Visitors to the Huertgen Forest
Special visit with Ron van Rijt - Click
by Caren Stelson
May I introduce myself? I'm Caren, Ron van Rijt's friend from Minnesota. I've been writing some text for Ron and Albert's Huertgen Forest WWII Website, and at Ron's request have attached it. Let me know if you have any difficulty opening it. My understanding is that you can link Ron's name on your website with this text. What we have come up with is just that --text. Sure wish we could attach some photos to it to sharpen up the page. My computer graphic skills are limited, otherwise I would figure this out myself.
I am delighted to have helped Ron and Albert advertise their military tour. Last May, I went on a Battlefield Tour to commemorate the sixtieth anniversary of the Battle of the Bulge with my father's old army buddies from the 78th Infantry Division. Ron was our tour guide and he did a fabulous job. What would we have done without him? He brought us back to 1944 and 45 so that the nightmare of the forest was clear to all of us, no matter who we were or how old. Like so many WWII vets, my father never told me his war stories. Now I know why; he fought his way through a miserable hell and was lucky to walk out alive. That's what I learned from Ron; that's what I needed to understand, everything else was gravy ( but good gravy).
For the WWII infantrymen, whether American or German, the battle for the Huertgen Forest turned into numbing madness. From September of 1944 through February 1945, American and Germany forces fought each other on the most difficult terrain along the German frontier in the worst fighting in the European Theatre. In the end, Allied and German causalities numbered 68.000, and the forest was left to burn.
With fifteen years of military tour experience, Ron Van Rijt and Albert Trostorf are experts in the military history of the Huertgen Forest and the Stolberg Corridor. They will take you back to 1944 and 45 and guide you through the battles and their significance. Pillboxes, dragon’s teeth, foxholes, trenches, near forgotten graves, they are still there as reminders of what happened. Whether you are a returning WWII veteran, family member, or historian, a Van Rijt - Trostorf Huertgen Forest Tour will help you understand the battles and honor all those who survived and died on this tragic and bloody ground. Such a battlefield tour is not only about the details of battle history, but also about the importance of continued peace and friendship among nations.
Each Van Rijt-Trostorf WWII Battlefield Tour of the Huertgen Forst is customized for the visitor’s interests. Tours can be a half a day to visit a specific location or several days for an overview historical perspective. Visitors are welcomed to ask for suggestions regarding travel, rental car, and hotel accommodations.
As your guide, Ron or Albert will meet your tour party at a designated time and place, welcome you, and provide military maps and historical information, eventually including a slide show about the battle and video documentary films for greater understanding.
Find Out More
For the southern sector of Hürtgen Forest For northern sector of Hürtgen and Stolberg-Corridor contact: contact:
Ron at: Albert at:
Westwall@home.nl History1944@aol.com
US 1st ID German 3 PGD US 1st ID German 3 PGD
3rd AD 12 VGD 3rd AD 3 Fallschirm
4th ID 89 ID 8th ID 12 VGD
8th ID 116 Panzer 9th ID 47 VGD
9th ID XXIV LFB 83rd ID 275 ID
28th ID 272 VGD 104th ID 9 Panzer
78th ID 275 ID 745th Tk/Bn
82nd AB 353 ID 746th Tk/Bn
707th Tk/Bn 9 Panzer 87th Chem. Mort. Bn.
87th Chem. Mort. Bn. 366th Fighter Group
2nd Ranger Bn . 4th Cavalry Group
Ron Van Rijt Albert Trostorf
Genestetstr. 8 Schloss Str.12
6416 TT Heerlen (Holland) 52379 Langerwehe (Germany)
phone: 0031.45.5418171 phone: 0049.24.236369
Westwall@home.nl History1944@aol.com