On December 18 and 19, 2004 the Battle of the Bulge was commemorated at Bastogne, Belgium. The last huge battle from Nazi-Germany against the Allied Forces started this week, 60 years ago.
In December 1944 the Germans started one more time a big offensive in Belgium trying to stop the Allies. More than one million soldiers were involved in a fierce combat for 6 weeks. When the Germans started that counter offensive at the end of 1944, Belgium almost was completely liberated.
Hitler had gathered together his best armoured divisions and wanted to attack the US Army in the flank. In the Ardennes his troops fought against the relative weak US troops.
They had no chance.
The Battle of the Bulge was Hitler's attempt to cut off and to destroy the Allied forces North of the line Bastogne-Brussels -Antwerp and to eliminate Antwerp as the Allied harbor.
By separate the US and British troops from each other and by cutting them off from their supplies harbor, Hitler hoped to extort negotiations with the West to keep the German territory.
Historians still don't know what the dictator's thoughts were because a complete success of his plan would be impossible.
For the US Army is was the most fierce battle from their history. The Allied Forces had 10.000 KIA's, 20.000 wounded men and 35.000 prisoners of war.

The Germans had 7000 men kia and 13.000 wounded. 40.000 Germans became prisoner of war. Bastogne was destroyed almost completely.

The official part of the ceremony was attended his Royal Highness King Albert II.(far right)
King Albert is in an animated conversation with Rose Dewing Young, a US nurse who served with thet 130th General Hospital in Ciney (Belgium) during the Battle of the Bulge.
Together with Bob Lott, veteran of the 327 GIR, and his son Rob I was part of the 4 days of festivities in Bastogne and attended some commemorations and some places that were important to Bob during WWII.

Earl Hart, Chairman of the Association Veterans of the Battle of the Bulge

It was cold, foggy and a little bit snow had fallen.

For the veterans a stand was build were they also could use a warm blanket.

There was a wreath laying by the Mayor of Bastogne (Mr. Collart) and three representatives of the Association Veterans of the Battle of the Bulge.

On December 16, 2004 in the afternoon there was a commemoration at the US War Cemetery at HAMM Luxembourg.

The veterans were welcomed at a snowy and foggy cemetery

Also present were the Grand-Duc and Grand-Duchesse from Luxembourg and J. Dennis Hastert 'speaker of the house'.

The commemoration was held in a releaxed atmosphere. The Royal Family from Luxembourg had unconstrained conversations with some of the veterans while walking between the many white crosses.