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(I removed the link which was here because it no longer worked!)

 

Thank you Jim Hennessey!

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More from Jim. He sent this article too!

 

Battle of Bulge Heroes Demonstrated Age-Old Army Values By Donna Miles

American Forces Press Service

 

<span style='color:blue'>CLERVAUX, Luxembourg, Dec. 15, 2004 — The courage, determination and patriotism demonstrated by U.S. soldiers at the Battle of the Bulge are the same qualities exhibited throughout the Army's history and among today's soldiers, an Army official told veterans gathered here today to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the battle.

 

Daniel Denning, principal deputy to the assistant secretary of the Army for manpower and reserve affairs, thanked about 100 veterans of the Battle of the Bulge for their "sacrifice and courage under incredibly difficult conditions."

 

In December 1944, Clervaux was the headquarters of the 28th Division's 110th Regimental Combat Team, which made what Denning called "a valiant stand" that slowed the Germans' advance toward Bastogne.

 

By driving forward with their mission despite being heavily outnumbered and unprepared for the "the coldest and snowiest weather remembered in the Ardennes," Denning said veterans of the Battle of the Bulge continued the tradition begun by the beleaguered American soldiers at Valley Forge.

 

Denning told the veterans the history books don't completely capture the story of what the veterans endured at the Battle of the Bulge. They don't tell about the nights shivering in the cold, with soldiers' hands almost frozen to their weapons, with wet boots and cold K rations, he said. Similarly, they don't explain the bitter desperation of this battle and the unbelievable tenacity of the combatants.

 

"The Nazi attack and the frigid weather were some of the toughest conditions endured by the American Army," Denning told the group.

 

Denning said victory at the Battle of the Bulge isn't a story of the success of American arms. It's a story of "values of the soldiers, commitment to freedom, courage, duty and determination that made these men great," he said. "When they were surrounded and facing what must have seemed like certain defeat, they stood their ground and did their duty," he said.

 

Denning's father, Pvt. Daniel Burke, was among the heroes of the Battle of the Bulge. Burke, who served with the 84th Infantry Division, had been assigned to a replacement depot in Holland when the Germans launched their surprise attack on Dec. 16, 1944. He and his fellow soldiers rushed in to help hold the northern shoulder of the "bulge" in the U.S. lines until they were relieved in Bastogne, Denning said.

 

One month after the Battle of the Bulge, Burke was killed in Dovern, Germany, during 9th Army's push through the German's Siegfried Line meant to halt the Allied advance into Germany. His unit's mission was to attack across the Roer River and swing toward Koln, Denning said.

 

Denning, who was just 4 months old when his father died, said he and his 84- year-old mother, Frances Burke Denning Miller, plan to visit his father's grave in the Netherlands American Cemetery in Margraten, Holland, during the 60th anniversary commemoration.

 

He said it's important to honor the veterans of the battle and to remember those who made the ultimate sacrifice to end the spread of Nazism in Europe. In doing so, he said they helped uphold the Army's proud tradition and set the example soldiers continue to live up to today.

 

Denning said the what became "common virtues" among soldiers at the Battle of the Bulge have become "the hallmarks of the values our Army today upholds and has upheld for over 229 years."


Hello my name is Martin and I'm from Luxembourg.

I was at the ceremony at the US cemetery in Lux.-Hamm on the 16 december and shot some photos and want to share them with you.

If you would like to see them click on the link below

Martin

 

http://picasaweb.google.com/rennog/UsCemeterySandweiller


A warm welcome Martin. Thanks so much for your post and for the link of photos. Greatly appreciated. It's the next best thing to being there! :glasses2:

 

Just wanted to add that you did a really nice job. Can I ask how cold it was? It looks darned cold. I love the photo of the jeep too against the icy trees. Brrrr!


:D Hello Marion you're welcome, yes it was cold but not as cold as it were in 1944 the temp. was around 0 degrees celsius but do to the fog it feeled like minus 10.

You are doing a great job with your homepage I have found the link to your homepage in a message fom Arthur Morneweck at the world war II veterans webboard.

If I can do or if you need something from my area I be glad to help you and this offer is for every one.

Hey by the way send me your home adress on my email adress and I will send you something from Luxembourg.

 

Martin

 

Ps. My english isn't the best so excuse my faults. ;)


You give yourself too little credit. Your English is pretty darned good! :clappin:

 

If you go to the Contact Page, I have my all my info there including my address. Gee I can't wait to see what you send. That is very, very sweet of you. You just made my day. :D

 

Thanks for the compliments on the site and thank you for your kind offer of assistance to me and to our VI Corps family.

 

Boy it feels like the weather during the Bulge here today. We have broken the record for cold here in Michigan yesterday and today. Right now it's about 5 degrees Fahrenheit. Last night it got down to about 20 below!! And now it's snowing. Whew. :wacko: I don't even like being out in it for a few minutes, let alone days or weeks. I still can't imagine!

 

Take care and thanks for joining.


:D Hello and thanks for your kind words, I added a new album with photos from the 10 september 2004 "On that day 60 years earlier the Us army liberated Luxembourg" I hope you enjoy them.

Marion do you have a dvd player if yes I'll send you the movie's I've made from different ceremonys. ??

It rained over here the last days tonight it was around minus 7 and now it's still minus 5 it's better to stay inside then outside, what they endured 60 years ago in our woods is very hard to imagine.

Have a nice day seeya.

 

Martin


Martin:

 

Yes, I do have a DVD player. That would be awesome. Thanks so much. :D

 

Another good day to stay inside... :o


Thanks for the pics !

Filip


Hi again from Lux :D ,

I saw that I had some room left for more photos so I added some from Normandy in my album.

The 6 june 2001 was the presentation of the movie Band of Brothers at the Utah beach in Normandy and I was lucky to see Dick Winters, Wild Bill and others but unlucky enough we didn't knew that this will happen that day and we knew nothing about Band of Brothers at that time but nontheless it was a great day to see all this veterans and all the actors from the movie. " I'd recognized only Tom Hanks and David Schwimmer that day"

In hope that you like them.

 

Martin B)

 

Marion's note: Martin has posted a corrected link below. Yahoo changed their format, so he's had to revamp many of this links on our forum. Thanks!


I think I can speak for everyone when I say thank you for being a part of our little community here (but growing) and sharing your thoughts and your great photos with all of us. All I can say is, keep them coming. We love them. :D;)

 

Thank you, thank you and please keep posting. It's always nice hearing from you.

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