Donald H. Heckman of Allentown and a member of the Lehigh Valley Chapter, VBOB, was recently awarded the French Legion of Honor.  He joined the Army on March 29, 1943 and served until December 28, 1945.  He was a radio operator with the 702nd Tank Battalion, Headquarters Company, attached to the 80th Infantry Division.

In 1997 Donald and his wife Betty returned to retrace his WW II experience via a three week auto trip planned by daughter Judy Greenhalgh and her husband George, both associate members of the Lehigh Valley Chapter.

[l-r]
Kate Nolan, John Nolan (son), James Barr ( grandson & Grace’s son), Logan Renee (great grandaughter), Nicole Barr (James’s wife), Evan Barr (grandson and Grace’s son), Grace Barr Wadman (daughter), John Wadman (son-in-law).

During our 32^nd annual reunion, which was held in Kansas City, MO the Harley Davidson people at the Power Train manufacturing facility and the Worth Dealership rolled out the red carpet. In addition to a tour of the plant we were presented with a Harley Davidson flag containing the signatures of the workers followed by a barbeque.

The following is a note from the workers, “I am glad the group enjoyed the visit. I was certainly an Honor to have your group visit with us and we certainly enjoyed hosting them. Personally, thank you for making contact with me so many months ago and allowing me to assist you in the planning. I’ve talked to many of our volunteers working that day and we all have great stories we heard from the group. They are a unique and irreplaceable part of history”.

Saturday, September 7th was a day where Belgium people were present to remember the sacrifices of young US servicemen, fighting to liberate Belgium in 1944. Two ceremonies took place that day.  The first ceremony was organized in a little suburb of Liège, close to the Meuse River.

The L-5 observation plane, belonging to the 153^rd Liaison Squadron, 67^th Reconnaissance Group, flew a mission on September 8^th, 1944 over theMeuseRiver area, when it was attacked by +/- 15 Me-109s.

Last year, the Belgian “Fort de Flèmalle” association organized a small remembrance ceremony, but the names of the two killed soldiers were unknown since the day their plane crashed.

Patrick Brion, a Belgian army NCO, started researching the history and on Saturday, September 7^th 2013, two new stones were unveiled, with the names of the soldiers.

S/Sgt Kenneth C. Mikeman, the pilot, still buried at the Henri-Chapelle cemetery in Belgium and LtCol Thomas T. Thornburgh, buried in Arlington, will never be forgotten.  In a moving ceremony, in the presence of local dignitaries, Major Sidoti (US Embassy Brussels), Adjudant Patrick Brion and the members of various associations, the monuments were unveiled.  The presence of the USAF Spangdahlem Honor Guard added even more symbolism to a great morning of remembrance.

In the afternoon, another important ceremony was held at Rencheux, Vielsalm, a place where during the harsh winter of 1944, the last German offensive struck hard.  The 82nd Airborne Division, with its excellent combat record in Italy, Normandy and the Netherlands, was rushed into the Battle in Belgium, starting December 18, 1944.

A and B Companies of 1^st Battalion 508^th Parachute Infantry Regiment plus attached elements of 307th Airborne Engineers and 319th Glider Field Artillery Battalion, all belonging the famous “All American” 82^nd Airborne Division kept the road bridge open for the 7^th Armored Division and the remains of the 106^th Infantry Division, allowing them to form a new line of defense.

After the safe withdrawal of some 15.000 men across the Rencheux road bridge, the three bridges at Rencheux were blown. The defending units of the 82^nd Airborne Division withdrew on Christmas Eve. In January 1945 Vielsalm could welcome the same units again, clearing the area of the enemy.

The monument that was unveiled by the city of Vielsalm and members of the C-47 Club organization shows two plaques, honoring the soldiers who defended the bridge; and a second plaque for the soldiers who were able to cross the bridge.  In the presence of many guests and the Spangdahlem Honor Guard, the ceremony came to its end.

A day like this shows that the people of Belgium remain committed to remember the sacrifices of the US soldiers, who came to liberate the country.

