December 19, 2004

Old soldiers return to remember Bulge

Amid snow flurries and a chilling wind,
[How appropriate! The winter of 1944 was one of the coldest on record in Europe.--Jen]
Belgium's King Albert II yesterday honored U.S. soldiers who died fighting Nazi Germany 60 years ago in the Battle of the Bulge, the largest land battle for American forces in World War II.
[...]
The king, joined by Speaker of the House J. Dennis Hastert, Illinois Republican, led a commemoration and laid wreaths at the vast Mardasson memorial on the edge of town. The ceremony paid homage to the 19,000 American soldiers killed and about 61,000 wounded in the largest land battle for U.S. forces in World War II. The fighting also claimed 120,000 German lives.
[Thus carrying out Gen. George Patton's admonition to kill a lot more of the enemy than allowing the enemy to kill more of our guys.
Odds of 6:1 works for me!--J.T.]
[...]
The day began with a parade of veterans, marching bands, World War II-era jeeps, trucks and ambulances through Bastogne. The vehicles rumbled past the town's central square, named for Gen. Anthony McAuliffe, acting commander of the 101st Airborne, whose paratroopers repulsed repeated attacks.
   
 On Dec. 22, 1944, Gen. McAuliffe was given two hours to surrender by the Germans or face "total annihilation." His now-famous reply: "Nuts."
[Love it, love it, love it!]
    
A commemorative throwing of nuts was also to take place at the square.
[...]
Organizers also offered guided walks along the defensive perimeter south of Bastogne that was relieved by Gen. George S. Patton's 3rd Army, which rushed north from France to help defeat the Germans.
[My dad and my boyfriend's dad were a part of this--Hooah for them and all the other thousands of American GIs who fought so bravely to defeat the evil Reich!]
The battle raged for six weeks across the Ardennes hills of southern Belgium and Luxembourg, but Bastogne, a town of 14,000, bore the brunt of the fighting.

The battle drew in more than a million troops — 600,000 Germans, 500,000 Americans and 55,000 Britons — who fought in bitter cold from Dec. 16, 1944, to Jan. 25, 1945.
    
"The American veterans who have returned 60 years later to the battle site represent those who gave their lives on our soil so that today we can live free," Bastogne Mayor Philippe Collard said in French at a memorial honoring Gen. Patton.

The mayor added in English:"We will never forget. You are home here."

Well, we worry that some of the Belgians have forgotten about what they owe to the USA and the importance of liberation to bring democracy, given that they joined the Axis of Weasels 2 years ago and opposed OIF!
As President Bush told Jacques ChIRAQ on D-Day, we'd come to Europe's aid again to defend their freedom, but let's pray to God we don't have to!

May the Lord continue to rest the souls of the fallen in the Battle of the Bulge (and the other battles of WWII) and to all those fine men who fought, and especially those who were injured, Job Well Done!
And even though our men in this battle didn't have warm-enough uniforms or ones designed in white for camouflage in winter, or enough ammo, or warm boots and socks or hot food, they didn't whine or complain about it to the press or to Rummy's counterpart in 1994 via the Media--except to each other--and for that, I think the Lord should doubly bless the fighting men of the Greatest Generation and may they be an example to our troops today!