Inside the 101st Airborne Museum of Bastogne!!! | History Traveler Episode 331 

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JD I've told you I was active duty 84-88 stationed in Spangdahlem AB, Germany. I was lucky enought to be in Bastogne for the 40th Anniversary of the Battle of the Bulge. What a moving weekend it was. There was a parade through town on Sat night. As we walked along the sidewalk next to the flag, older Belgians were standing in their doorways, crying at the sight of our flag and tears rolling down their cheeks. Still gives me goose bumps!

My grandfather was in the 101st airborne infantry division. Sgt c Collins I will always respect ww2 veterans and any veterans of today! God bless America! 🇺🇸

I've literally just been rewarding BoB and just passed the bastogne episode. Can't believe as of December, this year we will pass the 80th anniversary of some of the most brutal barrages they saw.

Awesome museum! Wow! Those dioramas seriously deserve some kind of award! Epic !!!!!

It's so good to hear some history of the 101st. My great grandfather was in the 101st during the Korean War as a sergeant.

I have been to that museum. It is truly phenomenal. Thanks for sharing it with the world!

JD, just visited this museum Tuesday while on the WW2 National History Museum "Easy Company" tour. Amazing collection of artifacts and detailed diaramas! Bastogne is gearing up for the 80th Anniversary of Bulge. The tour is fantastic and well worth the time and money but your videos are a great prep for the visit. Thanks for all you do, thoroughly enjoy the channel, and keep up the good work.

Glad to see the 10th Armored get a little love. Unlikely 101st could have held Bastogne without the tanks of 10th Armored. Fascinating museum.

You have been on absolute tear with this last series of videos !!! Bringing veterans back to these places is just the best to watch !!! Your channel never disappoints!!! You deserve an award for your work , Sir !!! A++

That museum was incredible! Wish I could go and take a look myself. Thank you JD, Erik, Frank, and to the four gentlemen who fought for our freedom. And of course, a special thank you to the curator of that incredible museum with incredible exhibits!

That was outstanding. I wouldn't be upset if youd like to make a 2nd or 3rd video just on this museum to show what else is in there. Just adds more clarity to the horrendous conditions soldiers go through. We can't thank veterans enough for their sacrifices. Thanks you!

First: greetings from Belgium. Second: without the sacrefices from the Allies there is a big chance I would'd be here. So my humble gratitude goes to the heroes. Thanks.

I must say, this episode was amazing. What a fantastic way to learn history. Most of us will never be able to visit this museum but I feel like you have still brought the best of these places to us. I agree, those dioramas are amazing. They bring a feel to the stories, make them more tangible and alive. I can never thank you enough for all the work you put into these presentations. Thank you Sir JD.

Wow, the diorama's are truly special, so much more impact full than just displaying the artifacts themselves

It's below zero (F) today here in Indiana. Not unlike what those paratroopers endured during the Battle of the Bulge. Love your work JD, keep it up!

"Kraut disenfected" LOVE this so much.

My father was so only 19 . Pure hell he went though .wonderful hero!!101st paratrooper. Pure hell they went though. Thank u for showing this video .only wish my dad had seen this..

I love your videos. The content is great. I hate that we're losing our living WW2 history to time. Thanks for your efforts in preserving these memories.

Watching this again…. Was really impressed that this is the 101st museum but they show these other units so well! Impressive indeed! I just keep watching it! ❤

What a great museum. Thanks for all you do to share these videos with us.

Well done JD. Got to visit there in 2022. Anyone who goes to Bastogne must visit this museum; it’s absolutely amazing. Interesting side note, a lot of the mannequin’s faces are the face of the museum owner.

that museum is fantastic. ive collected ww2 militaria for some 50 years now. im 69 and i love all this stuff. thank you so much for sharing this video with us. i really appreciate it!!! thanks JD. Larry

What an amazing museum! The diaromas are phenomenal.! The mannequin people are so real. I loved the veteran who was with you, it was so special to meet him. Thank you for all you do to help us understand history J. D. Grammy from Texas

Wow, those are some amazing dioramas!! What a museum!!

Yet another amazing video JD! thank you again for the videos! They bring me closer to my late grandpa and what the men did over there during the world war. I was born on December 8th 37 years and 1 day after the attack on Pearl Harbor and I always remember that day because of my grandpa.

101st Airbonre! Legendary! I like all the historical items, but I love seeing the old gentlemen crowded around the map. "We go there on Tuesday." Wait, I'll get my hat and go with you.

