General George S.Patton Sub-Chapter of the Mid-Palatinate Chapter

Requesting Prayers for an Exceptional Dog on His Birthday, Uncelebrated and Unnoticed Read more about Requesting Prayers for an Exceptional Dog on His Birthday, Uncelebrated and Unnoticed

🇺🇸 𝗣𝗥𝗢𝗚𝗥𝗔𝗠𝗠𝗘 𝗗𝗨 𝗡𝗨𝗧𝗦 𝗪𝗘𝗘𝗞-𝗘𝗡𝗗 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟮 🇺🇸
𝗦𝗮𝗺𝗲𝗱𝗶 𝟭𝟬 𝗱é𝗰𝗲𝗺𝗯𝗿𝗲 :
- ouverture de 9h30 à 18h.
- de 10h à 12h : le vétéran 𝗩𝗶𝗻𝗰𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗦𝗣𝗘𝗥𝗔𝗡𝗭𝗔 nous fera à nouveau l'honneur de sa présence.
Séance de dédicace de son livre 'Nuts' que vous pourrez vous procurer dans notre boutique.
𝗗𝗶𝗺𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗵𝗲 𝟭𝟭 𝗱é𝗰𝗲𝗺𝗯𝗿𝗲 :
- ouverture de 9h30 à 18h.
- 11h : cérémonie en l'honneur de plusieurs vétérans dont 𝗚𝗲𝗼𝗿𝗴𝗲 𝗠𝗘𝗥𝗭 qui proposera également des dédicaces de son livre.
𝗗𝘂𝗿𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝘁𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗹𝗲 𝘄𝗲𝗲𝗸-𝗲𝗻𝗱 :
- mini bourse militaria
- stand boissons chaudes (vin, café, chocolat..) sous tente chauffée
- barbecue américain
Nous vous attendons nombreux!!

Thank you to all veterans! 🇺🇸

The NUTS weekend 2022 at Bastogne is coming closer!

New photos provided by the 101 Airborne museum at Bastogne

December and the Battle of the Bulge commemorations are coming closer. The 101 Airborne Museum as the largest private museum of it's kind has provided some new photos. And: there is a new, large display at the museum, located in the room, that has been before the museums shop (ground floor, behind the stairway).
The address: Av. de la Gare 11, 6600 Bastogne, Belgium.

Save the date:

NEW: AUSA 2 years basic membership for free!

As announced on this years European Regions meeting by the AUSA HQ representatives is AUSA now offering a free basic membership as a new opportunity to become a member of the AUSA. Basic members receive complimentary access to Soldier and Family Programs, professional networks, podcasts, and newsletters.
here is the link with all details: https://www.ausa.org/membership/basic?fbclid=IwAR3RbRHcVaufnxIrtD4iIWJw26wpVcojXqkeF8j0DD0htbQk8oCLNutLGnc

Army Secretary Wormuth Kicks Off

Theme for This Year’s Annual Meeting is ‘Building the of 2030’

Read more: https://www.ausa.org/news/army-secretary-wormuth-kicks-ausa-2022

AUSA ANNUAL MEETING 2022!
All details here: https://meetings.ausa.org/annual/2022/

La Fière Bridge Guest House. A Full Service B&B - Houses for Rent in Sainte-Mère-Église, Normandie, France Entire home/apt in Sainte-Mère-Église, France. HISTORICAL SPLENDOR ON HALLOWED GROUND. This 11th century mill built on former Viking settlements became one of Normandy‘s most decisive battle gro...

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Good news from the Ardennes: a closed Battle of the Bulge Museum will be re-opened

Happy Easter! 🐣 🌷

Did you know that U.S. Army Europe and Africa turns 80 this year? Yup, on June 8th, we'll be turning 80 years old.

To celebrate 80 years of being by our Allies' side, we're going to share historical milestones and major accomplishments that have been achieved over the years leading up to the big day. We hope you'll tag along for the ride and help us celebrate.

An Online Museum Shows Life During Wartime The new Museum of American War Letters is making a range of communications from battle zones available.

Worth a visit: the Patton Memorial and Museum at Pilsen

Pilsen is the most Eastern point the U.S. Army liberated in WW2.
The City of Pilsen is honoring General Patton and his 3AD with the memorial, the Museum and a annual Liberation Festival with MV parade.

