BOBA Historian Jim Triesler, Crater Chapter President Mary Ann Coates Smith, and Bulge Bugle editor Leon Reed represented BOBA at the World War II community event in Midlothian, VA on June 8. Jim Triesler organized the program and made several presentations, which focused on individual experiences during the war. Leon Reed and his wife, Lois Lembo, staffed an exhibit table for BOBA and made a presentation on the role of the 80th division in closing the southern end of the Bulge and breaking the siege of Bastogne. Mary Ann Coates Smith staffed a table of WWII artifacts, including material about her father, James Coates, who was killed in the Malmedy Massacre.
Betsy Rose (left) and Mary Ann Coates Smith (right)
We apologize for the delivery problems with the Fall 2022 Bulge Bugle issue. Our printer delivered the inventory of magazines to the post office right on schedule on December 5, and the magazines seem at that point to have departed this sphere for a different dimension. We have worked diligently with the post office to try to figure out what happened and locate the copies. However, the post office has been only minimally cooperative and seems helpless to deal with a lost delivery.
Theoretically, this should have been impossible. Our mailing service attached bar codes to all the magazines, which meant the postal service should have been able to locate them with a few keystrokes. We will continue to pursue this, but we are not optimistic.
Meanwhile, all members with an e-mail on file have received an electronic copy via the December e-blast that was sent. We are also providing a link here for easy access. We know this is not the same but it does at least give members a copy to page through. All BOBA members continue to have access to our most recent issues (via link provided in member e-blasts) as well as everyone has access to further back issues going back to 1982 on our website.
A second printing is cost prohibitive, however several board members have made generous contributions to underwrite a small quantity to deliver to as many veteran members as possible. Also, to avoid future problems, we are changing our process to deliver to a different postal location. Again, we sincerely apologize for any inconvenience this has caused and thank you for your continued support and understanding.
In a move that will have special meaning to BOBA members, the American Battlefield Trust announced that it is in negotiations to buy one of the most prominent remaining eyesores intruding on hallowed ground at Gettysburg. The link below describes the Trust’s fundraising campaign.
The property targeted by the Trust holds the Battlefield Theater and the popular restaurant, General Pickett’s Buffet. Those who enjoy Pickett’s will be pleased to know that the restaurant isn’t going away; it’s moving to larger quarters south of town. If the Trust acquires the property, it plans to clear and restore the property (which was near the left flank of Pickett’s Charge and the scene of some sharp skirmishing on July 3, 1863), provide some trails and interpretive signs, and turn it over to the park.
There are several reasons that this news should excite Battle of the Bulge veterans. First, the ground being purchased has several ties with General Eisenhower and World War II. During World War I, the land was part of Camp Colt, a tank training facility commanded by Dwight Eisenhower; during WWII, it served as a German POW camp.
In addition, because they are the largest, bloodiest, and most important battles ever fought by the U.S. army, there is a natural kinship between veterans of these engagements. The massive Bulge battlefield has largely been protected by its rural status, but in Gettysburg, a town with limited land available for development and booming tourist and retiree economies, every parcel of land is at risk of development.
JANUARY 24-26, 2024 | ARLINGTON, VA and WASHINGTON, DC
The Embassy of Belgium will host a reception for our veterans, family and friends on the afternoon of Thursday, January 25, 2024 to commemorate the end of the battle. Also included are 3 wreath-laying ceremonies at the Battle of the Bulge Memorial, Tomb of the Unknown Soldier and WWII Memorial! We will also have a historical program with speakers and hospitality room on the evening of January 24th. Click the itinerary link below for details and register by the January 3rd deadline.
On Saturday June 25th, the U.S. Army Heritage and Education Center (USAHEC) and the Army Heritage Center Foundation will host American Legion Post 405 for a dedication ceremony of a monument to commemorate the service of WWII’s 8th Armored Division.
The dedication ceremony is scheduled for 1:30 p.m. in the Memorial Grove area on the Army Heritage Trail. The public is invited and we hope to see you there!
