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Despite a foggy and rainy day, many members of the C-47 Club came to Trois-Ponts to honor the US soldiers who fought in this area during the Battle of the Bulge.

The events were organized by the CADUSA association.  After a mass at St Jacques church in Trois-Ponts, we all followed for the ceremonies in Rochelinval, honoring the 551st Parachute Infantry Battalion.  We then continued our remembrance tour to the village of Spineux, honoring the 424th Infantry Regiment/106th Infantry Division and the 112th Infantry Regiment/28th Infantry Division.

The day ended with one last ceremony at the Logbierme Monument, followed by a reception a great meal in the Wanne Castle. As all members were present, C-47 Club President Ed Lapotsky had planned a meeting and this proved very useful, as we are now moving ahead with some major activities in the Ardennes Region.  Present were all members of the Belgian C-47 Chapter and Francine Noyon as European coordinator.

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Submitted by Patrick Brion

I am part of a UK based living history group called GI44-45. We join with other like-minded individuals in the UK and continent and at least four times in the winter months travel to Belgium where we walk in the footsteps of American units that served during the Battle of Bulge. Being in the same venue, at the same type of year, wearing the same uniforms, and its a real eye-opener. How those young GI’s survived all that was thrown at the them, and then some, earns my utmost respect.

Last year we recreated the 120 mile journey in trucks when the 82nd Airborne were sent up to plug the gap in the line. Out next event is on 23rd February when we head once again to Belgium and walk in the footsteps of the 82nd Airborne.

I thought your members might be interested that there are living historians who are involved in ensuring people are reminded about the sacrifices that young Americans made during the winter of 1944/45.
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All the best,

Paul Costin

Click here to read the 2012 annual report

The Fort Benning ceremonies held on November 11, 2012 were conducted on the walkway by the National Infantry Museum where hundreds of pavers are placed to honor other veterans and unit of all wars. General (Ret)Carmen Cavezza, President, National Infantry Foundation was master of ceremonies, followed by Dr. Frank Brown who provided the Invocation and the guest speaker was Col. (Ret) Ralph Puckett, a highly decorated Infantry Officer.

General Cavezza recognized the National President elect of the Veterans of the Battle of the Bulge Association, Colonel (Ret) Douglas C. Dillard who represented his Association.

 The General commented on the generous donation that will fund, specifically free admission to the IMAX theater where significant films of the Battle of the Bulge will be shown on remembrance days such as Memorial Day, Veterans Day and in December of each year the commemoration of the Battle of the Bulge.

The Veterans of the Battle of the Bulge Association, Inc. recently donated a generous amount of funds to the National Infantry Foundation at Fort Benning, Georgia as part of its support to preserve the history of the gallantry displayed by the Veterans of the Battle of the Bulge, the greatest land battle, the U S Army had ever fought under frigid weather conditions.  The Battle eventually defeated the might of the Hitler’s German forces and furthered the end of World War II.

J. David Bailey, 106th Infantry Division, 424th Infantry Regiment was awarded the medallion on December 3, 2012 by the National Infantry Association in Columbus GA.

Click here to read the letter

Remembrance Ceremony
submitted by Angela Fazio-Secretary

Daughters of World War II, (DWWII) invite all WWII veterans and their guest to attend the 3rd Annual WWII Veterans Day Luncheon Monday, November 12, 2012, in Dallas, Texas.  This event, Celebration of Heroes Among Us, is expected to be the largest gathering of WWII veterans in the nation on Veterans Day. Please help us share this invitation with WWII veterans.  Our goal of this day is to honor and celebrate them! 

In 2011, our  2nd Annual Veterans Day Luncheon was sold out, and we had the honor of being recognized as the largest gathering of WWII veterans in the nation. DWWII events are always free to the WWII veteran and are open to WWII veterans nationwide

PDF files of the Invitation and RSVP/Registration Form are attached, as well as information about Daughters of World War II.

RSVPs must be received by October 11th.  All WWII veterans must register for this event.

Contact for Veterans Day Luncheon reservations and questions is: 
Joan French – WWII Veteran Coordinator for Event – 214-457-1339
french.b@sbcglobal.net

Visit our web site www.daughtersofWW2.org

Janie Simon
Veteran Liaison
Daughters of WWII

The Military Order of the World Wars (MOWW) hosts an annual memorial service that is held at the gravesite of General of the Armies John J. “Black Jack” Pershing in Arlington National Cemetery.  General Pershing was critical in the forming of the Order and we honor him each year on Veterans Day along with military attaches from among the 18 allied nations that served with us in World War I and members of the Young Marines, and “Pershing’s Own” Band. MG Michael S. Linnington, Commander of the Military District of Washington, will be our guest speaker at this year’s ceremony.

 Click here for an invitation to the ceremony.  

I prepared an article on last year’s eventthat was published in the Officer Review magazine, which is the official publication of the MOWW.  The Veterans of the Battle of the Bulge organization was represented at the Pershing Memorial Service. Following are a couple of photos from that event.