An amazing looking museum, especially the life-size, graphic dioramas. Heavy and authentic indeed. It was also great to see actual veterans of the battle visiting. (NB: I was lucky enough to see Tony McAuliffe eating dinner at his favorite corner table at the Army and Navy Club in D.C..)

Wow what an incredible museum … great way of telling the story of an incredible battle - thanks JD

Excellent video, I have been to the museum and there is so much more to see there. Highly recommend visiting! It’s so awesome to have the veterans with you telling their stories and memories, something that we will not have to much longer to document!

Wow, I've just been there one month ago during the Bastogne Nuts weekend. Probably the best museum about WW2 history I've ever been to, the Wax figures are just on another level. Also the basement room that let's you experience what the German bombings must have felt like left me trembling, you don't get that everyday. Thank you JD for sharing this special place for everyone to learn some more about WW2!

THE BEST museum you've taken us through bar none!!!! The details are stunning!! Thank you!!

I was there TDY with the USAF at Spangdahlem AB in 2015 in Germany. We went to the museum on our weekend off. It was absolutely incredible. I especially liked the basement room that was dark and they had the speakers cranked with German tanks rolling outside the basement windows. So realistic!

There is a 4days commemorative march held June 24 _ 28, centred around Bastogne. Nice walk in remembrance of the battle of the Bulge. Very good!

There are many of us who cannot afford to visit these locations, so watching your videos and listening to your narration is appreciated JD! Keep up the great work

Always great when you post a banger of an episode when I'm on the nightshift. Always had this museum on my bucket list and even though it's a couple hours away I've never visited but my god I need to fill my car up, pick my dad up and go there asap! Great museum, amazing diorama's, I can almost envision them coming to life and put a smile on my face when Jack talked about bringing all these trophies home.

Fascinating tour of the museum! I never knew so much history was housed under one roof. Truly a journey through time. Merci : )

Very interesting video. My late father fought with the 1st Infantry Division in all seven of its battles during WWII. Would love to know more about its experiences during this time. He was awarded a Bronze Star for his efforts during the Battle of the Bulge period. They faced the 12th SS Division on the northern edge near the Eisenborn Ridge.

If you’ve never been, the WWII museum in Diekirch, Luxembourg is amazing. Very similar to this museum, lots of relics, and dioramas.

I really enjoy your story telling your narrating is amazing and your editing and music added to your videos never fails to fit perfectly. the upmost respect for paying homage to the greatest generation with your videos the most perfect way possible

Man, how have I not seen your channel until now? I’ve watched history vids on here for years, including a ton of ww2 stuff. This is excellent content.

Good memories! I lived in Belgium for 3 yrs and the US Govt paid for it. Went down to Bastogne for NUTS weekend, which was cool. Lots of Belgian and Dutch people, many who didn't speak any English dressed up in authentic US Army WWII paratrooper gear. When we were there, in front of that museum, they had a huge statue of the Sailor kissing the nurse in Times Square on VE day. We loved that, having been a Marine and my wife a Navy Sailor, the US Navy was nowhere near Bastogne during the Battle of the Bulge, and they put up a statue of one of our guys instead of a soldier. They later took down that Sailor statue and displayed parts of the Berlin Wall.... GO NAVY!

This is an amazing museum. Worth taking your time and absorbing every small detail

Awesome museum. Seeing Erik get excited about it, you know it has to be good 😉 I really wish I could go on the upcoming tour in the spring. Hopefully some other time

Great museum. I was really impressed with the cellar and recreation of a bombing raid. The most incredible interactive experience i think i ever had. I’m surprised he didn’t mention it.

Wow that museum and the dioramas were so immersive! Here in the states I've only seen department store manikins dressed in uniform... 100% realism to really make you aware of the duties and prices paid. I loved this episode and that museum.

I just can't tell you how much I appreciate all your videos. Thank you for delving into these important topics and sharing them with all of us.

Wow! That is amazing. The dioramas are so lifelike! Thank you for going there for us.

Aloha! JD, you and Erik are GREAT history teachers. Many thanks for bringing us along. Definitely on my bucket list of places to visit. Much luv 🤙

We visited last year. As shown, an amazing museum and experiance. Just out of town there is the Bastogne War Museum also. IN WHICH they have an American tank that received a direct hit. The internal damage was incredible, no crew would have survived that. Visitors went VERY quiet in that room !

There are several WWII museums in Bastogne, scattered throughout the city. I didn’t make it to this one but seeing this I wish I had. I was in Bastogne for the 75th anniversary. It was magnificent.