The 8th Armored Division landed in Europe on January 5, 1945. Initial operations of the unit were to stop German advances during the Battle of the Bulge. The division subsequently participated in the Rhineland, Ardennes-Alsace, and Central Europe campaigns.
𝐉𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐑𝐮𝐬𝐞𝐫, 95 years old, was a combat medic assigned to the 12th Infantry Regiment of the 4th Infantry Division. He landed on D-Day and participated in the Battle of Hurtgen Forest and the Battle of the Bulge. He is a member of American Legion Post 405 and Veterans of the Battle of the Bulge, Delaware Valley Chapter at the Chapel of the 4 Chaplains.
𝐁𝐞𝐧𝐣𝐚𝐦𝐢𝐧 𝐁𝐞𝐫𝐫𝐲, 99 years old, served in the Quartermaster Corps assigned to the 3rd Army. He landed in Normandy on D+22 and provided logistical support to the forward troops for the rest of the war. He is a member of American Legion Post 405 and Veterans of the Battle of the Bulge, Delaware Valley Chapter at the Chapel of the 4 Chaplains.
Click here the press release for more information.
The battle of Ettelbruck had to reach its highest point. The winter weather was very cold. At 7 o’clock in the morning, heavy battery fire started for half an hour.
TODAY, ETTELBRÜCK WILL BE TAKEN BY ASSAULT, declared the American units that had taken position on the heights of the Nuck.
The assault broke out again to the west of the city. The site of Gzrenzingen, one kilometer from the city, was nothing more than an armored fortress. About 27 of these monsters were in the farms. Pipes were coming out of all the openings of the building.
In turn, the heavy guns from Colmar, Bissen Vichten and Vom Rost hit the German-occupied heights around Ettelbruck.
By 10:00 a.m. the battle was in full swing, the weather was clearing, and on both sides of Ettelbruck fighter planes were attacking German-occupied positions in and around the city.
The American artillery fire gradually became unbearable for the rest of the inhabitants of Ettelbruck, who had to stay in the cellars.
The fighter-bombers supported the artillery and its squadrons and destroyed and burned down whole blocks of houses on Christmas night.
For the town of Ettelbruck, Christmas night was the worst night of all. Many German soldiers surrendered when American units arrived on that terrible, deadly night. Countless innocent soldiers lost their lives in this battle.
Submitted by Jos THOLL, Président of GENERAL PATTON MEMORIAL MEUSEUM
Identify photos from the Patton Museum! – link coming!
A History of West Michigan Chapter (23) 1992 – 2020 – link coming!
Remembering the Battle of the Bugle – link coming!
ARMDD SPOTLIGHT – 8th ARMDD Association “The Thundering Herd”
BOBA Member Ken Mar Receives Gold Medal for Chinese-American Veterans
My Father’s War: Piecing it Together (9 ARMDD 2 TK BN A)
Priceless Gifts (35 INFD)
Brothers In The War (2 INFD)
The 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion
Spotlight on the 106th INFD “Golden Lions”
Stopping the Germans and Saving the Bees – Vernon Brantley (75 INFD 289 REG AT CO)
Art Brodin (87 INFD, 549 AAA BN) RECEIVES HIS MEDALS 75 YEARS LATER
Bulge Memories from Lionel Adda (99 INFD 393 INF D), J. David Bailey (106 INFD 422 REG F), Harold Grant Stoops (80 INFD 317 REG C), Harold W. Kimmel (212 QM LAUNDRY PLATOON), Raymond Wenning (30 INFD 117 REG A). Douglas Harvey (84 INFD 334 REG 1 BN HQ) Thomas E. Hoke (87 INFD 312 MED BN C)
More Bulge Memories from 99 INFD, 83 INFD, 80 INFD and 9 AIR FORCE!
The following is content featured in the latest Bulge Bugle®.