Article and photos submitted by Patrick Brion

Philippe BASTIN RueDr.0lyff19A 4570 MARCHIN BELGIUM phil.bas@skynet.be Member VBOB

Dear Mr Santagata,

firstly,1 hope you and your family have not had problems with the storm and that you are all in very good health !!

My name is Philippe Bastin and 1 live in Belgium, a few kilometers from Bastogne .

I am interested in the history of the second World War .because I have in my family an Gl, Sergio Moirano (80 Th Division) ,who participate in D-DAY June 6 landing on Utah Beach and the Battle of the Bulge with the Third Army of General Patton.

Sergio is still alive and lives of 5 km from my home.

For this reason I searched for my collection of signed photos of U.S. veterans and I would like to have a signed photo of you at the time of World War II.

This will be a great honor for me!

Thank you in advance and wish you a very good health for your future and all the best for you et your family.

By: Chandra Capps Kendall, Associate, Daughter of Chandler H. Capps, Jr. 28th Infantry Division, Battle of the Bulge Soldier (deceased)

Soldiers, Veterans.  While we enjoy our everyday activities and lay our head on the pillow each night, they are the reason we can enjoy Freedom and sleep without worry.   These are the men and women who defied fear and looked death in the face.  Back home, they had families that loved and lost.  They had courage, endured extreme cold, fought the perseverance and engineering of the German’s, faced Japanese suicide bombers,  POW camps, and countless other odds that were given them.  I am talking about our WWII Veterans.  We can never repay them for what they gave us, priceless freedom.  The average age of a WWII Veteran is 91, and we lose over 600 of them every day.

In thinking of how I could do my part in thanking them, I became a volunteer for the Honor Flight organization.  This organization takes the Veterans to Washington DC to see their WWII Memorial, Arlington Cemetery, Korean War Memorial, Vietnam Memorial, and the Iwo Jima Memorial.  They are often greeted by school children who thank them for their service, 3 star Generals, and often Bob Dole, who will stand as long as he can to greet them, and then return to his wheelchair.  This trip is free of charge to the Veteran.  I serve as a Guardian on the flight, assisting the Veterans with their needs, whether it is pushing their wheelchair, getting them food, helping them on and off the bus, tending to their needs.  The Guardian does not go for free, we pay all our expenses.  I would like to say a special thanks to Southwest Airlines, who donate several tickets per flight to the Veterans.  These flights are all over the United States, and Southwest is very generous in honoring our Veterans.  I have had the privilege of taking some of our Veterans from Georgia, Florida, and South Carolina on these trips.

The Veterans are often surprised that I would take time out of my schedule to volunteer to help get them to Washington.  I am amazed by their surprise.  They endured the hardships of war, freezing foxholes, enemies firing at them, wounds, taken prisoner, leaving loved ones, seeing their comrades die.  I can never feel as though I have done enough, this is the least I can do.

As we reflect on the upcoming Veterans Day, lets remember the 291,557 of our young men and women in their prime who gave their lives in battle on foreign soil during this war, and lay in still unknown graves, and beneath the white crosses, the brothers, sons, nephews, cousins, and future generations that we lost, as well as countless others who were wounded and still carry the scars today, mental and physical.

These are truly great men and women, and when they are gone, a part of our hearts, history, integrity and courage unlike any other will be gone forever.

If you or a WWII Veteran you know has not been to their memorial in Washington, please contact honorflight.org or call 937-521-2400.

Warren Jensen was awarded the French Legion of Honor from the Consul-General of France, Mr. Roman Serman, in San Francisco on May 27, 2013. Mr. Jensen was a gunner in the 793rd Field Artillery Battalion, XIX Corps Artillery. The unit was equipped with M115 8-inch tractor-drawn howitzers. They supported the 2nd Armored and the 29th, 30th and 83rd as well as other Divisions.

Warren landed on Omaha Beach (at Easy Red) in June, 1944 shortly after D-Day. His campaigns included Normandy, Northern France, Ardennes Offensive, Rhineland and Central Europe. He served in the Battle of the Bulge from 16 Dec ’44 – 03 Feb ’45. He was part of the 1st Army and then eventually with the 9th Army. He was in Giessen Germany on VJ Day.

(Note: Warren is the current Secretary/Treasurer of the Chapter. He was also a founding member of VBOB National.)

