Luxemburg monument to be dedicated

Reprinted from the Sept. 15, 1994, Tri-County News. 

On Sept. 10, 1944, Allied tanks rolled through the countyside of the small European country of Luxembourg, freeing the country from Nazi occupation.

To commemorate the 50th anniversary of this event, and express gratitude to the U.S. -soldiers involved in the liberation, Luxembourg has created three “Liberty Route” markers and sent them to U.S. cities bearing the name “Luxemburg.” The cities are in Minnesota, Iowa, and Wisconsin.

The Luxemburg, Minn., monument will be formally dedicated during a ceremony at 11 a.m. on Saturday, Sept. 17. The 4-foot-high monument is similar to those erected in Luxembourg in 1984, marking the 40th anniversary of the liberation.

The presentation will feature speeches and reminiscences from the ambassadors, a member of the Luxembourg group that sponsored the markers, and a representative of American veterans involved in the liberation. The speakers include: 

• John E. Dolibois, who served as U.S. ambassador to Luxembourg from 1981 to 1985. A native of Luxembourg, he moved to the United States at age 12. He was a captain in the U.S. Army intelligence during World War II, and was one of five officers appointed to interrogate Nazi officials during the Nuremberg War Crimes trial. His autobiography, “Pattern of Circles,” recounting those experiences, was a bestseller in Luxembourg.

• Paul R. Heinerscheid, honorary counsel of Luxembourg to the State of Minnesota.

• George Arendt, representing the Luxembourg committee responsible for donating the monuments to the American cities.

The marker will be erected near the center of the small -central Minnesota town, adjacent to St. Wendelin Catholic Church. Minnesotans of Luxembourg origin are encouraged to attend, or send information to be included in a national register of Americans of Luxembourg origin.

The dedication ceremony is being sponsored by the St. Wendelin Catholic Church and the St. Augusta American Legion Club.