The 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion
Spotlight on the 106th INFD “Golden Lions”
Stopping the Germans and Saving the Bees – Vernon Brantley (75 INFD 289 REG AT CO)
Art Brodin (87 INFD, 549 AAA BN)RECEIVES HIS MEDALS 75 YEARS LATER
Bulge Memories! – J. David Bailey (106 INFD 422 REG F), Harold Grant Stoops (80 INFD 317 REG C), Harold W. Kimmel (212 QM LAUNDRY PLATOON), Raymond Wenning (30 INFD 117 REG A). Douglas Harvey (84 INFD 334 REG 1 BN HQ) Thomas E. Hoke (87 INFD 312 MED BN C)
To read more stories below from our previous 2021 Bulge Bugle® editions, join our organization.
Arthur L Brodin was born February 22, 1923 and was raised on the family farm between the towns of Firestone and Longmont in Northern Colorado. Arthur was finishing a day of skiing on Berthoud Pass when he heard the news of Pearl Harbor. Arthur had a job delivering anesthesia products that delayed his entrance to the military, but it set him up to become a Surgical Technician in the European Theater.
On December 7, 1941, Japan staged a surprise attack on Pearl Harbor, decimating the US Pacific Fleet. When Germany and Italy declared war on the United States days later, America found itself in a global war.
PFC Brodin enlisted in the Army at Fort Logan, CO on April 22, 1943. After completing a year of training, PFC Brodin was shipped out of NY on October, 1944, and arrived in England a few weeks later. Then came the preparations for D-Day. He found himself in a plywood glider in the dark of night and braced for a crash landing. He was the medic aboard the glider full of a company of engineers with orders to either guard or blast a bridge southwest of Normandy France, depending on whether friends or foes were coming at the bridge.
Soon he re-joined his outfit – the Medical Attachment of the 549th Anti-Aircraft Automatic Weapons Battalion, 87th Infantry Division (“Golden Acorn Division”) and their next destination was Metz, France. As part of Patton’s Third Army, the 87th progressed to the Saar Valley and then to Bastogne where he fought in the Battle of the Bulge. Then to Aachen, Koblenz, Mainz, across the Rhine to Falkenstein (near the Czech border). Just 3 weeks prior to Falkenstein, Art’s unit was one of the divisions that liberated Buchenwald on April 11 – something he will never forget.
The date was May 7, 1945. Art was in Falkenstein, Germany and his division had taken Falkenstein on May 6. He heard the news – Germany had finally surrendered! PFC Brodin was in Falkenstein when the Germans began retreating. There was lots of celebration in the unit and Art wondered, “What’s going to happen to us now?”
Art often thought of home – a place he missed dearly. He missed the family farm – he missed his dad, brother, and sister.So many times, he wondered if he’d ever see them again. So many close calls over a period of 11 months. On that day, May 7, he felt like he WOULD be seeing everyone again – but when? He would have to wait, but one thing he knew – no more fighting. Everyone could put down their arms.
After the war ended, Art was in Antwerp, Belgium to be a part of the Operation Forces. When he was finally on his way home, during the ship transit back to the states, PFC Brodin assisted the ship’s doctor in an emergency removal of a soldier’s appendix. He was honorably discharged on February 5, 1946.
When he arrived home, his thoughts were on resuming life as normally as possible. Like so many others, he wanted to put the war behind him as much as possible. The furthest thing from his mind were medals. He learned that he should have applied for his medals but by the time he learned about that, he thought it was too late. He resumed his life on the farm, married his wife, Luella of 68 years and raised a family of 3children- Phillip, Brenda and Bob.
About a year ago, his son and daughter-in-law learned that it would be possible for Art to get the medals that he deserved. His family followed up and contacted their local Congressman Ken Buck who contacted the Army to obtain the medals. PFC Arthur Brodin received his well-deserved medals on September 26, 2020 (over 75 years after the war ended). His family couldn’t have been more proud of their father, grandfather and great grandfather – their Hero.
George (818 MP CO VIII CORPS) keeps very BUSY and active with the Battle of the Bulge Association (BOBA). Last Fall, George participated in two Livestreams about Battle of the Bulge with BOBA historian Jim Triesler.
Click here to watch George Merzduring BOBA’s first-ever Livestream event in October 2020 (co-sponsored by Va War Memorial and Lifelong Learning Institute in Chesterfield).
Also, check out GEORGE MERZ’s follow-upinterview from December 16, 2020 – the 76th Anniversary of the beginning of the Battle of the Bulge.
