Photo By Wayne Hall | FORT INDIANTOWN GAP, Pa. – On the 80th anniversary of the Battle of the Bulge, the...... read more read more
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FORT INDIANTOWN GAP, Pa. – With allied forces closing in on Germany’s western front in December 1944, the German Army launched what would become its last major offensive of World War II in the Ardennes Forest along eastern Belgium and northern Luxembourg.
One of the bloodiest battles in World War II, the German offensive would become known as the Battle of the Bulge. The German high command chose the location well, believing it to be a soft spot in the allied lines.
However, as it had many times previously throughout the conflict, the German’s underestimate the enduring spirit of the American Soldier!
The 28th Infantry Division, made up mostly of Pennsylvania National Guard Soldiers, was in the Ardennes Forest along 25 miles of the allied front lines recovering and reconstituting from heavy losses sustained during the Battle of the Hurtgen Forest, when this new German offensive began.
“The enemy offensive in the Ardennes known today as the Battle of the Bulge was a month-long vortex of war whose horror and glory are studied and remembered today,” 28th Infantry Division Commanding General Maj. Gen. Micheal E. Wegscheider, said during a wreath-laying ceremony at a memorial stone here memorializing the division’s participation in the battle.
“The division’s unexpected and epic role in that battle was forged when the commanding general of the division, Maj. Gen. Norman Cota, gave the orders that the division would stand, fight, and most importantly ‘hold at all costs,’” Wegscheider continued.
Against impossible odds, the 28th Infantry Division successfully delayed the advance of an overwhelming German force for two days. This allowed time for allied forces to reinforce Bastogne and stop the enemy offensive. Thus, the division played a critical role in setting conditions for success.
The allied victory at Bastogne and the Ardennes was a major turning point in World War II and accelerated the end of the war.
On the 80th anniversary of the battle’s start, the Pennsylvania Department of Military and Veterans Affairs, senior leaders with the Pennsylvania National Guard, Pennsylvania state representative Chris Pielli, and leaders of state and national veterans’ associations participated in a ceremony here to honor and remember the role these brave Soldiers played in preserving freedom and the way of life we continue to enjoy today.
“The Battle of the Bulge is such an iconic part of American war history that we could not let this anniversary pass without a commemoration to honor all those who participated in the battle that changed the course of the war,” said Brig. Gen. John Pippy, Pennsylvania’s acting adjutant general. “This was a particularly special event because we also recognized the valiant effort the 28th Infantry Division demonstrated in this battle defending against the Germans and setting up the allied forces for victory.”
The Battle of the Bulge was the largest and bloodiest single battle fought by the United States during World War II. The U.S. military suffered an estimated 81,000 casualties, including an official U.S. Army count of 19,246 dead and more than 23,000 captured.
While the Battle of the Bulge’s outcome was a historic triumph for allied forces, the victory came at a tremendous cost for Pennsylvania’s 28th Infantry Division.
| Date Taken: | 12.16.2024 |
| Date Posted: | 12.17.2024 15:07 |
| Story ID: | 487726 |
| Location: | FORT INDIANTOWN GAP, PENNSYLVANIA, US |
| Web Views: | 84 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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