American Experience (1988) s07e05 Episode Script

1
DECEMBER 1944
HITLER WAGES ONE LAS
DESPERATE ATTACK.
Man:
IT'S REALLY HARD TO BELIEVE,
BUT IT IT HAPPENED.
Man 2:
WE HAD BEEN SURPRISED
AND WERE IN TROUBLE.
THE BLOODIEST BATTLE
IN AMERICAN HISTORY.
Man 3:
THEY WERE, LIKE,
HUGGING EACH OTHER
AND JUST SHIVERING
FROM FROM SCARED.
I NEVER HAVE SEEN
SUCH A THING BEFORE.
Man 4:
BECAUSE AFTER YOU'RE
IN COMBAT AWHILE
DYING IS A LOT EASIER
THAN LIVING.
"BATTLE OF THE BULGE,"
TONIGHT ON AMERICAN EXPERIENCE.
AMERICAN EXPERIENCE WITH
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TO YOUR PBS STATION FROM:
Man:
NATURE IS NOT A FRIEND.
IT IS AN ADVERSARY.
AND YET YOU MUST ADMIRE
THE BEAUTY OF I
AND ALSO YOU MUS
ADMIRE THE DANGER.
IT IS SO EFFICIENT AS A DANGER.
Man:
BOTH THE ENEMY AND THE WEATHER
COULD KILL YOU
AND THE TWO OF THEM TOGETHER
WERE A PRETTY
DEADLY COMBINATION.
Man:
THE SNOW WAS VERY, VERY HEAVY.
THE COLD WAS DOWN AROUND ZERO.
THE FOG WAS DENSE,
SO YOU REALLY COULDN'T SEE
MUCH BEYOND GRENADE RANGE.
Man:
AT NIGHT IT WAS SO QUIET.
ANYTHING THAT MADE NOISE,
YOU COULD HEAR IT.
THE STILLNESS, AND THE SNOW
SORT OF INSULATED EVERYTHING
AND THEN, TOO,
THE TREES WERE THICK
AND YOU COULDN'T SEE VERY FAR.
YOU WERE LUCKY IF YOU COULD SEE,
SOMETIMES, 20 OR 30 FEET.
Man:
THERE'S NOTHING OUT THERE
IN THE WOODS AND THE TREES
THAT HAVE ANY COMPASSION
TOWARDS ME.
Man:
IT SEEMS LIKE THAT YOU'RE
IN THIS DEADLY STRUGGLE
UNDER MISERABLE CONDITIONS
AND THE WHOLE UNIVERSE
IS UNITED AGAINST YOU.
Narrator:
IN AUGUST OF 1944, AS AMERICAN
G.I.s SWEPT INTO PARIS
A GRUESOME WINTER CAMPAIGN
SEEMED UNIMAGINABLE.
GENE DERRICKSON OF THE 28th
DIVISION WROTE HOME TO HIS WIFE:
"THE ROADS WE JOURNEY NOW AND
WE ARE TRAVELING FAST ON FOOT
"ARE LITTERED WITH NAZI
EQUIPMENT, BURNED AND DESTROYED.
"ALONG THE ROAD, I'VE EATEN
BLACKBERRIES, CARROTS
"APPLES AND PEARS.
THEN A GOOD NIGHT'S SLEEP,
SOFT SLEEPING, ON FLAX."
( band playing
the "Marseillaise")
FOUR MONTHS BEFORE
THE BATTLE OF THE BULGE
DERRICKSON AND HIS DIVISION
LED THE PARADE THROUGH PARIS
PAST THE REVIEWING STAND
WHERE THE BRASS STOOD
AND WHERE THE BRASS STOOD
WAS CLEAR.
HITLER WAS NOW ON THE RUN.
IKE HAD A STANDING BET: THE WAR
WOULD BE DONE BY CHRISTMAS.
Man:
TO BE PRESENT WHEN THIS
TRIUMPHAL MARCH TOOK PLACE
WAS AS THOUGH IT WAS A REWARD
FOR VICTORIES WON
AND THE ENEMY DEFEATED.
PEOPLE WERE HUGGING AND KISSING
AND GIVING PEOPLE THINGS.
IT WAS A KIND OF A DELIRIUM.
( the "Marseillaise" continues)
Man:
THE TROOPS CAME DOWN
THE CHAMPS-ELYSEES
AND PROGRESSED
TO THE PLACE DE LA CONCORDE
AND WE ALTERNATED PLAYING
MARCHES WITH THE FRENCH BAND.
THERE WAS JUST WALL-TO-WALL
PEOPLE EVERYWHERE
AND THEY WERE CHEERING
AND GRABBING THE SOLDIERS
AND HUGGING THEM.
Man:
IT WAS BEAUTIFUL.
