My name is Gerard Roggen and I am Belgian and a historian of the Battle of the Bulge.
I am looking for information about Willie L. Elam, serial number 38043752, who was killed in action near Amonines, Belgian on December 28, 1944. He served in the 3rd Armored Division, 36th Armored Infantry Regiment with his best friend Elmer C. Sherrer who serial number is 3800851.
Both of these men were killed in their jeep at the same place and were buried in a temporary American Cemetery at Fosses-la-Ville near Namur from 1944 in 1947. They now rest in peace in the American Cemetery of Henri-Chapelle.
Since 2002 I have been in contact with the Sherrer’s family. If you knew Willie L. Elam, who was from Mesquite Dallas, Texas please contact me.
Gerard Roggen
#66 Rue Haut-Vent
5070 Fosses La Ville, Belgium
Gerard Roggen at the 3rd Armored Division Memorial – Amonines, BE
The solemn bond between Belgian citizens and the US soldiers, who fought to preserve their freedom, continues today long after the Battle of the Bulge ended. The graves of thousands of those who gave their lives have been adopted, honored and maintained by citizens of Belgium. This thank you card was sent to Beverly Pangborn, an associate member, whose uncle was killed in the battle.
Sixty years after the Battle of the Bulge, veterans make an emotional return to the battlefield. The movie, produced by Brenda Hughes of Wetbird Productions is now being distributed nationally to PBS stations by American Public Television. From November 1st, 2011 to October 31, 2015, MARCHING ONCE MORE will be available to PBS stations for broadcast.
2011 APT TV BROADCASTS – MARCHING ONCE MORE
KVIE Sacramento, CA December 7 8:00pm
SC ETV South Carolina December 4 6:00am
KENW Portales, NM December 12 9:00pm
IPTV Iowa Public TV December 16 8:00pm
WPTD Dayton, Ohio December 16 10:00pm
WPTD Dayton, Ohio December 27 9:00pm
KLVX Las Vegas, NV December 17 9:00pm
The Columbus, GA Visitor and Convention Bureau donated a “paver” to honor the Veterans of the Battle of the Bulge who held their reunion in Columbus from September 20-25, 2011. The “paver” was dedicated at the National Infantry Museum adjacent to Fort Benning on November 11, 2011
Veteran Harry Kirby salutes as the color guard from the Francis Marion Military Academy ROTC retires the colors during the Veterans Day Observance 2011 held at the College of Central Florida in Ocala, Fla., on Tuesday, Nov. 8, 2011. The event was held to honor veterans who participated in the Veterans Project of Marion County, a joint program by the Ocala Star-Banner and the College of Central Florida. by Jacqui Janetzko/Special to the Star-Banner
J. David Bailey, 106th Infantry Division and president of the Veterans of the Battle of the Bulge will be attending the Veterans Day National Ceremony to be held on November 11th at Arlington National Cemetery. The ceremony commences precisely at 11:00 a.m. with a wreath laying at the Tomb of the Unknowns and continues inside the Memorial Amphitheater with a parade of colors by veterans’ organizations and remarks from dignitaries. The ceremony is intended to honor and thank all who served in the United States Armed Forces. Click here for additional details from the U.S. Department of Veterans’ Affairs
VETERANS DAY, 2011
BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
A PROCLAMATION
Today, our Nation comes together to honor our veterans and commemorate the legacy of profound service and sacrifice they have upheld in pursuit of a more perfect Union. Through their steadfast defense of America’s ideals, our service members have ensured our country still stands strong, our founding principles still shine, and nations around the world know the blessings of freedom. As we offer our sincere appreciation and respect to our veterans, to their families, to those who are still in harm’s way, and to those we have laid to rest, let us rededicate ourselves to serving them as well as they have served the United States of America. Click here to read the full Presidential Proclamation
The PowerPoint presentation consists of 96 slides that include battlefield scenes, military cemeteries, insignias of the armies, corps, infantry divisions, airborne divisions, armored divisions and the two US Army air forces. In order to view the presentation your computer must have Power Point software.
Michel Lorquet the teacher of class 4B at the St. Paul School in Liege, Belgium and his students have adopted several graves of US soldiers killed during the Battle of the Bulge.
Michel Lorquet
Class 4B - St Paul School
Michel is an associate member of the Veterans of the Battle of the Bulge and the 84th Infantry Division Association. Read his heart-warming letter addressed to the 84th Infantry Division Association.
