands. In today's episode we explore the foxholes between Bastogne and Foy where the men of Easy Company, 506th Parachute Infantry, 101st Airborne, endured the early days of the Battle of the Bulge.
In part two, we will look at the January 13, 1945 attack on Foy at the place where it happened.
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#History #BandofBrothers

[@professorwhat2704]

A lot of us won't get the chance to visit a lot of these places. Thanks for letting us experience it vicariously through your trips.

[@sweetroll1723]

Sad that the last surviving member of Easy Company passed away last week. Soon we won't have anyone left who served in that time and the world will be a dimmer place because of it. Rest easy men.

[@BHuang92]

Been there years ago and the fact that always amazes me that the Americans there in 1944 managed to dig holes in the ground which would've been near rock solid in one of the coldest winters on record while under fire! To say that it sucks would been a gross understatement!

[@jackmessick2869]

The motion picture "Battleground" tells the story of Bastogne, and you see a "newbie" digging foxholes and getting annoyed at the being moved around and having to dig all over again. A great film directed by William Wellman, a veteran of WWI.

[@TheHistoryUnderground]

Love seeing your perspective and the things that I missed.

[@VloggingThroughHistory]

Couldn't have done it without your help in knowing what happened where!

[@LydiotGamingTV]

US-Veteran meets German survivor from Stalingrad in a Pub in Britain at 2am after a few pints of Guiness... US-Veteran: "Dude, our clothes were frozen man, can you imagine that?" German: "Kinda..." US-Veteran: "So we couldn't move properly without signaling the enemy. It was crazy I tell ya.." German: "For real?" US-Veteran: "And we barely had the equipment for all the digging and such." German: "You had equipment?" US-Veteran: "Yeah. But what about you? How was it like?" German: "..Well.....we had pretty....chilly weather...."

[@howdydo1320]

It’s a great day when VTH posts twice!

[@Kenneth-zk1nh]

I think I remember hearing a story that one time with the surviving members of Easy company Smokey visited Foy and found his old cup in the dirt of his foxhole even decades later

[@2104dogface]

when i was talking to "Wild Bill" about digging holes he said the ground was so frozen that they would shoot a few rds into the ground and put a grenade in the hole to break up the ground so they could get started. Think it was back during the 50th Anniversary of the battle of bulge reenacment in PA i was in E/506th living history and we had a bunch of the org Troopers with us. had a real good Prop Blast Bash too. at some point as we were drinking & Singing 1 of our guys comes up to "Wild Bill" and says hey Bill i am going over to visit the area of the line you were in , is their anything you want me to bring back for you" Bill lowers his beer looks him straight in his eyes and says "Yeah, if you could find my leg that would be great" then he smiled and lifted his beer, we all laughed and cheered and toasted to Bill's leg and Hinkel . those were some great time.

[@TravelingToHistory]

It is indeed a place where you become very quiet when you walk through it. It's just a shame that they have built a fence around it these days, that takes something away from the impressiveness. But told beautiful as always Chris.

[@cck267]

Hey Chris, My name is Carson. I'm a big fan of your Oversimplified reaction videos as well as your original traveling content. I know you are not a fan of talking about current events or politics and pride yourslef on sticking to historical content. I was hoping you would be willing to make a fourth installment of your Ukraine and Russian echoing history series. No rush, I just wanted to hear your thoughts and feeling on current events happeing in the war. Thank you for your time.

[@Crytica.]

Sublime video. These videos are where you shine the most. The small little pockets of history that bring so much life and context to the surroundings. Thanks for making these gems of videos!

[@justusjolliffe5034]

I Love history I have nothing but respect for all those who gave their lives in war peace to the fallen 🙏

[@JDRhoads09]

Maybe its as simple as it being "tourism" but I ironically gained a lot of respect / appreciation for not only how well preserved the site is but how American flags are kept throughout the trenches to this day in their country. Obviously I wasn't in WW2 but it still very heart warming to see such dedication to an American led battle site.

[@MiamiHeatClips]

One of my favorite WWII sites I’ve ever visited. To stand where they stood and knowing what happened there makes it feel so much more intimate as you said. There’s a video I’ve seen where Smokey’s son showed his dads foxhole, and Col Dale Dye mentioned a lot more of what happened there too. His son said the coffee mug is still there. I really recommend to go back in December at some point in the future if you have the opportunity! That fence must be new

[@justinguion9427]

I only have one complaint…this amazing video wasn’t long enough!! I’m an Australian who has always admired those who have served especially the men from my nation but I like many others, have always been captivated by the story of the men of E Coy 506th Regiment 101st Airborne and hope to visit these places one day; loved the video and the way you approached doing it.

