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Introduction
On Monday night 21MAY2018, we
attended the 1311th edition of the
Sunset March held daily on the new
city bridge across the Waal River in
Nijmegen, the Netherlands.
The Sunset March commemorates 48
American soldiers, Killed in Action
during the crossing of the Waal
river in row boats with the intent
to attack the northern approach of
the road bridge, leading to Arnhem,
during Operation “Market Garden” in
September 1944.
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The sun sets
behind the power lines of the
Nijmegen electricity plant west of
the Oversteek Bridge; the start-off
point for the heroic river crossing
in 1944. |
Assault river crossing
At the location of the “De Oversteek
(the Crossing)” bridge, on 20SEP1944
the Waal crossing was executed with
26 canvas boats by 3rd BN of the
504th Regimental Combat Team led by
MAJ Julian Cook. General James
GAVIN, CO of the 82nd Airborne
Division, had ordered a crossing of
the WAAL River during daylight hours
so the Americans could outflank the
Nazi defenders, who were dug in
around the city’s crucial bridges.
Cook was put in charge of the
crossing, was in the first wave
across the river. As COOK’s first
wave began their crossing, the
Allied bombardment began. The wind
blew away the smokescreen, leaving
the men in the water open and
visible to the Nazi guns. COOK took
charge of the boats, redirecting
those who were disoriented and
pushing the men along. Once ashore,
the Parachute Infantry Regiment
cleared the river bank and assaulted
the highway bridge. 3rd BN, 504th
PIR finally captured the bridge at
1900 hours. The 504th RCT was formed
from the 504th Parachute Infantry
Regiment, the 307th Airborne
Engineer Battalion and the 376th
Parachute Field Artillery Battalion
of the US 82nd Airborne Division. De
Waal crossing was further supported
by covering fire from the 153rd
Field Regiment Royal Artillery and
Sherman tanks of the Grenadier
Guards.
During the Waal crossing 48 American
soldiers were killed.
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click to enlarge:
Presumably the
only photograph taken of the Waal
River Crossing during the event.
It shows the last wave across with
the Nijmegen power plant in the left
background;
Page 557 of the 2017 book "Bridges
are Ours" ISBN 978-2-9540297-2-6. |
Commemoration
In the 1977 movie A Bridge Too Far,
Hollywood actor Robert Redford
played the role of MAJ Julian Cook
during the Waal River cross scenes: |
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When several paratroopers of the
82nd Airborne Division visited the
Netherlands in 2009 in light of the
commemorative festivities
65
years after Operation Market Garden,
veteran Walter E. Hughes of "I"
Co/504th Parachute Infantry Regiment
went through the list of casualties
on the Oversteek memorial and shared
memories of each of the paratrooper
on it he had known: |
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In our
report on the 70th anniversary of
Operation "Market Garden" and of
the Waal River crossing in 1944, we
have described the reenactment of
this assault river crossing by
active duty paratroopers of the 82nd
Airborne Division on 21SEP2014.
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De Oversteek Bridge
The city bridge “De Oversteek” (The
Crossing) opened in 2013. The
location of the bridge marks the
exact spot where the Allied crossing
of the Waal River took place during
Operation “Market Garden”. On
September 20th 1944, 48 American
soldiers of the 82nd Airborne
Division lost their lives during
this assault crossing. Every day, at
the onset of darkness, that crossing
is repeated, but now with light: at
sunset, the 48 lamp posts between
the two river shores turn on one by
one, at the pace of a slow march.
This turns the bridge into both an
evocative and a tranquil, subtle
monument to the heroic crossing of
the Waal River. Only after the 48th
set of lamp post is lit; all the
other street lights in Nijmegen come
on.
Sunset March
The Sunset March was initiated by
the Overbetuwe Veterans in 2014:
every evening, at sunset, a Dutch
military veteran walks alongside the
48 lights on the bridge as they are
switching on. Everyone is always
welcome to enjoy which we did on
this 1311th Sunset March.
Today, the sun set at 21:31PM and
Royal Netherlands Air Force veteran
Tim led the way.
Upon arrival at the northern ramp of
the bridge we witnessed all other
street lights in the city light up.
We then walked to the Waal Crossing
monument where the veteran rendered
a hand salute to honor the men
listed on the stone in front of the
monument. |
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EXHIBITIONS: |
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Impression of the
1311th edition of the Sunset March |
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48 American paratroopers
The Sunset March and the
electrical tribute by lamp posts,
commemorates 48 casualties, but
there are 49 names on the monument.
That is the result of an error
discovered by Dutch historian Frank
van Lunteren and as described by
reporter Dorine Steenbergen from
local newspaper De Gelderlander
during research for her book about
the Waal crossing. From
Case File
#15 we know about the
difficulties of putting together an
accurate casualty list or Roll of
Honor for a specific unit during a
given timeframe. New on the monument
is the name of radio operator Norris
A. Case, who was killed during the
crossing, but until recently was not
listed on the Roll of Honor. On that
list, but wrongly, was Gerald Page
Hereford who was Killed In Action
later. In respect for his actions
and ultimate sacrifice Page’s name
is still on the new memorial, which
now has 49 names and is of different
design than the one in the photos
taken in 2009. |
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