US Memorial Diekirch
Where? 25, Avenue de la Gare, L-9233 Diekirch
The US Memorial located in the municipal parc of Diekirch river remembers a number of US units that were present in and around the city, September 1944 – February 1945.
The US Memorial of Diekirch is located on the banks of the Sûre next to the pedestrian bridge that spans the river. Inaugurated in 1984 on the initiative of the Diekirch National Museum of Military History on the occasion of the 40th anniversary of the liberation of Luxembourg and the Battle of the Bulge, it pays tribute to all those US military units that were stationed, fought and transitted through Diekirch and surrounding areas from September 1944 to February 1945.
A bronze plaque at the bottom of the pedestrial of the monument shows the former railroad bridge, replaced later by the present concrete foot bridge.
Units of the 5th US Armored Division liberated the town for the first time via that railroad bridge. The same bridge was used during the night of December 19/20, 1944 by approximately 6.000 civilians to flee the town in great haste face to the approaching enemy. Finally, the partially destroyed bridge was used in 1945 by units of the 5th US Infantry Division during the “Sauer river” crossing operations. It was repaired to be re-used as again a railroad bridge until 1962.