[@VloggingThroughHistory]

More coming from that location. Next video in a few days about the attack on Foy

[@eval2474]

I can only imagine the feelings you get actually being there in person. I love your videos and appreciate you taking us to these historic places.

[@zoanth4]

Awesome vid! I was on episode 8 watching the show thru again when I found out the last E company survivor died. I love these videos you make, keep it up!

[@davestertm6498]

Consistently amazing content from this channel. I love seeing your passion.

[@mikibabic8187]

This is definitely one of the places on my bucket list. Thank you for sharing this amazing video with us.

[@MrTerry]

These videos are great! Keep it up!

[@liamsallee4628]

Genuine dude, genuine channel. Love it!

[@eye_straindigital]

Been waiting on this one for while!!!

[@wxixlxsxoxn7321]

Will you be doing anything on the Korean War anytime soon? I ask because my great Uncle Jim was a Battle Medic during it. Great video btw! 🙂

[@nikos5507]

Making me want to rewatch BoB for the 500th time

[@stephenparker6362]

Hi, Chris what a wonderful surprise for a Saturday morning , a new VTH video, I've watched it as I have breakfast. It was very interesting, thanks for doing that.

[@travelingwithmikeandpam9074]

I was able to go to the clearing where Winters had his foxhole. I was talking to a retired teacher that was there in 94 and was talking to Winters! Cool!

[@shortystomper3656]

Can't wait to watch this! Love the stories of these heroic men. One unrelated question though. Do we have an estimated time on when the Arlington National Cemetery video/s would be out? No rush, just wondering. I visited there for national History bowl competition this year and it brought out so many emotions during my walk throughout it. Keep up the great work!

[@SandervkHistory]

It stays a special place! Cant wait to stand there together in November 👍

[@wilco9365]

Hi Chris, great and informative videos! Really appreciate this, thumbs up! I have been to Bois Jacques a couple of times and indeed, to my great surprise last weekend, a part of the woods has been fenced. It seems that the fenced part is marked as some kind of a heritage site. Practical information for future visitors: To access the fenced area you have to buy regular tickets at the Bastogne War Museum about 2 kilometres away. The tickets provide access to the museum and Bois Jacques. I agree that in a way that fence makes this environment different from what it was. But I think it is really necessary to preserve this environment in the future.

[@dennycarty4576]

I’ll never forget back in 2020 when I was deployed in Germany and I made it a point to go to this site. It reminded me a lot of Gettysburg, you just can’t talk and need to take it in. Did you ever go to the cemetery where Patton was? Also went to a German cemetery that was about a mile alway. Both had such a different feeling but were both amazing.

[@VloggingThroughHistory]

Going to Patton’s grave in Luxembourg today! I have video from the German Cemetery in Foy, I need to get it edited and uploaded.

[@ImPhoebe]

Oh VTH you are so close from my homeplace ! I'm from Liege and if I might recommand a place to visit to you, it would be the Mardasson Memorial in Bastogne, which is a huuuge buildingon top of a hill in the Ardennes (the bulges in english I think ?) in memory of the fallen americans that gave their lifes to save others, far from their home. It is granting a supeeerb view of the area. Also the WW museum in Bastogne is great too ! And if by any chance you run to Liège, there are quite a few places to visit aswell (Forts and battle places from WW1 and WW2, like Fort of Boncelles, of Loncin, of Eben-Emael, and many interesting ones forming what was called "the defensive belt of Liège" that played a role during WW1 to hold German troops advancing and giving time for allies to move and form a front in North France). I wish you to have a great time in Europe, either it be in France, Luxembourg, Germany, Netherlands or Belgium ! Thank you for those always good quality videos and sharing the story of those brave men being heroes for so many people. Have a great day, long live VTH !

[@VloggingThroughHistory]

I visited the museum in Bastogne in May as well as Mardasson. I’ll be in Liege in November for the Band of Brothers tour.

[@MordechaiHershoffyoutube]

I used to only like your reaction videos and the like but I actually like this style of video a lot because you give a ton of insight on History on the spot and single battles and what it might look like

[@SourDohSteele]

Thanks for the great video. I've always wanted to go here!

[@torresmat10]

Cool stuff!

[@liamsallee4628]

Keep ‘em rollin!

[@dallindurrant7486]

ive just decided it’s time for me to re watch band of brothers

[@zaktilzer5130]

Youve really improved at how you shoot these things.