William (Bill) Armstrong was awarded the French Legion of Honor from the Consul-General of France, Mr. Roman Serman, in San Francisco on May 8, 2013.  Bill was in the 26th Infantry Division (Yankee Division) and landed in France at Utah Beach on Sept 7, 1944. The 26th ID was involved in the Battle of the Bulge from Dec 19, 1944 until Jan 25, 1945 while in Luxembourg.  They were engaged in combat in six countries, France, Luxembourg, Belgium, Germany, Austria and Czechoslovakia.  Bill says he was extremely proud to have served with the Yankee Division.

(Note: Bill is a former President of the VBOB Golden Gate Chapter.)

The Legion of Honor Award was created by Napoleon in 1802 to acknowledge services rendered to France by persons of exceptional merit. It was presented to Warren for his service in the liberation of France.

Article and photos submitted by Doris Davis, Associate

SUBJECT: Lunch with the Ambassador

Date 4 February 2013

Location: Embassy of Luxembourg, Washington, DC

Ambassador Honorable Jean-Louis Wolzfeld invited the following personnel for lunch at the Embassy to commemorate the donation made to the Army Historical Foundation.

The Army Historical Foundation was represented by General (Ret) Creighton Abrams and Mz. Rachel Hartman, Director, Major and Planning Gifts.

Prior to this presentation the Veterans of the Battle of the Bulge (VBOB).together with the Embassy of Luxembourg, made a joint pledge to donate funds to the Army Historical Foundation, the VBOB donation had already been made so this luncheon signified the joint effort had been completed.

Colonel Douglas C, Dillard (Ret), National President represented the VBOB at the luncheon.

The three photos reflect the presence at the luncheon of the following:

Photo 1. Ambassador Wolzfeld, Colonel Dillard, Mario Wiesen, Consul, General Abrams, Olivier Baldauff, Deputy Minister and Mz Rachel Hartman.

Photo 2. Reflects the donation presentation to General Abrams by Ambassador Wolzfeld.

Photo 3. Reflects the presence of General Abrams, Ambassador Wolzfeld and Colonel Dillard celebrating the closing of this joint effort.

Additionally, the Ambassador spoke of commemorating the 70^th Anniversary of the Battle of the Bulge in 2014 by holding an event at the Embassy of Luxembourg. More planning will ensue for that event.

Our father, John David Foley (may have gone by last name “Moody”), enlisted at Camp Upton, NY in 1944 and separated from Ft. Dix 02 June 1946. He fought in the Ardennes, Central Europe and the Rhineland (33 WD 45 as amended). He is pictured with the 37th Armored Group (or the 37^th division of another unit?) in the photo below (1st row, 6th soldier from the left, dark hair).

His discharge papers have him designated as being in the 273rd Infantry, 69th Division, but that division did not participate in the Battle of the Bulge, so he may have been reassigned to them. In this case, we do not know his original unit. Our father is deceased (1973), and there are no relatives who can be contacted. My two sisters and I are hoping to find someone who might have remembered “Foley/Moody” or who served in any of the same units our father served in. Please feel free to contact me if you have any information to share. We would be thrilled to hear any ‘nugget’ of information you might have.

Janet Moody, 3 Stuyvesant Oval #9E
New York, NY 10009
Phone # (212) 217-0999
Email address: jmoody12@rcn.com

Click to listen to the Hymn to the Fallen

Doug Dillard, 82^nd Airborne and his wife Ute attend ceremonies on April 6, 2013 commemorating the 68^th anniversary of the liberation of Buchenwald concentration camp. All of these events are very emotional because we meet families from Holland, Belgium, Germany, Italy, Czech Republic, Poland and Russia and all have sad stories of the lost loved ones.

Photos and articles were submitted/prepared by Doug and Ute and translated into English by Doug’s Belgian friend Patrick Brion. Click on either English or German to read the three articles.

