WWII armored Soldiers killed in action honored with a monument in Ley, France
Ley, FRANCE — In June 1944, after France had been occupied by Nazi Germany for four years, Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower ordered U.S. and Allied troops to help liberate France.
In September, near the small town of Ley in France’s Lorraine region, Soldiers from the 37th Armored Tank Battalion, 4th Armored Regiment, found themselves in a large battle against German forces. The engagement later became known as the Battle of Arracourt.
During the battle, on Sept. 20, 1944, a tank named “Blockbuster” was struck by German artillery and caught fire, killing two of its five crew members.
Lt. Col. Steven Saxion, battalion commander of the 2nd Battalion, 37th Armored Regiment, said during his speech, “And among those who gave their last full measure of devotion on this very ground were two brave sons of America: Technician 4th Grade Erwin Boggs and Private First Class George Popovitch, the driver and assistant driver of Blockbuster.”
Eighty-two years later, on Sept. 20, 2026, people gathered in Ley, France, near the site where the tank was destroyed to honor the two soldiers.
To honor their legacy, current and former Soldiers from the 37th Armored Regiment joined French soldiers and Ley residents to unveil a monument bearing two inscriptions above the Soldiers’ names. The French inscription reads, “La liberté n’a pas de prix, mais elle a un coût,” followed by the English translation: “Freedom has no price, but it has a cost.”
“The citizens of Ley and this Lorraine Region, they respect and are enormously grateful to the sacrifices that the Americans made to come and help them liberate their country, liberate their homes, and save their families from oppression and tyranny,” Saxion said. “I think that still rests very strongly inside of them, and so how they've received us, I think, shows just how much they still care.”
The niece of Technician 4th Grade Erwin Boggs helped unveil the monument alongside Jamie Leach, the son of Capt. James Leach, the commander of the “Blockbuster” tank.
In honor of the occasion, Leach wore a World War II-era uniform alongside volunteers from the 4th Armored Honor Guards Lorraine Association. They traveled from a memorial mass to the monument in military vehicles and maneuvered an M4 Sherman tank.
Speaking about the descendants and soldiers of the armored regiment, Ley Mayor Marie-Christine Fouquet said, “Your presence reminds us that behind the dates, the maps, and the names of battles, there were, above all, men—men with families, lives, and dreams—who gave their lives so that others might reclaim their own.”
Speaking about the local French community, Saxion said, “It's very heartwarming to know that they want to share these memories with us and make sure that none of this is forgotten.”
Out of respect for their legacy, we will not forget the sacrifices of the Soldiers who lost their lives in the fight for the freedom of others.
Fouquet said, “Ultimately, this is not merely about the past; it is a compass pointing toward the future. To everyone who stops here, this place will serve as a reminder of the price of our freedom and our duty to be architects of peace and brotherhood—in honor of the Soldiers who fell here on Sept. 20, 1944.”
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