I personally, am in a perpetual battle of the bulge, but that isnt what this post is about! lol
For years I have driven past these signs on nearly a daily basis without having the foggiest notion of where/what the monument was! I was in need of a first for the week so I decided to explore. I am so glad that I did!
Turns out the monument is on the campus of Vally Forge Military Academy (Specifically its on Eagle Rd. along side of the parking lot.) Siri (my Iphone BFF) had no idea what I was trying to find. I ended up googling it and finally found someone else who had posted about his visit and I stumbled upon it. (Shout out to Scott @ http://www.scottmanning.com/content/bulge-monument-valley-forge/ )
The Battle of the Bulge (16 December 1944 – 25 January 1945) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_the_Bulge
The battle is significant in the course of World War II because it is seen by most as Hitler’s last major offensive. The battle was intended to split Allied lines and force negotiated peace, but the American forces were able to contain the battle! The Germans lost so many troops and equipment that they couldnt launch another attack on the Allied forces. The Battle of the Bulge is most significant because, in essence it brought about the end of the war.
Really interesting stories from the soldiers themselves in the PBS link below.
On the monument itself is a quote from Winston Churchill
“This is undoubtedly the greatest American battle of the war, and will, I believe be regarded as an ever famous American victory.”
Though I found differing statistics on how many troops were involved and how many casualties, All sources I read agreed on the importance of the war and the sever loss of life.
The other interesting thing I uncovered while digging around is that Hitler may have had a son. http://www.hitlerschildren.com/article/591-did-hitler-have-children Jean-Marie Loret, claims his mother had an affair with Hitler when she was 16 and he was the result. He wrote a memoir, Your Father's Name was Hitler, which is where he discusses what his mother said about his father before she died. Facts are still being validated. He died in 1985 but was survived by children. I wonder if we will ever know. #battleofthebulge #hitlerschildren
":I personally, am in a perpetual battle of the bulge, but that isnt what this post is about!"
ReplyDeleteOh, I cackled aloud at that line, Helene. Me too, sister. Me too.
I love this idea of "firsts" that you're doing. Didn't know a ton about the Battle of the Bulge, but I did seem to recall the casualties were staggering.