Narrator:
AFTER FIVE HARD YEARS OF WAR
THE ALLIES HAD WON BACK
CASABLANCA AND TRIPOLI
NAPLES AND ROME,
CHERBOURG AND SAINT LO.
THE LIST OF VICTORIES
SEEMED TO GROW EACH DAY.
Man:
IT LOOKED TO US AS THOUGH WE
HAD CERTAINLY TURNED A CORNER.
WE WERE NOW SO TRIUMPHANT.
AND OUR SHOW OF STRENGTH
AND OF MORAL POSITION
AND MORAL STRENGTH WAS SO
ASTONISHING, SO INSPIRING.
IT WAS VERY HARD
TO BE OBJECTIVE ABOUT IT.
ONE AFTERNOON, I WAS SITTING
HAVING A GLASS OF WINE
AND WATCHING OUR
TRAFFIC STREAM BY
JUST A STEADY PROCESSION
OF TANKS, TRUCKS, TANK CARRIERS
UNBROKEN FOR HOURS,
LOADED WITH TROOPS
AND EVERYTHING UNDER
THE UNDER THE SUN.
IT WAS A FEELING THAT,
BY GOLLY, ANY NATION
THAT CAN PRODUCE
ALL OF THESE THINGS
SHIP THEM ALL THE WAY
ACROSS THE ATLANTIC
ALL THE WAY ACROSS FRANCE
AND CHASE THE GERMAN
THIS WAS A COUNTRY
THAT COULD DO ANYTHING.
WE HAD A GRAND RIDE
RIGHT ACROSS FRANCE.
WE WERE NOT HELD UP ANYWHERE
AND WE WENT ALL THE WAY
ON TO THE SIEGFRIED LINE.
THE GERMAN WAS RUNNING
VERY, VERY HARD.
Narrator:
ONCE THE GESTAPO
WAS USHERED OUT OF PARIS
ALLIED STAFF OFFICERS
AND WAR CORRESPONDENTS
RECLAIMED THE BAR AT THE RITZ.
RESTAURANTS REOPENED,
FASHION SHOWS CAME BACK.
WOMEN COULD HOPE
FOR SILK STOCKINGS AGAIN.
THE WAR DEPARTMENT WAS SHIFTING
TROOPS OVER TO THE PACIFIC.
FOR THE FIRST TIME IN YEARS
U.S. PRODUCTION OF TANKS,
SHIPS AND AMMUNITION
WAS ALLOWED TO DIP.
( officer speaking German)
Man:
FROM LATE OCTOBER THROUGH
NOVEMBER AND EARLY DECEMBER
THEY WERE BUILDING UP
FOR THIS ATTACK.
THEIR PRODUCTION LEVEL
REACHED ITS HIGHES
IN THE FALL AND WINTER OF 1944,
SO HOW DID THEY DO THAT?
I'M TALKING ABOUT TANKS,
ARTILLERY, TRUCKS, AMMUNITION.
THEY WERE CRANKING IT OU
IN THESE UNDERGROUND FACTORIES
THAT HAD SOMEHOW EVADED
OUR AIR FORCE.
Narrator:
THE GERMAN COUNTERATTACK
WAS CONCEIVED AND PLANNED
BY ONE MAN:
THE REICHSFUEHRER, ADOLF HITLER.
HITLER WAS, BY HIS OWN LIGHTS,
A MAN OF DESTINY.
FOR HIM, GERMANY'S SUFFERING
WAS MERELY A TEST OF ITS WILL.
HE'D SEEN FOUR MILLION
GERMANS KILLED, WOUNDED
OR TAKEN PRISONER.
NO MATTER.
HE WOULD CREATE A NEW ARMY,
WITH A FANCY NAME:
THE PEOPLE'S INFANTRY,
THE VOLKSGRENADIER.
WHAT IT WAS WAS AN ARMY
OF CRIPPLES AND CONVICTS
CHILDREN AND GRANDFATHERS
BUT THE FUHRER WAS
IN A STATE OF EUPHORIA.
HIS VOLKSGRENADIER WOULD JOIN
THE VERY BEST TROOPS HE HAD,
THE WAFFEN S.S.
IN A SURPRISE ATTACK
IN THE WEST.
"EVERYTHING MUST BE SET ASIDE
FOR THIS," HITLER CONFIDED.
"IT WILL LEAD TO COLLAPSE
AND PANIC AMONG AMERICANS."
HITLER KNEW THAT SOMETHING
WAS WRONG BACK IN OCTOBER
SEPTEMBER, OCTOBER, HE KNEW
THAT HE WAS LEAKING.
ORDERS THAT HE GAVE
WERE REACHING THE ALLIES.
HE THOUGHT HE HAD SPIES
IN HIS STAFF
BUT HE DID THE ONE THING
THAT MADE IT IMPOSSIBLE
TO DO ANYTHING WITH IT,
AND THAT IS, SHUT UP
RADIO SILENCE, IN EFFECT.