To be remembered: General Douglas MacArthur "Duty Honor Country" speech at West Point, 1962

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A6vqacqH04o

General Douglas MacArthur "Duty Honor Country": Pop Up Video No copyright infringement intended. Painting Courtesy of Paul Steuke http://www.paulsteucke.com/ Painting Courtesy of Alan Moore Soundtracks used: https://ww...

January 16, 1945. Though the Battle of the Bulge was now in its final stage of pressing the Germans back to their start line near the Our River and West Wall fortifications, the Allied High Command still remained concerned about the possibility of enemy attacks in areas south of the Bulge.

Orders were sent by division to each of the combat commands to place units on alert at all times. Brigadier General Dager of CCB selected A/53, D/37, and A/22 as the units that would satisfy the requirement for his combat command. Brigadier General Earnest selected B/35 and B/10 for CCA. For Colonel Wendell Blanchard's CCR, B/51 was selected and given the specific task of being prepared for a possible German airborne attack (the Allied high command continued to over-estimate German capabilities...but given the rude shock they received on December 16, it is difficult even in hindsight to find fault).

The balance of the division fell into full stride in the training of replacement troops. The Fourth Armored's 144th Armored Signal Company began daily classes for the new radiomen. Firing ranges were constructed so that replacements could sharpen their performance with a variety of weapons. the 10th Armored Infantry Battalion's S-3 (Captain Baum) visited the command post of the 35th Tank Battalion to coordinate the joint use of a firing range.

Major General Gaffey visited the command post of the 37th Tank Battalion, at which time he presented Lt. Colonel Abrams with a second Oak Leaf Cluster to the Silver Star in recognition of his performance during the Bastogne operation. Even better news for the entire battalion was the granting of passes to Paris for a fortunate 18 enlisted men and six officers (they would depart the following day).

And like the rest period in October, shower facilities were established, church services scheduled, and entertainment brought to the troops (as always, movies being the most frequent diversion). Having repaired the generator, the men of the 10th Armored Infantry Battalion were able to finally attend the movie "San Diego, I Love You." The shower facility for the 10th AIB was located in Mann, Luxembourg, and required troops to be trucked to and from their billets. While there, they were issued clean underclothes and socks.

Mail was catching up to the men in greater numbers, and the 51st AIB scribe noted that that, along with hot meals, the letters and packages went a long way toward raising morale.

Pictured: Patrols from the First and Third US Armies meet near Houffalize, signaling the start of the next phase of the Battle of the Bulge.

On this day in 1776, General George Washington makes a harrowing trip across the Delaware River, in the dead of night. The tremendous feat came just when it was needed most.

Washington’s army was reeling from a series of crushing defeats: The British had won important battles in New York and had chased Americans across New Jersey. Early in December, a defeated American army had narrowly escaped across the Delaware River.

That river provided a barrier from further British attacks, at least for the moment, because Washington had ensured the destruction of every boat for miles around.

It was then that British General William Howe made a decision with serious ramifications for the British war effort. The weather had become much worse, and Howe decided to retire to winter quarters in New York City. He left behind a series of outposts in New Jersey to protect the ground he’d won.

Washington did not realize that Howe was gone (or he may have thought that it was simply a trick). He had roughly 6,000 men fit for duty, but many of those enlistments would end on New Year’s Day. He needed to recruit new soldiers or inspire the old ones to stay. The year had gone badly, and he needed to end it on a high note. On Christmas Eve, he met with his officers, and they finalized the details of a surprise attack. The army would go back across the Delaware in three different locations. The men would march to Trenton during the early morning hours, and they would attack before sunrise.

Washington’s army began its crossing on Christmas night. One of the American officers, Henry Knox, later described the “almost infinite difficulty” created by the icy conditions in the Delaware River. Making matters worse, a northeaster sprang up during the night. The bad news was that it made the crossing more difficult; the good news was that it covered up any noise created by the Americans.

Amazingly, the army managed to cross—even getting horses and cannon across the river. Yet conditions were so difficult that the army completed its crossing 3 hours later than planned. Washington knew the element of surprise might be difficult to achieve if his troops arrived after sunrise, but he determined to push on anyway. They had come too far to turn back now.

Washington could not know that the officers in charge of the other two crossings along the Delaware had called off their own troops, deeming the crossing too difficult. Washington’s planned three-pronged attack was down to only one.

The army pushed on relentlessly, through snow and ice. Knox would later write that the march was made “with the most profound silence.” Another lieutenant later wrote that Washington rode among the men, repeatedly telling them: “For God’s sake keep with your officers.” The weather was so severe that two men literally froze to death during the course of the night.

