MESA Ardennes March
The Marche Europèenne du Souvenir et de l'Amitié (French: "European March of Remembrance and Friendship, MESA for short ; also known as the" Ardennes March " in Germany ) is a march in the Ardennes .
In four days, the participants cover a distance of 130 kilometers (or alternatively as a "mini MESA" 4 × 15 km). Both civilians and soldiers from many countries take part. For soldiers of the Belgian army there is an obligation to take part in the MESA or the Ijzermarsch once a year. The organizer named the number of participants in 2007 at around 15,000.
History: The first march was actually a military exercise that was organized in 1967 on the occasion of the annual festivities by the 3rd Ardennes Jäger Regiment, barracked in Vielsalm . The goal of this march was to cover the defenses where the Ardennes hunters became famous in May 1940 and to pay their respects.
The participants (around 150) were conscripts doing their military service, professional soldiers and some reserve officers. The route comprised four stages of around 30 kilometers between Arlon , Martelange , Bastogne , Chabrehez and, as the end point, Rochelinval (between Trois-Ponts and Vielsalm ). The new regimental commander of the 3rd Ardennes Jägerregiment obtained from the military authorities the continuation of the March of Remembrance and the participation of other units of the army, the reservists and the civilian population (especially from the region of Vielsalm). The route has been changed slightly in order to be able to organize a stage through Houffalize and the end point in Vielsalm. In 1969 the March of Remembrance was organized at the end of June to give young people the opportunity to participate. Given the mood and friendship between the participants, the name of the 1971 march was "March of Remembrance and Friendship (MSA)". He kept this name until 1993. Since then it has been called the "European March of Remembrance and Friendship (MESA)".