We need a well, filled with confidence
Emotions and unforgettable moments lived by many…
Retracing tracks by a young American…

Welt mit Vertrauen
Erschütternde unvergessliche Momente erlebten wir gemeinsam
Spurensuche eines jungen Amerikaners

Dear Veterans of the Battle of the Bulge

I am a young Belgian interested in the history of World War II. I finished my studies of history last year in University of Louvain, Belgium. My dissertation is about the relations between the Belgian government and the disaster people after the Battle of the Bulge. Now, I work again on this study in order to publish it. I will see some archives in Washington DC next week for that matter. The history of the Battle of the Bulge is really my passion. I am a member of a Belgian association specialized in this matter called CRIBA, Centre de Recherches et d’Interprétation de la Bataille des Ardennes (http://www.criba.be/).

Since I am graduated, I have done different jobs in Belgium and in Scotland. Now, I travel around the US for a period of 6 months to improve my English and to learn more about your country. My main goal is to work after that in Bastogne, Belgium as guide in a Museum or on the battlefield. I have already taken some contact with the future managers of the new Museum dedicated to the Battle of the Bulge that will be set up there next year. I would like to take advantage of my presence in your country to see Museums talking about WWII but also to meet veterans of the Battle of the Bulge. I know that it will be more and more difficult for me to meet them in Europe because the trip to go there is quite long and they are getting old unfortunately. Meeting some of these actors who made the history of the Battle of the Bulge would be a great experience for a future guide. I have the last opportunity to meet them in the US during my trip and I would really like to take it.

Last weeks, I have stayed in Long Island where I have been to the Northport VA Medical Center Home and to the Long Island State Veterans Home in Stony Brook. I have met there some WWII veterans but none took part to the Battle of the Bulge. It was interesting anyway. After some administrative clearances, people of the staff introduced me to them. Here are the references of the staff who guided me:

• Grace Lee or Jacqueline Bodkin, Stony Brook, (631) 444-8523
• Joe Sledge, Public Affairs Officer, Northport, (631) 266-6074

Before going back to Belgium in September, I will go to NYC, Washington DC, Nashville, Lafayette, New-Orleans, Las-Vegas and maybe in other places such California, Oregon, Chicago, Memphis, etc. I would like to hear from any veterans so I can hear their stories. I would like to express my gratitude for all your help in this matter. Please contact me as listed below.

Mathieu Billa
18D Berismenil
6980 La Roche-en-Ardenne
Belgium
mathieubilla@hotmail.com
312 420 6454

I have been totally involved in doing four documentaries over the last seven years. It’s been a lot of work, but fullfilling. Teaching kids the high cost of freedom has been, and continues to be, my mission. This new fourth documentary is truly unique. It is unique for TWO reasons:

ONE: It features citizens, in this case, living mostly in Belgium and Holland who remember our WW II dead at the Henri-Chapelle Military Cemetery in Belgium by “adopting” graves there of these American soldiers they never knew, only known to them as liberators of their country. Heart warming stories told by dozens of adopters from four generations, ranging in age from seven to ninety, are revealed in the film. They remember these liberators of their country by visiting the graves, often placing flowers there from time to time.

TWO: As the producer/director of this film, I was also an American soldier in WW II,
who helped bury these thousands of American heroes at this cemetery, in its wartime temporary state. The permanent cemetery was built after the war. When doing the film, It was a moving experience for me to realize that I may have helped bury these very soldiers who were adopted by the citizens who participated in this documentary!

This moving documentary will enlighten Americans…. the vast majority I have found know nothing of this honorable practice taking place over the last sixty-eight years! Editing is nearly complete and DVD replication will be very soon.

This film, along with my other three, will be aired on Pentagon Channel that reaches all of our military bases around the world as well as aired on cable stations, Satelite and Comcast……altogether reaching 35 million households! It will be a sporadic non-exclusive schedule for one year….extended another year, if I choose. There is no remuneration from it, but good exposure.

You can order your copy now with a check made out to Let Freedom Ring and send to the address below. Cost: $20.00 plus $5.00 S/H. If desirable, credit cards can be processed through the website listed below.

George Ciampa
LET FREEDOM RING 501(c)(3) 100% non-profit organization
3304 Whiffletree Lane
Torrance,CA 90505
310 539 4345
310 408 2345 cell
gciampa@sbcglobal.net
www.letfreedomringforall.org