Photo By Kristin Savage | Eighty years later, survivors of the Battle of the Bulge returned to Bastogne, Belgium...... read more read more
Bastogne, Belgium - Dec. 16, 1944, as the snow fell mercilessly and the temperatures dropped below freezing, Germany launched their last major counteroffensive of World War II, The Battle of the Bulge. For the next forty-one days, the U.S. suffered over 80,000 casualties but still managed to push the Germans back to their homeland.
Eighty years later, survivors of the Battle of the Bulge returned to Bastogne, Belgium but this time they were greeted by a roar of applause and cheers as they walked through the town again.
Many dignitaries and visitors traveled to Bastogne to mark the 80th anniversary of the battle. Soldiers from U.S. Army Garrison Benelux and 101st Airborne Division joined Belgian Soldiers in a perimeter walk, a patriotic parade with a pass and review by King Philippe of the Belgians and wreath laying ceremonies.
After the parade, surviving Soldiers from the Battle of the Bulge, U.S. and Belgian dignitaries threw nuts from the balcony of the town hall, reminding the crowd of Brig. Gen. Anthony McAuliffe’s famous statement in 1944.
After encircling the town, the Germans demanded the surrender of the U.S. troops. McAuliffe’s clear answer “Nuts!” made it into history. They stood their ground and pushed the Germans back to their homeland during the final stages of the war.
One spectator said watching the veterans throw nuts was the highlight of the weekend’s events. Dave Bartley travelled all the way from the U.S. to attend the commemoration and retrace his late father’s footsteps during the war.
“I came here to honor my father, he was in the 35th infantry division with Patton’s Army,” said Dave Bartley. “It’s almost surreal, we went to the small town where he fought and just standing there, knowing he was out in the elements for thirteen days, in the freezing temperatures at nineteen years old.”
Bartley’s father passed away at the age of eighty-eight and didn’t speak much about the war. His son learned more about his service when he received his war records.
Re-enactors also came from the U.S., Luxembourg, France and around Belgium to join in the commemoration. One group travelled in their World War II vehicles, donning uniforms, displaying their vehicles and making history alive for visitors throughout the events.
Bastogne and other cities in the Belgian Ardennes reminded U.S. and Belgian dignitaries and many participants alike that Honoring our Legacy is a part of the Duty of Memory we share so the next generations learn from the lessons of the past.
| Date Taken: | 12.16.2024 |
| Date Posted: | 12.16.2024 12:28 |
| Story ID: | 487578 |
| Location: | BE |
| Web Views: | 87 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, The Battle of the Bulge - 80th commemoration, by Kristin Savage, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
No keywords found.
