Members of the Lamar Soutter/Central Chapter (22) gathered to re-dedicate their VBOB memorial which was originally dedicated in 1992.

Photos by Jeanne de Marcken, Associate

The Battle Remembered, Henry Howard
http://www.legion.org/magazine/225538/battle-remembered

Battle of the Bulge Remembered: Kate Nolan, 57th Field Hospital
http://www.legion.org/legiontv?pid=latest&v=ilQ7VlNq6cA

Battle of the Bulge Remembered: Irving Locker, 116th AAA Gun Bn
http://www.legion.org/legiontv?pid=latest&v=vHP6AiAZUY0

Battle of the Bulge Remembered: Mike Levin, 7th Armored Division
http://www.legion.org/legiontv?pid=latest&v=sIrC4r9XGUk

Media by Henry Howard
Deputy Director of Magazine Operations

The Veterans of the Battle of the Bulge Memorial at Arlington Cemetery was rewarded by a wreath laying ceremony on Sunday, January 25, 2015 by “Wreaths Across America.”  VBOB was honored with the presence of Wayne G. Hanson, Chairman of the Board of Directors, and Tobin Slaven, Director of Communications of “Wreath Across America.”

VBOB members present were Col. (Ret) Bert Rice, Madeleine Bryant, and J. David Bailey.

http://www.wreathsacrossamerica.org

Submitted by J. David Bailey, 106th ID

On January 16, 1945, the 11th Armored Division of General Patton’s Third U.S. Army made the historic juncture with the 2nd Armored and 84th Infantry Divisions of General Hodge’s First U.S. Army at Houffalize, Belgium during the Battle of the Bulge.  This action effectively halted the German Army by containing the “Bulge” that the Germans had created in the Allied lines in the Ardennes Forest on December 16, 1944.

To commemorate the 70th Anniversary of this event, the people of Houffalize held a two-day celebration during the weekend of January 17-18, 2015.  The Saturday events included a commemorative walk through the environs of Houffalize, a “Freedom Bivouac” (where local restaurants served period food in an outdoor American G.I. setting), a tour of the “Bulge” monuments in the town, and a dance with a Glen Miller-themed band.  The Sunday events included a Mass at the town’s sports center for all American G.I.s who died in the “Bulge”, a procession to the Houffalize “Juncture Monument”, the playing of the American national anthem by a local marching band, the laying of flowers at the monument, a lecture on the link-up at Houffalize, a special “Liberty Cocktail” for all present, an American-style barbecue, and a parade of military vehicles with drivers in period uniforms.

The commemorative Mass was celebrated on the hood of a jeep, as Mass often was during World War II, by the Reverend Jean-François Thiebaut, Dean of Ourthe and Salm and the Reverend Jean Lambin, Dean of Houffalize.  During his homily, Dean Thiebaut made special mention of the 11th Armored Division’s role in the link-up at Houffalize, and showed the congregation a roll of honor of “Patton’s Thunderbolts” who died in the “Bulge”.  It was placed on the altar for the remainder of the Mass.  Several flag bearers represented the three American divisions, which made the juncture at Houffalize (as well as Belgian soldiers who fought in the “Bulge”) during the Presentation of the Gifts at the Mass.  And three career officers from the Belgian Armed Forces sang the hymns during the Mass, as well as the American, Belgian and European anthems at the conclusion of the liturgy.

The accompanying photo shows the “Juncture Monument” in Houffalize (with its plaques to the 11th Armored, 2nd Armored and 84th Infantry Divisions) and the flowers deposited there during the link-up celebration.

The people of Houffalize are proud to recall their town’s role in the history of the “Bulge”.  And they are forever grateful for the role the American G.I.s played in their liberation 70 years ago.

Submitted by
Pat Kearney, 11th AD, 55th AIB

Veterans, family members and friends gathered to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the end of the Battle of the Bulge by laying wreaths in Arlington Cemetery at the Tomb of the Unknowns and and the VBOB Memorial. A wreath was also laid at the World War II Memorial.

Johan Verbeke Belgium’s ambassador to the United States hosted the group at his residence for dinner.

photos by Thomas C. Roberts, Jr., Associate

Details forthcoming

My Dad, Neil French, was a WW2 replacement. After basic training at Fort Knox, he entered the war at Lowe with the 4th Armored Division, 37th Tank Battalion, C Company. He was a gunner in an M4 Sherman tank dozer and was the second tank into Bastogne led by the Cobra King, Boggess, then by Creighton Abrams, his immediate commander in a jeep. While Neil maintained rounds of firing as gunner, the crew cleared the corridor for 40 ambulances to get in to assist the injured 101st.

For more on Neil’s story turn to FOX 29 Morning Show on January 31 between 8-11AM.