On Wednesday, October 12, I participated in a Honor Flight that other members of the 80 Division Veterans Association might find interesting. The day started before dawn at Chicago Midway Airport. The veterans were greeted by Honor Flight volunteers, put in wheelchairs at the curb, if needed, and registered. A fully loaded plane then took off for Washington, D.C. Upon landing, we were greeted by the fire department with a fire hose spray and a group of military and civilians people.
We were put into buses and driven through Washington. First to the Air Force Memorial, had a breakfast box lunch and then back on the bus. We went, to Arlington National Cemetery. watched the changing of the guard and sang the National Anthem. We also saw the Vietnam Memorial and the Korean Memorial. Drove next to the WW II Memorial and watched another changing of the guard. It had been drizzling off and all day long, but ay this time it started to really pour. We then went to the National Air and Space Museum and then back to Dulles. We were given a dinner box lunch and entertained by volunteers with a 1940’s party. Amazingly, our volunteers pushed us in the wheelchairs and stayed with us until we went back on the plane.
Before landing we had another surprise arranged by the Chicago volunteers and our wives and kids! Mail Call. It consisted of letters from family and friends. Deplaning we were welcomed by active duty, reserve, and retired military. Finally meeting our families and friends in a special area .On a Wednesday night after 10 o’clock at night, there were over 3 thousand people there to greet us. It was indeed the parade and welcome we had never received in 1946. A very long day; but one of the best days of my life.
Col. Lionel J. Rothbard, USA Ret.
Company B, 305th Med. Bn.
587th Amb. Co.
Irving Locker, a resident of Florida, who served in the 116th AAA Gun Battalion, VII Corps, 1st Army during the Battle of the Bulge received this prestigious award earlier this year from the French Consulate of Miami, FL. Irving’s story
Veterans who live in Florida can obtain details by clicking on the following links: Application Proposal
Veterans living outside Florida should contact their closest French Consulate for details. Consulates are located in Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, New Orleans, New York, San Francisco and Washington DC.
The Veterans of the Battle of the Bulge at our 30th Annual Reunion were in for a treat! Our registration headquarters was the Hilton Garden Inn and upon arrival were given a wine and cheese reception. A spirit of comradeship soon followed and our organization made a special presentation to Ashley Woitena of the Columbus Convention and Visitors Bureau, for her forbearing spirit in making our visit so worthwhile.
The Veterans and Associate Members of VBOB will cherish the memory of the wreath laying ceremony at Fort Benning, Georgia where an invocation was delivered to perpetuate the memory of the sacrifices made by by those who served during the Battle of the Bulge. Details of the wreath laying ceremony are included in Fort Benning’s newsletter, “The Bayonet” click-here
Fort Benning is well known as a self-sustaining military command and has served as Home of the Infantry since the early 20th century.
Located right outside Fort Benning’s gate we visited the National Infantry Museum and Soldiers’ Center — a Tribute to Heroes. Inside we found a plethora of exhibits including six galleries each representing a different era in Infantry history from the Revolutionary War to the desert wars. This Museum is well designed for self-guided tours and trained docents were stationed through the museum to direct us, answer our questions and enhance our experience.
We Visited the National Prisoner of War Museum, which tells the story of the prisoners of war throughout American history. Located at Andersonville, Georgia this site also includes the infamous Civil War Prison.
Probably the occasion we will most remember was when we departed from our hotel to the Little White House of Franklin D. Roosevelt and his Memorial Museum in Warms Springs, Georgia. We were escorted from our hotel by a large motorcycle brigade of the Patriot Guard of Georgia who stood at attention at the entrance way as we approached the Little White House. David Burke, interpretive park ranger, with the help of others arranged for a memorable day.
Georges A. Hoffman, Honorary Consul, Grand-Duche De Luxembourg and Colonel John W. King III, Commander, Ranger Training Brigade, Fort Benning were our guests at the banquet.
Looking back, travel and change of place imparted new vigor to the minds of we Veterans and Associate Members of VBOB.
Join us in Washington DC from December 14- 16, 2011 to honor all who made the supreme sacrifice by attending wreath laying ceremonies at the World War II Memorial, VBOB Memorial and Tomb of the Unknowns, both located within Arlington Cemetery.
The longtime Weymouth, MA resident was one of many troops who were hurriedly sent to Belgium’s Ardennes Forest in December 1944 to stop a desperate German desperate offensive. But Marks was among a handful who took a secret weapon – radar.
Now 88, he fought the war as a radar operator with the 126th AAA (anti-aircraft artillery) battalion, one of a few special Army units stationed in England and then Antwerp, Belgium, to shoot down German V-1 rockets.
