Permettez-moi de remercier chaleureusement toutes les autorités belges, luxembourgeoises et américaines – et tout spécialement Mr le Député –bourgmestre Collard - qui ont accepté de témoigner aujourd’hui leur reconnaissance à nos amis américains à l’occasion du soixantième anniversaire du début de la Bataille du Saillant, notamment dans le cadre de Night Vigil.

Merci à tous pour le réconfort de votre présence. Merci et surtout « bravo » à tous ceux qui ont travaillé dur en coulisses pour permettre cette cérémonie et les diverses festivités. Merci à tous les bénévoles belges, luxembourgeois et américains. Mes félicitations au comité du ‘Soixantième’ et à l’Association des musées de la bataille des Ardennes, l'AMBA.

Merci à l'armée dont l’appui est toujours aussi souriant et efficace.

Je m'en voudrais d’être trop long aujourd’hui : permettez-moi donc de m’adresser directement à nos vétérans américains.

Dear veterans,

I assume you didn’t catch what I just said. To summarize, I’ve told everyone that it is far too cold to make a long speech but the long trip you made is damn far too long to make it too short today!!

As I told already some of you at 0530 AM at Villers-la-Bonne-Eau, I’m not Patton. I prayed the Lord for nice weather but he told me that only Patton could achieve good results this matter.

As a former Defense Attaché in Washington DC, I stood as the guest speaker in front of you at Carlisle Barracks, Pennsylvania for the dedication of a stainglass of the Battle of the Bulge. It was in the morning on Tuesday 9-11 and I remember a veteran telling me : "My God, it starts all over again !"

That’s exactly what the population thought sixty years ago this morning. And that was the meaning of the bells ringing alltogether in all the villages along the Belgium and Luxemburg border. That sound gave us hope for the future because they were ringing like liberty bells.

But, 60 years ago, young guy’s - and please let us not forget the ladies,- Rose and Dorothy do you hear me? - young people about 20 years old of age, managed to block 4 german armies. They fought to the outmost. 76.890 US GI’s were killed, wounded or missed in action. 2500 Belgian civilians and hundreds of people in Luxemburg were killed. Weather conditions were awful and nobody will forget the Nazi’s and Gestapo atrocities!

We are here to remember all our friends who died far away from home to save freedom and democracy. It seems today so easy to say that, but in 1944, it actually was hell in the Ardennes.

I never met war in my former military carreer. Do you know why? Because YOU gave me 60 years of peace when you came in the Ardennes in 1944. And I have no idea what you went through, the suffer you had to endure. I only can imagine the horror : that’s what I tried to explain this morning at Villers-la –Bonne-Eau.

You are wet and desperate in your foxhole. Your feet are freezing. You don’t know what’s happening. You have no information. You are miserable and you don’t care about dying or not. You’re scared to death when artillery shells are falling down all around. And then you are telling yourself : "I am not going to die, I am going to make them pay for my life". And you think about your mission : keep my position, keep my position. And you do it. And you see friends wounded, crying, and dying, and you still want to live. And you shoot back and they can’t take your foxhole.

And our population : exhausted by 4 years of occupation, cut in their hope of a new life. People killed by bullets, shells. Killed and crushed in their homes. Hungry and frozen in the middle of the road having no idea where to go.

What is that like ? I don’t know, you do. We just can imagine how hard you suffered here. We are here with you to try to understand and to remember. For all those years since the end of World War II, Belgium and Luxemburg have promoted the remembrance of what the local population still calls "The Offensive". We promise you that in the Belgian Ardennes our children and grand-children and the next generations will remember what you have done that winter of 1944.

Is this a sad day? Yes, because you lost and we lost friends. Is this a happy day ? Yes, because we stand here together, proud and eager to let others know what you have achieved here. Those friends who rest in peace would say : well done, let them know, let them know.

We're proud to remember what you’ve achieved 60 years ago.

We're impressed by the courage you showed us 60 years ago.

We're amazed today by your fantastic spirit for all those 60 years.

We're so glad to have you back here, some of you for the very first time.

We're so thankful today to all those who fought here and rest in peace.

And let me tell you again :

Look at our kids, look at those eyes full of admiration when they are watching you, walking in the street. They have no idea how tasteful chocolate could have been in 1944, but they have some idea how great your smile was and what the price of freedom still is. Look also at the politicians when you will be marching in front of our King and tell them : never war again.

So let me wish you a wonderful stay in Belgium, a Merry Christmas and a happy New year, and this time, at home.