Interested in walking the 28^th Infantry Division’s WW2 battlefields? Join Knee Deep Into History’s small-group WWII 28^th Infantry Division Battlefield Tour, 27 May – 4 June, 2026. In our first article we emphasized KDIH’s tour philosophy. In this second article, we’d like to talk to you about the daily tour structure. We also want you to have the opportunity to converse with Knee Deep Into History this Saturday, 20 September. Details at the end of the article.

The typical day on the 28th Infantry Division Tour starts with a plentiful hotel breakfast somewhere between 7:30 and 8:30am. Menus vary by hotel, but they usually include a tasty assortment of cereals and yogurts; fresh breads, croissants and pastries; eggs, sausage and bacon; and an assortment of cheese and cold-cuts. The photo below shows one of my favorite pastries: homemade madeleines, a wonderful, buttery cake that is synonymous with Lorraine (eastern) France.

 

 

We typically load up and hit the road at 9:00am. We generally use 9-person vans rather than a small bus for our battlefield tours, as these can go places where buses can’t always travel. They are also small enough to allow for good discussion with the drivers/guides.

Participants can expect to be underway from 9:00am until around 5:00pm. Lunch is typically eaten “in the field,” consisting of sandwiches made with fresh bread purchased from a local bakery. We keep the vans stocked with water, soda, fruit and snacks for those times when participants need a pick-me-up.

A KDIH tour visits museums sparingly, because we would rather explain the battle in the field using first-person accounts, then and now photos, maps, etc. We try to work in walks of moderate length and duration, as walking the battlefield helps one appreciate the terrain.

 

 

Commemorating the soldiers who fell is a key part of every tour! We will visit three American military cemeteries on this tour, and we will lay flowers on the graves of the fallen. In keeping with our philosophy of telling both sides of the story, we will also visit select German cemeteries.

 

 

We generally arrive at the hotel around 5:00pm, and this gives participants a chance for some personal time before dinner. On days when our hotel is situated in a town—Bastogne Belgium for example—participants can also do some shopping.

In Europe, dinner generally starts between 7:00 and 7:30pm. It lasts about two hours, with multiple courses and plenty of time to discuss the day’s activities.

We build a few cultural events into every tour. On this tour, we will organize a calvados tasting. Calvados is an apple brandy traditionally made in the Calvados region of Normandy. We will also visit the famous tidal island and abbey of Mont Saint-Michel, a UNESCO world heritage site.

One of the strengths of the small-group tour format is flexibility to design/modify the itinerary for participants. For example, our 80^th Anniversary Battle of the Bulge Tour in December 2024 had families representing four servicemen who fought in the offensive. We were able to visit key sites for each family during the tour.

Kevin and Alice Hinkle of Leesport, PA were two of the participants on that tour. I asked Kevin, who is considering joining this tour because of the Pennsylvania connection, to share a few words about that tour and Knee Deep Into History:

 

 

“As the 80th anniversary of the Ardennes offensive approached, I wanted to find a better understanding of what my father experienced in December 1944. Working with Markus and Randy gave me the opportunity to experience that journey in a highly professional but also intimate way that large tour groups could not provide. Traveling in small groups and making key stops reinforced with maps and photos greatly enhanced what we may have only read in books. The challenges and horrors of the Bulge were brought into sharply into focus by actually standing where my father and his battle buddies fought. Thanks to Markus and Randy for the tremendous amount of research and preparation prior to our trip to ensure that we had both a quality and educational experience. For me, it was my opportunity to understand what my father endured, since like most WWII veterans, never spoke of their experiences.”

 

Join us this Saturday for a Zoom Discussion

We want to give YOU the opportunity to learn more about the 28th Infantry Division Tour and our company. At 2:00pm EST this Saturday, 20 September, Randy Gaulke (in-person) and Markus Klauer (from Europe via Zoom) will be hosting a Q&A Session at the World War II American Experience Museum in Gettysburg, PA. If you can’t attend in person, email Randy Gaulke and we will send you a Zoom link. I will be attending all day with a table display.

 

We look forward to seeing you then!