Brussels, Belgium

September 4, 1949

It was a scene familiar to any BBC reporters as the American Airlines DC-4 touched down on runway 20 at Melsbroek Aerodrome, a civilian airport opened within the past year at a ceremony headlined by Prince Charles himself. The aircraft taxied to the modern terminal building, opened in late 1948 itself, where the Air Force pilots cut its engines and the grounds grew quiet. The stairs rolled up to the door, the press exited first and set up, the Air Force officers disembarked and took their positions.

The Belgians had assembled a military band holding Belgian and American flags alongside a red carpet that had been rolled to the foot of the stairway. A number of Belgian officials, headed by Foreign Minister Paul Van Zeeland and several members of his staff.

President Dewey and First Lady Frances Dewey emerged onto the stairway and the band struck up the American national anthem. The American President smiled and waved as he descended to the tarmac, stepping onto the red carpet and advancing to shake the Foreign Minister’s hand. He was followed in short order by Secretary of State John Foster Dulles and Deputy Secretary of Defense Robert A. Anderson and select members of their staffs. At the conclusion of the Star-Spangled Banner, the band played La Brabançonne and the leaders reviewed the band.

The President and his entourage rode in a motorcade to Vilvoorde Train Station, where a special train awaited that served as direct service to Midi Station in Brussels. As the President looked on and saw people standing along the tracks and waving American flags he was reminded of his train-borne campaign that had only concluded a year ago.

At Midi Station the black-and-white clad Belgian Royal Escort awaited, alongside another band and the Prime Minister, Gaston Eyskens. More fanfare played as the President, the Foreign Minister, and their respective entourages disembarked from the train and cameras flashed as the Prime Minister and the President shook hands and said their greetings, smiling all the while.

Here, before the Belgian and American press corps-- alongside the British reporters that had joined the press pool-- the President delivered short remarks:

I am awed by the generosity and the hospitality of the Belgian people today. They have lined the railway to welcome me to their lovely city, waving our flags and cheering. There can be no question of the brotherhood of the United States and Belgium, today, and I look forward very much to meeting Prince Charles and holding what I trust will be productive discussions with our Belgian friends. Thank you.

After posing with the Prime Minister for some more photographs, the leaders and their entourages boarded a larger motorcade, this one escorted by the mounted Royal Escort holding aloft spears and riding four-abreast before and after the train of cars. Slowly, the procession advanced down the Rue de la Régence and under the eaves of the Église Notre-Dame des Victoires au Sablon. From there they emerged into the Place Royale de Bruxelles, a plaza dominated by the massive equestrian statue of the French crusader Godefroy de Bouillon and teeming with onlookers waving flags and cheering.

The motorcade turned down the Place des Palais and came to a stop within the gates of the Palais de Bruxelles. There awaited Prince-Regent Charles while a third band played more fanfare and a company of Royal Escort stood on ceremony, holding aloft Belgian flags that fluttered idly in the breeze. The motorcade came to a stop and President Dewey emerged from the car, shaking hands with the Prince-Regent. The First Lady followed the two leaders as they reviewed select detachments representing the Belgian military and proceeded within the Palace.

The welcome ceremonies completed, the President, First Lady, and Prince-Regent traversed Brussels to the Colonne du Congrés and the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. There, in a quieter ceremony, the President laid a wreath upon the tomb out of respect for Belgian sacrifices in the recent wars that had brought so much ruin to Belgium and to Europe.

Collectively, the representatives of the United States and Belgium reconvened at the Royal Palace for a luncheon hosted by Prince Charles.

President Dewey was then conducted on foot through the Parc de Bruxelles, as he’d opted to see the park en route to the offices of the Federal Parliament. The train of American officials passed under the verdant canopy of the park and arrived at the building that housed the legislature of Belgium.

Dewey met with representatives of the major Belgian parties and held discussions with them, posing for publicity photographs with Christian Social Party officials and Liberal Party officials both. Their discussions were fruitful, as predicted, and all parties left satisfied by their content.

From there they embarked for a state dinner at the Palais de Laeken, dressed in their evening best once again, and dined with the Belgian royalty and government.

The following day, September 5, the President, Secretary of State, and Deputy Secretary of Defense woke early and rode out to Midi Station and embarked upon another special train with direct service to Liège, arriving some hours later at Liège-Carre Station and making brief remarks to the press on the train platform before boarding a motorcade that wove through the Belgian countryside to the American Military Cemetery at Henri-Chapelle.

There, standing before the chapel, the President laid another wreath decked in red, white, and blue ribbon and saluted the memorial to the missing American soldiers located there. He was joined by Prince Charles and Prime Minister Eyskens, who saluted respectfully. The President’s military advisors wore dress uniforms and saluted behind the leaders.

The Belgian and American representatives returned to Liège and had lunch at the Palace of the Prince-Bishops, then boarded the train back to Brussels after a brief tour of the city.

On the morning of September 6, the President and his entourage attended a farewell ceremony hosted by Prince Charles at the Palais de Bruxelles, and rode in a motorcade back to Midi Station. They reversed the journey of September 4, eventually arriving at Melsbroek Aerodrome, where the President spoke once more to the Belgian press and thanked the people and their government for their extraordinary hospitality the past two days.

Then, the President and his men boarded the DC-4 and it took off, banking to the south.