The army reached its destination, outside Trenton, at about 8 a.m. on December 26, three hours later than planned and one full hour after sunrise. Could the element of surprise be maintained?

Tomorrow’s post will tell you what happened next. ;)

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December 21, 1944. It was now evident that the Germans had cut off all roads leading into Bastogne. By virtue of nothing more than luck, CCB/4 had not collided with the German forces advancing south of Bastogne before being pulled back to the south in order to attack in tandem with CCA. It was even more miraculous that during the time in between Task Force Ezell had arrived and later departed Bastogne, the leading German elements had crossed their path.

How might the Battle of the Bulge changed had Brigadier General Dager's Combat Command B remained in place? It is a topic ripe for analysis and debate. But it was and is a moot point. The fog of war and high level of confusion within the Allied command combined to ensure the roads leading south and southwest from Bastogne would be severed by elements of the German 26th VG Division, 5th FJ Division, and the Panzer Lehr. It would take several days and over 1000 casualties before the Fourth Armored Division would reoccupy the ground they held on the 19th and 20th of December.

At 1600 hours on the 21st, Major Albin Irzyk (8th Tank Battalion) and Major Harold Cohen (10th Armored Infantry Battalion) received their orders for the forthcoming operation. They would attack north along a secondary road system that ran roughly parallel with and to the west of the primary Arlon-Bastogne highway (CCA's axis of advance was centered on that highway). CCR would be held in reserve, ready to exploit whichever of the two routes appeared most promising.

The start line for CCB was approximately five miles farther north than CCA's, and it was anticipated that Dager's command would be the first to establish contact with the 101st Airborne at Bastogne. A key waypoint for Dager was the small village of Chaumont. Once he reached that point, it would be only four miles farther until reaching the 101st Airborne.

As the night progressed, orders were passed down to all of the units of CCB. They had the benefit of one last night of decent rest before heading off in the morning on what would prove to be for most of the men their most difficult assignment of the war.

Brigadier General Earnest's mission orders for CCA were straightforward: Drive up the Arlon-Bastogne highway and reach the 101st Airborne. This highway was the highest quality road in the region. Securing it would be vital for any attack continuing beyond Bastogne. Given its importance, one would expect it be the most contested route facing Patton's vanguard. But simply driving an armored column seventeen miles north along the highway would not be enough; sufficient terrain had to be cleared both east and west of the road to ensure the safe passage of troops and supplies following behind CCA. The biggest challenge would be to the east, given that CCB was driving on a parallel axis to the west, thus squeezing the German defenders pinched between the two combat commands.

The most significant waypoint between CCA's assembly area and Bastogne was the large town of Martelange. The town is built astride the Sure River, with the majority of the development on the north side of the river. Surrounding forested hills and the river itself offered significant advantages to the Germans, should they decide to make a stand there.

On the 21st, CCA formed two task forces. TF Alanis (Major Dan Alanis, CO of the 51st Armored Infantry Battalion) departed from Toernich at 1820 hours and advanced on the left. Traveling at night presented challenges, and the column was slowed when several vehicles slid off the road. TF Oden (Lt. Colonel Delk Oden, CO of the 35th Tank Battalion) advanced on the right, with A Troop of the 25th Cavalry Recon Squadron screening farther to the east. Both columns halted later that night near the town of Attert, approximately five miles north of Arlon. Still well south of Martelange, there was no contact with the enemy.

As for CCR, they spent the day closing in on the tail of CCA, and ended the day near Arlon. It was this day that the 53rd Armored Infantry Battalion was reassigned from CCA to Colonel Wendell Blanchard's combat command. Combined with the 37th Tank Battalion and later that night, the 94th Armored Field Artillery Battalion, Blanchard had a combat command nearly equal in strength to CCA and CCB. In addition to the three primary battalions, he had at his disposal C Company of the 24th Armored Engineers, the 704th TD Battalion (-A), D Battery of the 489th AAA SP Battalion, C, D, and E Troops of the 25th Armored Cavalry Recon Squadron, the 995th Engineer Battalion (- two platoons), and C Battery of the 177th Field Artillery Battalion. For now, they would remain in reserve as potential reinforcements for either CCA or CCB.

Pictured: Pfc McGray of the 24th Armored Engineer Battalion

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Anyone wishing to attend the Battle of the Bulge 75th Anniversary Ceremony in Luxembourg Monday, Dec. 16, must RSVP at https://maee.gouvernement.lu no later than 10 a.m. Friday, Dec. 13.