Thank you, George, for all you do for B.O.B.A. to educate us on what happened during your service, especially in Bastogne! We hope you have a wonderful and Happy Birthday!
Pictured above: Last Fall, George (at right) took a flight on the Missouri “Show Me” B-25 Bomber in Bowman Field, Louisville, KY. (Photo Credit: Betty Doggendorf)
BOBA lost one of our long-time founding members of the VBOB Lehigh Valley Chapter this week, Lionel Adda (99 INFD 393 REG). Chapter president Steve Savage said, “He was one of the Mainstays in our education program almost from the very beginning and spoke to hundreds of students and adults over the years. We shall miss him, his wit, his guidance, and his friendship.”
Lionel Adda 99 INFD
On his birthday (January 17, 2021), Lionel sent us an article he wrote for our “Bulge Memories” column which is printed in the The Bulge Bugle® Winter magazine. We wish he could have seen it in print, but we are so glad he recorded his experiences so that we could share his memories. Lionel was 99 years old. Condolences to family and all his friends in Lehigh Valley VBOB.
REGISTER by Sept 30thto attend our Annual BOBA Reunion October 21-25, 2021 in Charleston, SC!
Meet Bulge veterans and hear their stories during a guided panel discussion. Attend our annual banquet and wreath-laying ceremony, and tour some of the area’s amazing sites including the Charleston Harbor, The Citadel, USS Yorktown and more! Come join us!
REGISTER for a FREE livestream“The Hurtgen Forest: Prelude to the Battle of the Bulge” on September 21 at 2:00 pm on ZOOM.
Offered by Virginia War Memorial and hosted by BOBA Historian and VWM Education Director Jim Triesler.
The following is content featured in the latest Bulge Bugle®.
The 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion
Spotlight on the 106th INFD “Golden Lions”
Stopping the Germans and Saving the Bees – Vernon Brantley (75 INFD 289 REG AT CO)
Art Brodin (87 INFD, 549 AAA BN)RECEIVES HIS MEDALS 75 YEARS LATER
Bulge Memories! – J. David Bailey (106 INFD 422 REG F), Harold Grant Stoops (80 INFD 317 REG C), Harold W. Kimmel (212 QM LAUNDRY PLATOON), Raymond Wenning (30 INFD 117 REG A). Douglas Harvey (84 INFD 334 REG 1 BN HQ) Thomas E. Hoke (87 INFD 312 MED BN C)
To read more stories below from our previous 2021 Bulge Bugle® editions, join our organization.
In the past few months, our tech-savy BOBA veterans have been busy on the internet! If you missed any of the following Livestreams, they are available for playback at the links. Also available is a documentary!
Watch our first-ever BOBA LIVESTREAM EVENT (co-sponsored by Va War Memorial and Lifelong Learning Institute in Chesterfield). Hear accounts from the following BOBA veterans:
WARREN FISHER (28 INFD 109 REG)details his experiences in another virtual Livestream event (hosted by Virginia War Memorial) with our BOBA Historian Jim Triesler.
IRVING LOCKER(116 AAA Gun Bn)shared his experience as a Staff Sergeant in charge of four 90mm guns and 65 soldiers who managed the guns. This event was hosted by BOBA President of CA Golden Gate Chapter Doris Davis.
Doris Davis, President of the Battle of the Bulge Association, Golden Gate Chapter, and Irving Locker, 116 AAA Gun Bn, 4th Div, VII Corp gave an excellent presentation about the Battle of the Bulge to the Northern California Chapter of the Belgian Club in January 2021.
Doris Davis
It was very well attended by Belgians who remember the stories they heard from their parents and grandparents as well as others who have an interest in the Bulge. James Treisler, Director of Education of the VA War Memorial, contributed maps of the Bulge.
Irving Locker
Irving Locker shared his experience as a Staff Sergeant in charge of four 90mm guns and 65 soldiers who managed the guns. It took that many men to operate the guns because they had to fire a shell every 2.5 minutes. Each shell was 3 feet tall and weighed 45 pounds.
