The highlight of every World War II weekend is our roster of Special Guest WWII Veterans. As they do each year, many of these veterans will speak at our various show speaker venues, relating their first hand experiences during the war. This is real “living history”, told by the men and women who lived it. We have thirty-one guests, including several who fought in the Battle of the Bulge, currently scheduled to attend.
A few days after the liberation of Belgium in the Tresignies Barracks of Charleroi on 7 October 1944, it was learned that all the men in the barracks were war volunteers. The enlistment had taken place in Mons on 23 September 1944 after the call of the Belgian government arrived from London. The 5th Belgian Fusiliers Battalion was the first unit of the Belgian Army formed on the national territory since 1940. The Tresignies Barracks had been occupied by the German Army from May 1940 until the liberation in the earliest days of September 1944. Most of the officers, NCOs and men were ex-Resistance fighters originating from the province of Hainaut. Some Belgian instructors landing in Normandy with the Allies completed the number of officers.
Rapid but intensive training was conducted in the Tresignies Barracks and on the fields around the coal mines around the town of Charleroi until 13 December 1944, date of the transfer of the battalion to the 1st US Army. On same day the battalion was sent to the Ardennes in Spa, Verviers, Malmédy, areas, which became the theatre of the Battle of the Bulge (North sector) three days later. From the 16 December 1944 the 5th Belgian Battalion of Fusiliers became mixed in the Allied operations against the Germans in the Battle of the Bulge.
The unit operated in the areas of Verviers, Remouchamps, Stavelot and Malmédy and was included in the patrols along the front line, protecting the American anti-tank posts rapidly deployed. While passing Malmédy (Baugnez) on 17 December, a few minutes before the 285th Field Artillery Observation Battalion convoy, a platoon of the 5th Belgian Fusiliers escaped the massacre of the American convoy by Kampfgruppe Peiper. The Belgian platoon was in charge of the protection of the installation and convoys of the 200th US Quartermaster Company supplying gas for the tanks on the front line. The same platoon escaped again from the Germans around 0300 hours on 22 December in the forest east of Saint-Hubert, and a section of this platoon reached Bastogne with a small gasoline convoy for the 101st Airborne Division.
This section then succeeded in avoiding the German encircling through the road to Neufchâteau in the dark of the night. A Company of the 5th Belgian Fusiliers patrolling along the Vesdre railway captured German paratroops. Germans wearing American uniforms are also captured by the 5th Belgian Fusiliers between Remouchamps and Stoumont when the Kampfgruppe Peiper arrived in this area. On several occasions during the first days of the Battle of the Bulge the 5th Belgian Fusiliers operated on the first line before being relieved by American units. This happened namely between Stavelot and Malmédy during the evacuation of the gasoline dumps under enemy fire, also between Remouchamps and Stoumont when Peiper broke through, and in Cour and Andrimont where two sections of Fusiliers set up a defensive post when the enemy entered La Gleize. In Stavelot late in the morning of 18 December a platoon of 5th Fusiliers set fire to the first gasoline dumps along with soldiers of the 526th Armored Infantry Battalion and 825th Tank Destroyer Battalion on the old road to Francorchamps when Kampfgruppe Peiper penetrated Stavelot.
There are then lengthy periods of guard duty and patrols in the cold and snow; these are hard times for the unit unti1 25 January 1945. There will be dead, wounded and sick. After a short rest period and reorganization in the Verviers, Pepinste and Aubel areas, the 5th Belgian Battalion of Fusiliers penetrate into Germany in the first days of March 1945, cross the Rhine on a pontoon bridge at Königswinter between Bonn and Remagen at the end of March. The unit was in charge of protecting the communications lines of the 1st US Army in its rush to the East.
The Belgian Fusiliers are primarily used for security along a portion of the south flank of the Ruhr pocket where a German army is trapped. The 5th Fusiliers maintain their progression with the 1st US Army taking many German prisoners. When the war in Europe ended 8 May 1945, the Belgians were spread along the Fulda and Werra rivers southeast of Kassel where the Russians have arrived on the east bank of the Werra river. The 5th Belgian Battalion of Fusiliers returned to Belgium at the end of June 1945, and the unit demobilized on 30 November 1945. Most of the members return to civilian life.
World premiere of Elton John & Bernie Taupin’s ode to the Greatest Generation
https://www.dropbox.com/s/3hmvtxslgnigl5s/OceansAwayWWII_v14-0215.mp4
Kate Nolan, 53rd Field Hospital and Alfred Shehab, 38th Cavalry Recon Squadron, members of VBOB are in this tribute.