Visiting that museum long time ago. You feel that wartime there! Recommended to all

I wish America cared about its history like the Europeans do to make our museums like 101st Airborne Museum of Bastogne. This museum is amazing. The exhibits and dioramas are incredible. As a museum professional this is a dream place to work. Your knowledge of military history astounds me and inspires me to learn more. Thanks for the tour.

They clearly spent a lot of money on the Bastogne Museum. Obviously it was well worth it. And so many artifacts!

Thanks and praise from Peterborough Ontario Canada 🇨🇦 ♥️ from a disabled history buff who only gets to experience my dream vacation (Europe) through your lense. But, at least i get to skip line-ups doing it this way lol. You and Mr Dorr are so appreciated!

Man, JD if you want to do more on the dioramas when you encounter them I, for one, would be thrilled. Those have always fascinated me.

So amazing thank you J.D. Wow Wow!!✌️🇺🇲

I was lucky enough to go in a staff ride in the Normandy area while I was stationed in Hohenfels Germany from 99-02. We watched the movie, “The longest day” on our way there and visited just about every area that was in the movie. One of the greatest places I have ever been was Sainte-Mère-Église. They have a dummy dressed up as an airborne soldier hanging from the church by a parachute and right across the street is an amazing museum dedicated to the 82nd and the 101st. It was an amazing trip that was led by a historian and it was about a five day trip. The people of Sainte-Mère-Église and all of Normandy are simply amazing and they were so nice to everyone that was there. It was a once in a lifetime trip that I would recommend everyone to take if possible. It was simply heroic what the soldiers accomplished during this period, and I mean soldiers from all the countries that participated. Another great part was visiting the Pegasus bridge that was in the movie. The original bridge still exists but was moved a short distance from the original place.

Been there last year while visiting foxholes near Foy. Absolutely amazing place to visit.

Music In the beginning reminds me of a Charlie Brown cartoon. One where Charlie and Linus are walking down the street and talking. Great video as always. Ty.

this particular museum they have a wonderful statue memorial to General Patton nearby a few miles away in Luxembourg. They have a wonderful military museum with artefacts from German and American equipment, memorabilia, et cetera.🇬🇧🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿🇬🇧

I remember the episode when you first met the guys at the Gettysburg Museum of History. It's cool to see that you've continued to work with them.

Vincent Speranza's book was a good read. i met Vince at Overloon in 2018 drinking Whiskey and smoking a cigar. All US hero he was.

The attention to detail in this museum is amazing

My wife and I were there on the 50th anniversary of the end of the war 5/8/95. The whole area was astounding. Even today, I can still recognize the places shown in the original films from the war. The electronic map w/ narration showed how much Patton meant to the Belgians as well as the 101st. Brought back memories of a long ago trip..

That big map is pretty awesome it shows the battle lines

That's one of the best museums I've ever seen

Wow, you get to visit the neatest places! As a former 11B member of the 101st (Vietnam 69-70) I really appreciate seeing some of my outfit's history in places where I most likely will never be able to visit. I was 2/327th in Nam.

Love History, especially pre-world War 2 and the post War Europe.

thanks for sharing this video with those of us who will never make it to Europe. This video could have been a couple hours long and would have still watched every second of it. Fascinating. Wish I could be there in person.

Hi History Underground, I visit this beautifull museum last weekend with a son of a WW2 Veteran of the 9th ID, which has fought in the Battle of the Bulge. Thanks for the information about this museum. I did not know it before. It was an awsome experience. Regards.

This museum just made my bucket list. Thanks for sharing.

Was there in October 23. Great museum. Best mannequins, very lifelike.

You guys are always getting better ! Thank you !

I had a father-in-law, Ben Byrd who fought with the 10th Armored Division (CCB). He was wounded in 1945, received the Purple Heart and was sent home. I wonder if Lerner in the museum know Byrd as they were both in the same unit. My wife wrote her Master;s Thesis and it would make a great book and incredible movie!!! thank you for sharing.

WELL DONE! My hair stood up watching the veteran look at all the artifacts in the case. Thank you so much for all you do JD. Someday maybe I’ll be able to make it over there but for now I’ll live through you and the stories told on here.

I live in Belgium and been several times in this great museum. Hope you enjoy your staying in Belgium!!!

Im still kicking myself for not bringing my impression to France. Maybe on this trip. Thanks for this!

Fascinating. Absolutely fascinating. Thanks.

