For Those That Gave Their Lives to Liberate Europe • The Havok Journal

by Philippe Limbourg

Philippe Limbourg and his family from Belgium have not forgotten the sacrifices made by American soldiers during the liberation of Europe from German occupation during World War II.

Every Memorial Day since 1980, Philippe, my wife, Barbara, and my daughter Kimberly have been decorating the graves of American Rangers who died during the D-Day invasion, June 6, 1944, and the Battle of the Bulge.

Philippe Limbourgh and his daughter, Kimberly as a child.

We volunteer to take care of the graves in Colleville sur Mer Normandy and Henri-Chapelle Belgium Cemetery to bring some comfort to visitors and families on American Graves Remembrance Day and to see that their sons who gave their lives to liberate Europe and who remain forever on foreign soil are not forgotten.

Philippe, who served in the commandos of his country, asked to be assigned these graves of Rangers from the 2nd battalion and another from the 5th battalion. But he did much more than decorate tombs.

I researched the information about their deaths and shortened lives and searched for their surviving relatives. My family and I have developed a relationship with certain veterans who landed at Omaha Beach and Pointe du Hoc in Normandy.

Rafferty A Joseph Capt.2nd Ranger – Bn Co A Death 6/6/44 Vierville-sur-Mer

Biddle C John S/Sgt.2nd Ranger – Bn Co A Death 6/6/44 Vierville-sur-Mer

Kane A James S/Sgt 2nd Ranger – Bn Co Death 6/6/44 Breakthrough Point

Kettering E Charles S/Sgt 2nd – Bn Co D Death 6/6/44 Pointe du Hoc

In 2023, My family and I went to honor and lay flowers on the graves of the 16 Rangers at the cemetery of Henri-Chapelle in Belgium. For us, it is a duty, so that the new generations remember. My daughter Kimberly has also participated since her childhood. She is now 22 years old.

And also in Belgium a tribute of flower deposit for these brave people.

Leroy Roger Pfc. 2nd Ranger -15 Nov 44 KIA Germeter, Germany – Harvor Black 16 Dec 44 – Bragg Keith 27 Nov 44 – Adams Leroy 07 Dec 44 – Bubanowich Peter 02 March 45 – Ferguson Raymond 21 Dec 44 – Fewell Robert 17 Nov 44 – Holloway Lawrence 08 Dec 44 – Lewis Franck 02 Dec 44 – Lowell Bob 10 Nov 43 -Niblack Jesse 25 Feb 45 -Ouellette Léo 07 Dec 44 – Pitts Arthur 01 March 45 -Remmers Julius 24 Nov 44 -Sachnowski Stanley 12 /May/ 44.

I also went to Omaha Beach with Ranger friends to remember where they fought in France, and to share these emotional moments.

Philippe and his family participated with the association Wreath Across América, in the laying of wreaths at the American Cemetery in Colleville Normandy on November 08, 2018. This was the first time that WAA sent wreaths made in the United States to be placed on foreign ground. My family and I helped lay wreaths; 9387 graves were flowered that day, the following days we laid wreaths at Omaha Beach as well as at Pointe du Hoc. It was a memorable moment and a real honor.

My wife is Filipina, her father was in the USAFE during the war and was captured by the Japanese. He endured the terrible death march. We also come to pay homage to the American cemetery in Manila.

Why are decorating graves and learning the history of Rangers so important to me? My greatest ambition is to be able to pass on to our future generations the history of veteran Rangers and other men who sacrificed their youth for us and for our freedom as Europeans. We decided to take care of the graves of these Brave Rangers because we don’t want to forget, and it’s our way of saying thank you to them all.

I don’t know if the gratitude I feel was instilled by my parents, who experienced the German invasion and believe my daughter will continue to adorn the graves of the Rangers. I took my family to WWII Ranger cemeteries in, Normandy, France, Belgium, and also the Philippines. My daughter seems to share my interest and respect for the Rangers.

I want Americans to know that: Belgians appreciate the Americans who fought for them in 1944.

It’s a debt of appreciation that the Limbourg family pays every Memorial Day.

Philippe can be contacted at limbourg.phil@outlook.com

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As the Voice of the Veteran Community, The Havok Journal seeks to publish a variety of perspectives on a number of sensitive subjects. Unless specifically noted otherwise, nothing we publish is an official point of view of The Havok Journal or any part of the U.S. government.