Memorial 30th Division Old Hickory

Here in Mesch D-day began for Southern Limburg.

Troops of A company under command of captain Kent of the 117th regiment of the 30th American Division (Old Hickory) crossed the Dutch - Belgian border at this memorial stone on the 12th of September 1944 around 10:00 AM.

In the early morning the 117th regiment came to the Dutch border from Berneau. The objective was to capture a beneficial operating position which could help them close the rijksweg Maastricht - Aken the following day.

The inscription on the stone is as following:
Here in Mesch, community of Eijsden, the liberation of Holland by the allies began.
Troops of the 30th Division (Old Hickory) crossed the Dutch - Belgian border near this memorial stone on the 12th of September 1944 around 10:00 AM.

This made them the first allies who set foot on Dutch soil.

This last line isn't exactly true. Because the patroles of the 125th squadron of the 113th cavalary group "Red Horse" crossed the Albert canal North West of Veldwezelt (Belgium) on the 9th of September to explore the situation around Maastricht from the strategic heights o the neighborhoodsf of Caberg and Dousberg.

On the occasion of the 75th celebration of the liberation of Mesch in 2019, the monument was refurbished and a memorial stone and information about PFC Leonard Hoffman was placed. Hoffman is said to be the first American soldier to be killed in the border area between Belgium and Mesch. On both sides of the border, Hoffman is being honored with a monument. The Belgian monument to PFC Hoffman.

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Source

• Text: Ronald Stassen en Ed Lewandowski
• Photos: Liesbeth van Diggele (1), Ed Lewandowski (2, 3, 4, 5)