Nijmegen To Dedicate New Bridge To Airborne Soldiers

Nijmegen, a Dutch city near the German border, will dedicate a bridge to the United States Army’s 82nd Airborne Division, which liberated the city during World War II, The Fayetteville Observer reports. 82nd Airborne Division / Wikipedia The city was freed from Nazi control during Operation Market Garden after soldiers with the 504th Parachute Infantry Regiment and the 307th Engineer Battalion crossed the Waal River in canvas boats on Sept. 20, 1944, the newspaper said. The bridge is named De Oversteek or The Crossing as a tribute to the 48 paratroopers who died during the dangerous water trek, which occurred as German artillery and bullets rained down on the boats, the paper said. The bridge features 48 pairs of lampposts, according to officials. It is the largest single-arch bridge in Europe.