DAY    1            DEPARTURE FROM RALEIGH
Enjoy full meal service on your scheduled wide-bodied flight to Brussels.

DAY    2            ARRIVE BRUSSELS - THE SALIENT -
                           LUXEMBOURG AREA (3 NIGHTS)
We will be met at the airport in Brussels by our tour manager/guide and transfer into to southern Belgium and the area called the Salient.  It was here, in 1915, that Allied and Canadian forces fought one of the most gruesome battles in history, leaving over 230,000 men dead.  Our day of touring will include a visit to the In Flanders Field Museum; it is a modern interactive museum that shows the destruction of the old town and the distress suffered by soldiers and citizens at war.  

DAY    3            DAY TRIP TO THE SEIGFRIELD LINE &
                           ELSENBORN RIDGE
This morning we will stop in the twin villages of Krinkelt-Rocherath where one Wilsonian captain saw heavy fighting with the 2nd Division.  Here we will enjoy our first “Citizen Soldier Moment.”  Next we drive to Elsenborn Ridge a spot of high strategic importance that was held by the U.S. 99th and 2nd Infantry Divisions, although outgunned, they managed to stop the Germans in their main line of advance.  The Germans never did take the Ridge. We’ll see both the American side and the German side of this battlefield, stepping in actual foxholes and trenches on both sides. After visiting the Camp Museum, we will head to the infamous Seigfried Line, a massive defensive line of concrete forts along the border of France and Belgium.  We will stand next to actual “Dragon’s Teeth” used to impede the Allies advance and marvel at this perfect picture of German organization and engineering precision.  

DAY    4            DAY DEDICATED TO THE BATTLE OF THE BULGE
                           (NUTS: THE BREAKING POINT)
Our day begins in Bastogne, Belgium: the site of the division’s epic eight-day stand against the Germans in December 1944.  In Bastogne we will visit the American Memorial & Bastogne Historical Center, which will lay the groundwork for a better appreciation of the great battle fought here in December 1944.  General MacAuliffe, of the 101st Airborne Division, and his opponent, General Hasso von Manteuffel of the Fifth Panzer Army, both gave advice in putting together the film, dioramas, and commentary that tell the story of the siege of Bastogne.  We will also have the opportunity to climb up to the gigantic star-shaped memorial.  We will continue with a visit to the Bois Jacques, Halt Station and Easy Company’s Foxholes overlooking the village of Foy.  From Foy we will follow the company’s route through Recogne, stopping to visit the German Cemetery, Cobru, Noville and Luzory.  Our day will also include the George S. Patton Monument, and the Mardasson Monument, Belgium’s tribute to Bastogne’s defenders. 

DAY    5            LUXEMBOURG AREA - VERDUN - PARIS (2 NIGHTS)
Today we will make an early morning start and focus on The Battle of Verdun, one of the fiercest battles of World War I.  Our morning will begin in the city of Verdun with a visit to the Musee de la Citadelle Militaire, which recreates through an audio-visual display Verdun’s role in World War I.  The citadel casements come to life as grim trenches, and the presentation ends by showing how the “Unknown Soldier” was chosen for the symbolic tomb under the Arc de Triomphe in Paris.  We will then have a specialist-guided tour of the battlefield.  Our tour will include a visit to Fort Douaumont, the largest and most important strategic fort in the battle, The Bayonet Trench, where much of the fighting occurred, The Verdun Memorial, featuring an informative museum and movie, and the Douaumont Ossuary, where French and German bones representing 130,000 men were discovered but never identified.  From the Ossuary, we will also view the Verdun Cemetery, a huge field of crosses honoring the fallen soldiers.  We continue to Paris late this afternoon.  This evening we will ascend to and dine in Montmartre, an area of Paris made famous in the late 19th century as an artists’ haunt.