Submitted by:
LTC Ruth L. Hamilton, USA (Ret)
Vice Commander-in-Chief
The Military Order of the World Wars
VBOB Associate Member

Special program in Silver Spring, MD will salute heroes who 70 years ago were part of history that changed the world. Dee Paris, 97, Who Fought in Battle of the Bulge and Battle of Rhine River, to Be Among Speakers as Montgomery County to Honor World War II Veterans on Wed., Sept. 19

ROCKVILLE, Md., August 13, 2012—One day after the bombing of Pearl Harbor on Dec. 7, 1941, Dee Paris went to enlist in the U.S. Army. His military career took him through some of the most famous battles of World War II, including the Battle of the Bulge and the Battle of the Rhine River. On Wednesday, Sept. 19, at the Silver Spring Civic Building, Mr. Paris, who is 97 and lives in Silver Spring, will be among the speakers as Montgomery County honors the men and women who served their nation in World War II.

County Executive Isiah Leggett, Council President Roger Berliner and the County Council will lead the special ceremonies for Montgomery Honors WW II Vets that will begin at 10:30 a.m. at the Civic Building located at One Veterans Plaza in down­town Silver Spring. The event will be simulcast live on many of the County’s public cable television channels that compose the PEG (Public, Education, Government) Network. In addition, the PEG Network will be recording the stories of many of the veterans for a documentary that will first be shown on Veterans Day.

Mr. Paris, who has lived in Montgomery County for more than 50 years, was in the Battle of the Bulge that became the largest land battle of World War II. More 600,000 American troops, 55,000 British troops and approximately 500,000 German soldiers were involved in that battle in the heavily forested Ardennes region of eastern Bel gium and northern Luxembourg from Dec. 16, 1944 to Jan. 25, 1945. More than 19,000 American soldiers were killed in the fighting.

In March 1945, Mr. Paris was among the U.S. troops that won control of the Rhine River and led to the first crossing of U.S. troops into Cologne, Germany, where Ger­man forces had established a command headquarters. Mr. Paris will talk about some of his war experiences and how they impacted his life as he became a Montgomery County resident.

Montgomery Honors WW II Vets will occur 70 years since some of the significant World War II events of 1942, including the Battle of the Coral Sea (May 4,1942) and the Battle of Midway (June 4, 1942). Many historians view those two battles as the turning point of the war in the Pacific. U.S. troops landed on Guadalcanal in the So­lomon Islands on Aug. 7, 1942. m November 1942, U.S. and British troops invaded French North Africa.

Montgomery Honors WW II Vets event organizers are currently seeking to contact more of the veterans who will be honored on Sept. 19. Those veterans, or family and friends of the veterans, seeking more information about the event should call 240-777-7929.

“It has been almost seven decades since our World War II veterans returned home,” said County Executive Leggett. “We want to take this opportunity to acknowledge their courage and patriotism and say thank you for making the world a better place. As a veteran of the Vietnam War, I know the sacrifices that are made by members of our military during times of war. This event is a perfect way for all of us to pay tri­bute to these brave and honorable men and women.”

Speakers at the event will include veterans who served in various aspects of World War II.

“So many in our community heroically served our nation, and the world, 70 years ago,” said Council President Berliner. “September 19 will be a day where our County recognizes those whose actions helped change the course of the world. There have been many books written, and many movies made, about the people we will honor, but on this day, we will personally thank—and hear directly from—some of the men and women who did so much to shape the life and freedom we know today.”

Seeking Information on 4th and 30th Infantry Division Men Buried in Belgium

In the year 2000 – the 55th Anniversary of the Battle of the Bulge – VBOB Life Member Patrick Kearney (11 ARMD DIV) made arrangements for the Leclercq Family of Belgium to adopt the graves of two 11th Armored Division men who are buried at the American Military Cemetery at Henri-Chapelle – Edward M. Frank (63rd Armored Infantry Battalion) and Lewis F. Grove (55th Armored Infantry Battalion).

The Leclercqs have recently adopted the graves of two more American soldiers who are buried at Henri-Chapelle – Lewis E. Humber (12th Infantry Regiment, 4th Infantry Division) from Hillsborough County, Florida and Joseph J. Santangelo (120th Infantry Regiment, 30th Infantry Division) from Cook County, Illinois.

The Leclercqs would like to hear from anyone who is related to, or who was friendly with, these two men. If you have any information on Lewis or Joseph, please write to: Famille Leclercq, 5 Avenue Paul de Lorraine, B-1410 Waterloo, Belgium.

submitted by Patrick Kearney, 11^th AD

Kyle Miller an associate member of the Alton Litsenberger Chapter (68) in Ohio was featured on NBC Nightly News on Monday, October 22, 2012.

Click on msnbc.com to read his story then scroll down and click on Boy Scout’s goal: Interview 1,000 World War II vets

Read more about Kyle
http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/local/2012/03/26/boy-scout-seeks-voices-from-the-front.html

Kyle’s web site
http://www.voicesfromthefront.org/