Title: From Generation to Generation, the Legacy Continues…an Event Honoring Holocaust Survivors, Rescuers, Liberators, and their Descendants
Date: Sunday, June 8, 2014 Time 10:00am – 4:00pm
Location: Hofstra University, Hempstead, NY
This event will celebrate the legacies of Holocaust Survivors, Holocaust Rescuers, and WWII Liberators. Participants will include members of these three groups, their children and grandchildren as well as the general public. The program will provide networking and assistance opportunities for Holocaust Survivors from agencies such as SelfHelp and Blue Card.
This event will celebrate living witnesses to the Holocaust and, according to Generations of the Shoah International (GSI, the world’s largest Survivor association), is unprecedented for the east coast. Numerous organizations are helping to promote this program, including United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, Association of Holocaust Organizations, Claims Conference, GSI, American Jewish Committee, Hadassah, Museum of Jewish Heritage, Association of Holocaust Survivors from the Former Soviet Union, American Gathering of Jewish Holocaust Survivors and their Descendants, Jewish Community Relations Council, and 3GNY.
Keynote speakers will address the conference audience followed by break-out sessions which will consist of educational presentations, historical films, author and book discussions, eyewitness testimony, special exhibit displays, and pedagogical resources.
In addition to educating the public about the history of the Holocaust, one of the primary goals of this conference is to provide opportunities, services, and friendship to Survivors that are without relatives or resources. Thus, special efforts will be made to bring isolated and indigent Survivors to the event and help them connect with our Holocaust Memorial and Tolerance Center to cultivate relationships and community.
For additional information, please contact:
Beth E. Lilach, Senior Director of Education and Community Affairs
Holocaust Memorial and Tolerance Center
Welwyn Preserve
100 Crescent Beach Road
Glen Cove, NY 11542
Ph. 516.571.8040 x 105
bethlilach@holocaust-nassau.org
In 2010, both houses of Congress voted unanimously for a national “Spirit of ’45 Day” to honor the legacy of the men and women of the WWII generation. Spirit of ’45 Day is now being observed each year in hundreds of communities and during Major League Baseball games on the second Sunday in August.
On February 6, 2014 a “Spirit of ’45 Day” event took place in the 30th Street Railroad station in Philadelphia PA. The purpose of the event was to:
Four members of VBOB were present, they were:
During the proceedings Kevin took pictures, interviewed the veterans and video-taped the event. People stopped to talk with the veterans, one young mother brought her three young children over to meet the veterans and had their picture taken. At the conclusion of the proceedings the veterans presented a wreath and saluted while a bugler played taps. The VBOB logo was mounted on an 18”x18” poster board and displayed on an easel. The WWII veterans were impressed and grateful.
People from the following organizations were present;
The logo and easel were given to Warren Hegg, a driving force behind “Spirit of ’45 Day”, to be used at various events across the country. During March the logo will be in San Antonio, TX for an event.
Please find enclosed an official letter from the Benoît LUTGEN, Mayor of Bastogne, to invite veterans to Bastogne this year.
Indeed, as you may know, in March 2014 Bastogne will boast a new memorial site with an international scope dedicated to the Second World War: the Bastogne War Museum. Located on the site of the Mardasson Memorial (see picture), at the heart of a new and innovative architectural structure, the Bastogne War Museum will open to public in Bastogne on March 22 after 4 years of work.
You know perfectly well the story of the American soldiers who spent the terrible winter of 1944-1945 on the front lines in Europe. The Battle of the Bulge, which took place in Bastogne, is an important part of our History. The amount of American soldiers who died or were injured during the battle was higher than ever and the people of Bastogne will always be thankful to the ones who fought for their freedom.
Nowadays, the historical ties that bind the town of Bastogne and the American people are still very strong. People often tell that Bastogne is the most American city in Europe and we are very proud of that reputation. More than 60,000 American people come to visit Bastogne every year, which is a huge amount of people for a 15,000-inhabitant city
If you have any questions please contact:
Coralie BONNET
Chief of Staff
City of Bastogne
Rue du Vivier 58
B-6600 Bastogne
Phone : +32 61 240 913
Cell : +32 498 055 707
e-mail bourgmestre@bastogne.be
I am a young Belgian member of the CRIBA interested in the history of the Battle of the Bulge. My girlfriend and me took part in the annual reunion of the Veterans of the Battle of the Bulge Association in Kansas City last September. I would like to thank the veterans again for their warm reception. It was really a great experience for me to meet so many veterans of the Battle of the Bulge. After that, I reported it to the CRIBA’s members during our November’s reunion. Our trip in the US was wonderful!
We have been back in Belgium since September 10 now. I have found a new job in the new Bastogne War Museum few days ago. I am glad of it because it is a job that is connected to my passion (the history of the Battle of the Bulge). I also wish to remind all veterans and their families are more welcome in Belgium whenever you wish. Please find enclosed the presentation brochure of the new Bastogne War Museum.
