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| Christmas Eve '44 in Rosport |
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| It was a cold and foggy night in Rosport for PFC Tony Vaccaro and his comrades from the 331st Reg, 83rd Inf "Thunderbolt" Div. Their command post in a farm a few hundred meters below the church overlooked the main highway, and the appearance of a lone German on the steps of the church was an unwanted surprise. The intensity of that night was audible in Tony's voice the many times I heard him tell the story. The GIs raised their rifles as the lone German removed his helmet and approached the church steps, falling to his knees and weeping "My God, I am so tired of this war." The rifles lowered and the German was led away. Tony didn't know where he came from, nor where he was taken after his surrender. |
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| The church and the steps where the German knelt |
| Tony then and now |
| As you descend through town, look for the scrapes on the buildings from the tanks that passed through this street. The CP for Rosport was on the left side of the street in a barn attached to the farm, located at the 90 degree corner with the church wall on the right. You may want to get out and see the field of view. |
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| (Above) Gouges from the tanks. (Right) The CP, barn on right |
| (Above) back side of the CP (Right) View from the obs point, looking southeast to Wasserbillig. The Sauer River and German border are barely visible on the left. |
| The initial German attack came across the broad valley in the distance, up and over the ridge. The Germans circled around behind the hill above Rosport and attacked the Americans from the rear. The German vehicles came across the bridge in Rosport and up the road you are descending. |
| More on Tony Vaccaro and his wartime photography books |
| More on the German advance across the Sauer river |
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