ON SATURDAY,
OCTOBER 15, 2011 WE HAD A CEREMONY IN THE HUERTGEN FOREST NEARBY THE
RAFFESBRAND CROSSROADS. TWO YEARS AGO, IN SUMMER 2009 THE REMAINS OF A
GERMAN SOLDIER WAS FOUND BY A MINE-CLEARING COMPANY. THEY ALSO FOUND THE DOG
TAGS OF THIS SOLDIER. WE FOUND OUT THAT THIS SOLDIER WAS A FORMER MEMBER
WITH THE LUFTWAFFEN-FESTUNGS-BATTALION XXIV (AIR FORCE-FORTRESS-BATTALION
24) AND THAT HE WAS MISSING IN ACTION SINCE OCTOBER 15, 1944
HIS REMAINS WERE COVERED WITH LESS THAN 1 FOOT OF
EARTH. HE WAS WEARING HIS FULL MILITARY EQUIPMENT, STEEL HELMET, CANTEEN,
RIFLE, AMMUNITION, AND SOME PERSONAL STUFF LIKE HIS WALLET WITH MONEY AND
FOOD-CARDS.
67 YEARS LATER, WE ERECTED A MEMORIAL CROSS AT THE
SITE WHERE HIS REMAINS WAS FOUND TWO YEARS AGO. IN THE MEANTIME THIS GERMAN
SOLDIER FOUND HIS FINAL RESTING PLACE AT THE GERMAN WWII CEMETERY AT
VOSSENACK.
EIGHT FAMILY MEMBERS OF THE SOLDIER, HIS NAME WAS
BENNO SCHOTT, ATTENDED THE CEREMONY ON SATURDAY.
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