Submitted by his daughter Connie Rinker

Book Committee
Former Genesee Valley Chapter
Veterans of the Battle of the Bulge
835 Houston Rd
Webster, NY 14580

December 16, 2014

Colonel Douglas Dillard
President
Veterans of the Battle of the Bulge

Dear Colonel Dillard;

As you are aware, members of the former Genesee Valley Chapter had formed a committee for the purpose of publishing a collection of veteran’s memoirs. As the local chapter had disbanded it was necessary that an existing entity be found to fill the role of publisher. The committee negotiated an agreement with your organization to serve in that capacity.

The collection of memoirs, which mostly centered on the Battle of the Bulge, was the brainchild of Jerry Beaudin, an associate member, who worked closely with David Bush, an officer of the local chapter. Together, with help from members Tom Hope, Max

Boudakian, Frank Colgan, Marcel Blackman (now deceased), and Dave Brookins, along with Rochester Institute of Technology professor Michael Riordan, they produced the hard-copy book “The Battle in Common”. The sales of the hard-copy book are now complete. As was our agreement all net proceeds of the sale of the book are to be transferred to the publisher. That amount totals: $7,391.90 and is reflected in the attached check. An indirect contribution to The Monroe County, NY Veteran’s Outreach Center, was made by allowing that organization to act as a local distributor whereby it received a standard commission on sales.

We thought it fortunate and appropriate, on the 70^th Anniversary of the Battle of the Bulge, that we are able to make this contribution. Going forward, with the additional help of Michael Riordan from RIT, e-book formats of The Battle in Common will be available through Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Apple iBooks.

Net proceeds from these sales will also accrue to the Veterans of the Battle of the Bulge, Inc. by way of electronic transfer to a special account, under the control of your treasurer, established for that purpose.

Attached you will also find a photograph of our Book Committee. We were pleased to see an article in the Bulge Bugle this past February recognizing our efforts.  We hope that this photo also finds its way into an upcoming edition of the Bulge Bugle.

We expect that our contribution to your wonderful organization will ensure its continued success in service to our veterans and their families.

Sincerely,

Jerry Beaudin, USA Korea
Max Boudakian, 29th Inf Div
Dave Brookins, USMC Vietnam
Frank Colgan, 87th Inf Div
Tom Hope, Hqs 19th Corps
Michael Riordan, Rochester Institute of Technology

On the 70th anniversary of the end of WWII’s Battle of the Bulge, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs debuts a new video web series.  Living History is documentary-style web series where Veterans of different wars and generations discuss their experiences before, during and after war with each other.

The first web series features four American Veterans who fought and lived through World War II and the Battle of the Bulge.  They met in November 2014 in the WWII History Room at Ft. Meade, Maryland. Surrounded by personal artifacts, uniforms and military memorabilia, they reminisced about their younger days and the brutality of the Ardennes campaign.

Produced by VA’s digital media engagement team within the Office of Public Affairs, Living History: Battle of the Bulge will be released in four parts on the Vantage Point blog, and VA’s social media channels, including YouTube and Facebook.

Living History: Battle of the Bulge features:

• Douglas Dillard was born in 1925, and grew up in Atlanta, Ga., during the Great Depression. He was 16 when he volunteered to join the U.S. Army on July 3, 1942. After training, he was sent to Company A of the 551st Parachute Infantry Battalion. Douglas made his first combat jump on August 15, 1944, in the South of France.
• Alfred Shebab was born in 1919 and grew up in Cape May, N.J. The son of Lebanese immigrants tried to join the free French Army when WWII broke out in Europe, but was stopped by his father. He later joined the U.S. Army in New York and graduated from OCS at Fort Knox in August 1942. He was assigned to the 37th Armored Regiment, 4th Armored Division.
• Mike Levin was born in Nebraska, and lived in Brooklyn, N.Y., and Vermont before joining the Army in 1942.  He served as a lieutenant and artillery forward observer in the 7th Armored Division at the Battle of the Bulge.
• John Schaffner was born in Baltimore, Md., and was drafted right after high school at the age of 18. He served in the 106th Infantry Division beginning in March 1943 until it was reorganized in March 1945. The 106th saw some of the fiercest fighting of the Battle of the Bulge, with two of its three regiments being overrun and surrounded during the first three days of fighting.

Living History: Battle of the Bulge was produced with the assistance of The Veterans of the Battle of the Bulge, a membership organization dedicated to perpetuating the memory of the sacrifices involved during the Battle of the Bulge. To learn more about the Battle of the Bulge, its living Veterans and preserving the history and memory of the battle, visit the Veterans of the Battle of the Bulge website.

Photos are by Robert Turtil, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs
Submitted by Megan Maloney

ABMC web site click here

ABMC Facebook click here2

KSVBOB_Memorial_Bench

Photos by Kevin Diehl