[@codystout5353]

On my bucket list

[@ianrankin1293]

I visited the foxholes yesterday and found a couple of empty Bud cans beside the little wooden crosses,i really hope it was somebody toasting the guys that were in those positions and not littering, i think if it was me i would of had a drink in their honour and taken the cans home with me!🇺🇸🇬🇧

[@Jeffybonbon]

I am 66 and i was born in the area as a child in the 1960s we played in the forest and there was still bullet cases on the ground THe forest was cleared around 1963 and was replanted around and i would say its was the old trees that were removed and sent for lumber The forest was replanted again around 1980 ish so what you see today is the third generation of trees When i was last there before COVID i was quite shocked at how the ground had excavated there are double the number of fox holes that i played in It must be ghosts that have come back but i can guarantee its not original as kids lots of houses in the area had stuff collected from the forest nobody really thought anything about it as it was Normal in fact i can remember kids wearing old helmets in the villages around the forest Jeeps were common and used by lots of farmers and the fire service had a six wheel truck painted red my own teacher had a German truck a bit like a Jeep not sure what it was I cant remember anyone removing explosives from the forest but it must have been cleared in the late 40s before i was born Yanks used to come back with there family and i know locals always made them welcome and they stayed in the villages around the forest again in the 1960s which units they were from i dont know they were just yanks to us kids

[@sindbad211]

Beautiful!

[@phantomtitan9792]

What a fascinating place

[@jasongibbs8175]

That has to be a moving atmosphere there. To just sit in silence and try to understand what the men went through there...

[@C0LD_P1ZZA]

Idk who's interested but there's a video game called Hell Let Loose, anyways it's an online WW2 shooter that puts you on 1:1 sized and historically accurate WW2 battlefields. Including Foy, and other locations from Band of Brothers like Carentan & Beaucourt Manor. It's really fun to play

[@mmello1993]

THank you so much I´m visiting the bulge in August

[@GamerLuke651]

This cool

[@steveclarke6257]

Indeed Chris I can tell you from my own experiences, that cutting through tree roots is a brutal and exhausting activity. Someone else guide us though, is it typical for US troops to dig such large holes? It may be a difference in training between nations, but photos I have seen of British foxholes (see the film "theirs is the glory") are much smaller in diameter but deeper than those at Foy. I also imagine that some brush and branches would have been gathered in front to form some camouflage.

[@CatNibbles]

Usually they weren't as wide and deep enough to stay concieled when you were sitting, but usually they were bigger because you'd have 2 men to a hole if you could.

[@stollkoloss2689]

3 miles Up, 3 miles down

[@VloggingThroughHistory]

Thanks Niclas!

[@roberth5767]

I see they've added a chicken wire-style fence next to the road. IIRC, there isn't much of a shoulder there so people would pull over to visit the fox holes and partially block the road. I'll be back in Bastogne in early October. Any new sights to see? My last time there was a couple years ago for the 75th celebrations.

[@VloggingThroughHistory]

I’m told the fence is the first step toward charging admission to the property.

[@user-fb2ed2er3m]

respect all

[@leeevans1723]

Did you go on a jakc the ripper tour while in uk? i was looking forward to that.

[@VloggingThroughHistory]

Yes I did.

[@leeevans1723]

@@VloggingThroughHistory Will it be on youtube?

[@VloggingThroughHistory]

@@leeevans1723 no. I didn’t record much of it.

[@leeevans1723]

@@VloggingThroughHistory Alright. Thanks for replying anyway.

[@user-fb2ed2er3m]

i want to visit tis places once

[@D2C3R5]

i've been to thsoe woods at least a dozen times. used to be you could walk everywhere. now the bastards have fenced it off and charge you to see it.

[@soho2409]

For the algorithm.

[@hanstoli6289]

Third. But dang this is so cool

[@Krispykreme1331]

what happened to your discord?

[@doctorphosphorus5436]

second

[@TheIngsten]

Band of Brothers and also the Bastogne War Museum gives the illusion that all the things you see in the series happened in the Bois Jaques, but in reallity like you say they where in the bois champay. And also like the story with renee lemaire that she was killed in the church of bastogne, is not true. 1944 the 10th Armored Division used a house in bastogne as an hospital where she helped the soldiers. She and 30 wounded Soldiers were killed by this bombing.

[@VloggingThroughHistory]

I've been to the site where Renee Lemaire was killed (and to her and Augusta Chiwy's graves). They told us the site had been the Sarma store and the aid station was located in the basement. But yes, it was for the 20th Armored Infantry Btln of the 10th Armored Division.

[@TheIngsten]

@@VloggingThroughHistory yes that's correct sir :⁠-⁠)