"Beneath me flows the Rhine, and, like the stream of Time, it flows amid the ruins of the past."

-Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

I had high exceptions for my trip up the Rhine River, not only to enjoy the river and the cites on which it lies, but also for a promise I had made to a student before I left for the semester.

Earlier this year the freshmen had written poems of tribute to a person they knew. When I was reviewing my upcoming travels with them, Jack called out, "Mrs. Hartline! The Rhine River! That's a part of my grandfather's poem."

And so the quest began.

When I got on the river boat, I spoke with the cruise director to ask when we would pass the remains of the Ludendorff Bridge. Why? I'll let Jack explain:

"His name was Vincent John Burke; he was born in 1922. He served in the 78th Lightning Division in the European Theatre as a medic. He fought on the Bridge over Remagen (a bridge over the River Rhine) which there are some old movies about I discovered. His captain (not sure his name) told him and some other medics not go out on the bridge no matter what. When the captain got shot, they ventured out and took him back regardless of his order. My grandpa and other medics ended up saving the captain's life but since they disobeyed him, they were given "animal duty" which is to clean up all of the dead animals around the battlefield (horses and cows).

 Also, when he was traveling through farms and countryside, a French farmer narrowly missed him with a bullet when he thought he was a German soldier. The bullet hit the barn behind him and fired a piece of wooden shrapnel into his upper back. He was offered the Purple Heart for his injuries but since the telegraph sent to his family wouldn't have described whether he got minor shrapnel in his back or if he got his legs blown off, he denied the award."

After some research, I found that this was the last bridge intact over the Rhine River before the end of World War II. Allied forces captured the bridge, possibly shortening the end of the war.

The bridge after its capture

With a story like that, I was determined to find this bridge...and it became a mission for the captain as well. The day and time when we would pass were determined. Just after dinner, encouraged by my dinner companions, I climbed up to the deck at sunset. With the help of the cruise director and the captain (with my husband camera-ready) the ruin of the bridge came into view...and I read Jack's poem to his grandfather, Vincent John Burke. I'm not embarrassed to say that I cried as I read it, not only for the tribute, but for the emotion of finding this treasure for my student.

Here's a visual account of a few emotional minutes on the Rhine River:

That's the bridge in the background!

And now for the poem:

Tribute Poem 78th Infantry Division "Lightning" it was known Came before harnessed fission And way before the drone He served as a medic In the European Theatre Earned a Purple Heart Didn't even need her Traveled the countries With memories of her In search of this toughy By the name of Hitler Stuck with shrapnel From a French farm Was not a simple shell But the barn that did him harm Bronze star over Remagen Lived to come home again He raised a family And did it too well His heart had to swell 'Twas a hero who fell John Burke Thank you, Jack.  Thank you for your tribute to your grandfather. Through this you have made him and your family so proud. Thank you for giving me the pleasure and honor to make a connection to the power of words and how they affect a wealth of people. "The Rhine! the Rhine! a blessing on the Rhine" -Henry Wadsworth Longfellow