DAY    6            PARIS
Our morning commences with an ascent of the Arc de Triomphe, a massive triumphal arch commissioned by Napoleon, which today is a symbol of Paris and home to the tomb of the Unknown Soldier.  We continue with a stroll along the Champs Elysees, Paris’ most spectacular thoroughfare, which offers a beautiful look at Parisian life and architecture.  We return to the Place de la Concorde, before strolling through the Jardin des Tuileries, the beautiful Neo-Classical gardens, which lead to the entrance of the Louvre.  We will enjoy a specialist-guided tour through the museum, which will include: Leonardo da Vinci’s Mona Lisa, and many of the finest paintings and sculpture from Western Civilization.  This afternoon we visit the Hotel des Invalides, an imposing building from which the surrounding area gets its name.  In 1671, Louis XIV commissioned the building for his wounded and homeless veterans, many of whom had become beggars. The building now houses several museums, chapels and a magnificent church.  We will have the opportunity to explore the Musee de l’ Armee, one of the most comprehensive museums depicting military history in the world, including spectacular and beautifully displayed World War I and World War II exhibits.  We can also visit the Musee de l’ Ordre de la Liberation, set up to honor feats of heroism during World War II.  Our final visit will be the Dome Church, highlighted by the Tomb of Napoleon.

DAY    7           PARIS - BAYEUX (2 NIGHTS)
This morning we begin with a visit to the ethereal and magical Sainte Chapelle, one of the masterpieces of Western architecture, commissioned by Louis IX.  The tiny Gothic marvel features 15 of the most spectacular stained glass windows in Europe, which depict over 1,000 religious scenes.  Our morning concludes with a visit to the cathedral of Notre Dame, begun in 1163 on a spot that had already been a religious shrine since Roman times.  Over the centuries, the cathedral has been the scene of some of France's most momentous occasions, including the coronation of Napoleon.  We continue to the Latin Quarter, a section of the city that dates back to the Roman times; it is generally associated with artists, intellectuals and political unrest.  We will have lunch here before continuing to Bayeux late this afternoon.

DAY    8            THE D-DAY INVASION BEACHES
Our day commences at the seaside resort of Arromanches-les-Bains, which in June 1944 was a fishing port until the 50th British Division took it.  A mammoth prefabricated port known as Winston was towed across the Channel and installed to supply the Allied forces.  We will begin with a visit to the wreckage of that artificial harbor, known as Mulberry Harbor, just off the beach in la Plage du Débarquement.  We will also visit the Musée du Débarquement, which features maps, models, a cinema, photographs, and a diorama of the landing, with English commentary.  We continue moving along the coast to Omaha Beach, where you can still see war wreckage.  The men of the 1st and 29th American Divisions occupied the beach, and a Monument commemorates the heroism of the invaders.   We will also visit the Normandy American Cemetery, which is filled with crosses and Stars of David in Lasa marble.  Here we will have our second “Citizen Soldier Moment.”   The remains of 9,386 American military dead were buried here on territory now owned by the United States, a gift from the French nation.  Our day continues to the jagged lime cliffs of the Pointe du Hoc, where a cross honors a group of American Rangers, led by Lt.-Col. James Rudder, who scaled the cliffs using hooks to get at the pillboxes. The scars of war are more visible here than at any other point along the beach.  

DAY    9            BAYEUX - EASY COMPANY ON D-DAY -
                           OVERNIGHT FERRY TO POURTSMOUTH  (1 NIGHT)
We begin this morning by retracing the D-Day invasion experience for Easy Company.  At the start of the invasion several members of Easy Company landed in, and around, St. Mere Eglise, including Richard Winters, Carwood Lipton and Bill Guarnere.  Our day begins in St. Mere Eglise, including a visit to the US Airborne Museum.  From St. Mere Eglise we follow the route Lieutenant Winters and a handful of men took on the first night of the invasion to Brecourt Manor, which in 1944, the manor was the site of a German battery that threatened the invasion beaches at Utah.  We continue to Utah Beach to visit the Utah Beach Museum, followed by a stop in Culoville, the farm where the company spent its first evening after the invasion. We will conclude the afternoon retracing the company’s route through Vierville, St. Come du Mont and into Carentan, one of the Allies earliest objectives.  We will see the site of Easy’s battle as they entered the town on June 12, and the square from which General Maxwell Taylor presented awards to his men for their performance during the invasion. This evening, we board our overnight ferry from Normandy to Portsmouth.