I hope it is not too late to wish you a happy new year and all the best for 2014!
Yours sincerely,
Mathieu Billa
Republic of Korea Korean War Service Medal
U.S. veterans of the Korean War are eligible to receive the Republic of Korea Korean War Service Medal. Criteria for award of the Republic of Korea Korean War Service Medal (ROK KWSM) has been established by the ROK government. To qualify for the medal, the veteran must have:
Served between the outbreak of hostilities, June 25, 1950, and the date the armistice was signed, July 27, 1953
Been on permanent assignment or on temporary duty for 30 consecutive days or 60 non-consecutive days
Performed his / her duty within the territorial limits of Korea, in the waters immediately adjacent thereto or in aerial flight over Korea participating in actual combat operations or in support of combat operations
To obtain the medal, those who meet the criteria above must complete the application and provide their respective military branch of service a copy of their discharge paper, commonly known as a “DD-214,” or a corrected version of that document, a “DD-215.”
The addresses of where to send the documents are listed on the application. National Guard members must provide their statement of service equivalent, “NGB Form 22.”
Please only send copies of these documents. Do not send original documents.
Mr. Ambassador,
I would like to thank you and say that it is indeed an honor to be here in the presence of many distinguished guests and survivors of the Battle of the Bulge. I also want to thank Colonel (Ret) Douglas Dillard, 82nd Airborne and President of our National Veterans of the Battle of the Bulge organization, along with Ralph Bozorth and John Bowen, without whose help I would not have had this opportunity to fulfill one of my final wishes and that is to present you with this map and for this I am truly grateful.
First let me say something about our family military history. My father was born in Italy in 1892 and came to America by himself at the age of seventeen, seeking a better life. When World War I broke out he volunteered to serve our country, whose language he could hardly speak. Yet, like many of his time, he was willing to put his life in harms’ way for the opportunity of becoming an American citizen. He joined the Army and served with the 53rd Field Artillery Brigade. He soon found himself in France, fighting in the Battle of Meuse Argonne and the Battle of St. Mihiel, at which time he found himself in hand-to-hand combat with a German soldier; he received a minor bayonet wound to his thigh and was too proud to report it. He told us that he killed the enemy but regretted doing so because he “was so young” and “he had no choice.” My father was awarded the French Legion of Honor Medal. His unit also served in Belgium, and there is a monument in Oudennard, Belgium honoring the 53rd Field Artillery Brigade.
Let me add that I started this Battle of the Bulge signature index map to honor my brother Joe and all of the brave men and women who served during the largest land battle ever fought and won by the United States Army. It is my contribution towards keeping the memories of all who served alive, especially those who were left behind, so that future generations are reminded of the sacrifices that were made by all who served during the Battle of the Bulge.
Mr. Ambassador, I am honored to present to you and the people of Luxembourg this Signature Index Map, signed by 105 Battle of the Bulge survivors who signed their names in the exact location where they fought.
Twenty-five of these names were signed in Luxembourg. I humbly ask that you extend our best wishes to the people of your country and I remind everyone that there are a little over one million WWII veterans alive today who are dying at the rate of one every 90 seconds. The day will soon come when there will be one survivor standing and it is possible that that person could be a Battle of the Bulge survivor and could be in this room today.
Respectfully,
Mike Ciquero, WWII Navy Seabee and VBOB Associate
December 15, 2013
The Embassy Suites Hotel Kansas City-International Airport has made a donation in honor of VBOB to Operation Breakthrough , a social and service agency that serves 400 plus children from low income families.
This is the hotel where VBOB held their annual reunion in 2013.
VBOB gratefully acknowledges the donation made on their behalf.
Photos submitted by Robert Rhodes, Associate
Legion of Honor ceremony, Atlanta, GA September 24, 2013
You entered into active service in September 1943 and you were a part of the C-Company of the 315th Regiment in the 79th Infantry Division.
You were sent on April 7, 1944 to the European Theater Operations. You fought and aided in the liberation of the French towns in Avranches, Cherbourg, Fougeres, Laval, Le Mans, Saint-Armand, Joinville, and Luneville in Lorraine.
For your active participation in these combats, you were awarded the Bronze Star Medal along with the Good Conduct Medal and the World War II Victory Medal.
As a witness to the sacrifice of American combatants during the liberation of Europe, you were, at the end of the war, the only surviving member of C-Company to have landed in Normandy on June 12th, 1944.
Sergeant Thomas H. Creekmore, au nom du President de la Republique francaise, nous vous remettons les insignes de Chevalier de l’Ordre National de la Legion d’Honneur.
