War Commemoration

Re “War and Remembrance,” World Report, Dec. 20: How moving to read that the citizens of Bastogne turned out in great numbers to relive the Battle of the Bulge and to thank the survivors and the dead for their sacrifices.

This is in sharp contrast to the behavior of the citizens my wife and I observed this October. Teachers and students of Bastogne routinely desecrate the monument. The stairs to the top of the monument are used for wind sprints, blocking access to others. There is much screaming, even by teacher-led groups not involved in exercises. Their teachers stalwartly defended their students’ behavior as appropriate.

Further, the town is a complex of “museums,” a tribute to the enterprising Belgians’ conversion of the area to a profit center.

My wife and I protested the behavior to the mayor of Bastogne and to the Belgian ambassador to the United States; both ignored us. Rep. Anthony Beilenson’s (D-Woodland Hills) attempt to get a response on the issue has also been rebuffed.

DAVID W. HARLOWE

Tarzana