Belgium lays to rest heroine who saved countless GI lives

BASTOGNE, Belgium (AP) — Belgium has laid to rest its “forgotten angel” near the scene of one of the most ferocious battles of World War II where at extraordinary personal risk she helped save countless American lives.

The burial Saturday came as Europe celebrates the selfless act of civilians who thwarted an attack on a high-speed train a week ago.

But Augusta Chiwy, who died on Aug. 23 aged 94, was a unique kind of hero. Defying challenges of gender and race, she displayed a bravery that has won her the gratitude of one of the U.S. military’s most respected fighting outfits.

U.S. Ambassador Denise Campbell Bauer, who attended the burial, said “her heroism was just incredible.”

She said Chiwy shows that people who appear to be just ordinary can do “truly extraordinary things.”