DAY    10            PORTSMOUTH - ALDBOURNE - LONDON (3 NIGHTS)
Today we will retrace the steps of “Easy Company” of the 101st Airborne.  Upon arrival in Portsmouth this morning, our first visit will be to Southwick House, headquarters for Supreme Commander Dwight D. Eisenhower during the D-day invasion.  The highlight of the house is the intact wall-sized map of the invasion plans.  We conclude our morning with a visit to the D-Day Museum; devoted to the Normandy landings, it displays the Overlord Embroidery, which tells the complete story of Operation Overlord. The appliquéd embroidery, believed to be the largest of its kind, was designed by Sandra Lawrence and took 20 women of the Royal School of Needlework 5 years to complete.  Our visit will conclude with a special audiovisual program with reconstructions of various stages of the mission.  Our journey continues with a drive to Aldbourne, the tiny Wiltshire village that was home to Easy Company in the months prior to the invasion.  Upon our arrival in Aldbourne, we will have an opportunity to enjoy a traditional pub lunch at either the Blue Boar or the Crown, both pubs frequented by the men of the company.  After lunch, we will take a Specialist Guided Tour that will include many of the buildings used by the men of Easy as they prepared for the greatest invasion in history.  We continue to London late this afternoon.

DAY    11            LONDON
We begin our day at the Royal Air Force Museum, Britain's only national museum dedicated wholly to aviation.  The Museum is situated on the site of the original London Aerodrome, used for the great Hendon Air shows between the two World Wars. Three mammoth buildings contain over 70 aircraft, artifacts, aviation memorabilia, fine art and photographs covering the history of aviation from early balloon flights to the latest jet fighters.  We can enjoy a thrilling ride with the Red Arrows in the flight simulator or experience the sound and light show 'Our Finest Hour' bringing to life the reality of the Battle of Britain.  There is even a chance to sit in a real cockpit, the Jet Provost or walk through the mighty Sunderland Flying Boat. Our afternoon continues with a visit to the Imperial War Museum, which is dedicated to exploring the effects of war in the 20th century on the lives of military personnel and civilians alike.  This is achieved through a comprehensive collection of artifacts, documents, photographs, works of art, and sound and archive film footage.  Our visit will include the Blitz Experience and the award winning Holocaust Exhibition, the first of its kind in Europe. Our day concludes with a walk across Tower Bridge to view the Tower of London.

DAY    12            LONDON
Our afternoon includes a visit to St. Paul’s Cathedral, Sir Christopher Wren's Renaissance-style masterpiece, which was spared during the Battle of Britain bombings of 1940.  Our visit will include an ascent to the Whispering Gallery, an acoustic marvel in which the faintest whisper can be heard clearly on the opposite side, as well as the American Memorial Chapel, honoring the 28,000 U.S. service personnel who lost their lives while stationed in Britain during World War II.  We continue with a Walk along Whitehall, commencing in Trafalgar Square, and continuing past Horse Guards and the Monument to Field Marshal Lord Montgomery outside the Ministry of Defense.  A portion of the group will visit the Cabinet War Rooms, the nerve and protective center for Sir Winston Churchill and his Military Leaders between 1939 and 1945.  We will view the Cabinet Room, the Transatlantic Telephone Room, the Map Room, and the Prime Minister’s Room.  The other part of the group will visit Westminster Abbey, where English kings and queens have been crowned since 1066.  We will take a Blue-Badge guided tour, which will include the Royal Chapels, holding the tombs of monarchs from past centuries, as well as Poets' Corner, where we will view the memorials to famous literary figures.  Our day concludes with a walk to Trafalgar Square and Piccadilly Circus for our final “Citizen Soldier Moment.”

DAY    13            DEPARTURE FROM LONDON
Our rewarding and enjoyable experience will come to an end as our guide accompanies us to the airport for our flight home.