Really nice sounding opening music!

Another outstanding video. My favorite parts: 17:50 One of the few veterans still able to visit the battlefield is recalling his experience while viewing artifacts. 19:26 “There’s the old grease gun we used to use!” 20:21 A German helmet with a bullet hole in the back. There are so many scenarios that go through my mind as the what the circumstances may have been.

I was there in 2013.it is an awesome museum. For me, I I have seen no better. I lived near Toccoa, GA for 16 years and attended a number of PIR reunions. I met Sgt. Don Burgett. (Sorry, I may have misspelled his name though I hope not too badly). I also have a friend who’s Dad was a Company Commander in the 10th armored. He was sent to a rookie outfit on Elsenborn ridge because they had no experienced officers. This man survived the war (thankfully) and my friend became a USNavy Seal who saw a good bit of combat in Vietnam.

I visited the museum in summer 2022. Well worth the time. New to me that the building has a history before the Battle of the Bulge.

I was stationed in Berlin at Check Point Charlie 1975 and Grafenwoehr 1976-1978. I will be in Bastogne in September this year and thank you for showing this. Definitely a stop.

Awesome man! Thanks!

I really look forward to your videos, these are some of my favorites on RU-vid. You do excellent work.

A tremendous video. Excellent content with context. Always important to root and ground historical events and characters in their context. Well done. Great museum. Stellar work by all the people who maintain and grow the museum. Amazing stuff. Very much appreciate your video tour of this place.

I'll be there next month! It's a planned stop of my family's Europe vacation, and I'm looking forward to seeing it!

Wow, to do all this with a WW2 vet that was there must have been an emotional roller coaster. You keep adding to my travel bucket list.

Very, very cool, Recondo. Looking forward to the episode re: 17th Airborne Division

I just finished Band of Brothers, this is perfect timing

Hello, 2 years ago I was visiting Bastogne, and the 101 museum in Bastogne is simply impressive. And I would personally encourage you to do more parts of the museum since you have left out many things that I understand are impossible to put in a video, such as the central staircase of the museum with a parachutist from the 101 with the parachute on and "falling through the hole of the stairs" or something else that is in the basement, which is the simulator of the entry of the troops into Bastogne, because it simulates being in a house in Bastogne and you listen and can see everything that was happening, which is the noise that is listen when the veteran is showing all those impressive things in the display cases If the museum is very, very good, the basement is something apart with the objects and the dioramas. Apart from this museum I was able to visit other museums since I was in the area for 8 days and I have to say that not all the museums were as spectacular as this one and my biggest disappointment was the Bastogne war museum, not because of the museum itself, which is very good with the clothes on, models and weapons, exhibitions, dioramas.... if not for the fact that they charge you entry to the parking lot, not to the museum, which I find normal, but only to the parking lot to leave a car? And it goes on... I don't know if you know why I think A long time ago you went or published it and you saw the Jacques Forest, where the 101st made trenches.....well, visiting the Jacques Forest is paid and the payment must be made at the War Museum, something that seems outrageous to me that They charge you to see something historical, the price I don't remember but it wasn't cheap and they charge it as part of the museum fee. There was also a museum of those that people from the town run very well with a battle tank outside that explained where it was that they changed the color of the German battle tank, I say this because everything was not bad Finally recommend the 101 museum in bastogne without hesitation Thanks for your videos of Bastogne, Normandy and the rest. THANK YOU FROM SPAIN

19:26 Fascinating not the word for him, he is a living breathing Veteran, it's bringing back real memories and he can still teach us all a thing or 2 about fighting a battle. Thank you for making this video , if it lets one person remember the sacrifice of the Servicemen in WW2 it's a success and the hard work of the Museum creators has been worth it. I hope those brave men all Rest in Peace despite us kicking around in all their shit. Beware: Pride comes before a fall. Let's be humbly thankful we don't have anyone shooting at us and keep spreading Peace and Love to our neighbours.

Thanks JD! Very very interesting. I’ve been to Bastogne but did not see this museum.. next trip.

Great video! Thanks for the upload! Greetings from Belgium!

I am really hoping when I go back to Europe in 25 that I will be lucky enough to vist that Museum it looks so fascinating, there is so much to see.

Thank you very much great commentary and film.

JD; last few episodes Hurtgen Forest just blew me away in admiration for the Greatest Generation and amped me up for my upcoming visit to National WW2 Museum in New Orleans...

Outstanding episode JD.

So awesome to see those WWII vets there with you!