AND WHEN IT STOPPED COMING
IT JUST HAPPENED TO STOP COMING
IN A PERIOD WHEN WE FIGURED
WELL, THERE ISN'
ANYTHING TO SAY.
THESE GUYS ARE LOSERS.
WE HAD A PRECONCEPTION
THAT THEY WERE UNABLE
TO LAUNCH A COUNTERATTACK
AND THEY DID EVERYTHING THEY
COULD TO MAKE US BELIEVE THA
SO YOU COULD SAY IT WAS A CASE
OF SELF-DELUSION ON OUR PART.
( bombs whistling)
Narrator:
ALLIED PLANES WERE
BOMBING BERLIN AT WILL.
( explosions)
THE RUSSIANS WERE DESTROYING
THE WEHRMACHT IN THE EAST.
THERE WAS SPECULATION
THAT HITLER WAS ALREADY DEAD.
IN FACT, HE HAD RETREATED
TO AN UNDERGROUND BUNKER
CUT OFF FROM EVEN HIS HIGHES
COMMANDERS, PORING OVER MAPS
PLANNING HIS LAST GREAT ATTACK
DOWN TO THE SMALLEST DETAIL.
Kinnard:
THE BATTLE OF THE BULGE
THE BASE OF I
REALLY WAS AN 80-MILE FRON
RUNNING FROM SOUTHERN BELGIUM
DOWN TO ETTELBRUCK
IN THE MIDDLE OF LUXEMBOURG
THE ARDENNES FOREST HERE,
BETWEEN MY THUMB AND FOREFINGER.
HITLER'S CONCEPT WAS TO ATTACK
ON THAT 80-MILE FRON
SWING NORTH AND SEIZE
THE PORT OF ANTWERP.
HE WAS GOING TO SPLI
THE BRITISH AND AMERICAN FORCES
AND CAPTURE THOSE PEOPLE
SURROUNDED IN HERE.
Narrator:
HITLER'S REAL TARGE
WAS THE ALLIANCE.
THERE HAD TO BE FRICTIONS
BETWEEN THE BRITISH
AND THE AMERICANS.
IF HE COULD HIT THEM HARD ENOUGH
AND SET THEM TO QUARRELING
THEN HE COULD NEGOTIATE
A FAVORABLE PEACE.
FROM OCTOBER, HITLER
STARTED MASSING THE SOLDIERS
AT THE BORDER.
THEY DIDN'T KNOW
WHY THEY WERE THERE.
NOT EVEN THE COMMANDERS KNEW.
ONE OF THE FEW WHO'D BEEN TOLD
WAS HASSO VON MANTEUFFEL.
THE PRUSSIAN GENERAL WEN
TO THE ARDENNES FRON
TO TAKE THE MEASURE OF THE
U.S. DIVISION HE WAS TO ATTACK.
NOW, THE 28th, OF ALL
OF THE FOUR ON THE LINE
WAS THE MOST THINLY SPREAD
SO THINLY SPREAD THAT LITERALLY
DURING THE DAY THEY OUTPOSTED,
ACROSS THE BORDER INTO GERMANY
AND COME DARK, THEY CAME
BACK OVER THE RIVER.
VON MANTEUFFEL CAME DOWN,
GOT IN THE FRONT LINE
WATCHED THIS PROCESS,
AND SAID, "HELL, MAN
"WE DON'T NEED AN HOUR'S
ARTILLERY PREPARATION
"ON THESE GUYS, THE SMART THING
TO DO IS WALK THROUGH THEM
"WHILE THEY'RE HAVING BREAKFAS
"BECAUSE THERE ARE BIG GAPS
BETWEEN THESE OUTPOSTS
"AND WE'LL WALK THROUGH THEM,
AND WHEN WE HIT RESISTANCE
THEN WE'LL CALL IN
THE ARTILLERY."
Man:
WE ARRIVED THERE ON DECEMBER 11.
WE HAD BEEN TOLD
THAT THE DIVISION
THAT WAS THERE BEFORE US
HAD BEEN THERE FIVE TO SIX WEEKS
AND HAD ONLY HAD
TWO CASUALTIES IN THAT TIME.
SO WE EXPECTED FOR I
TO BE A QUIET FRONT.
WE THOUGHT JUS
WHAT THEY TOLD US:
YOU ARE HERE ON A QUIET FRON
TO DO PATROLS.
YOU LEARN YOUR TRADE.
YOU GET YOUR FEET WET.
AND IT'S NOT A SITUATION
OF ANY GREAT URGENCY.
THE SECOND DIVISION,
WHOM WE REPLACED
THE SECOND SAID TO US,
"MAN, THIS IS THE GHOST FRONT.
THERE'S NOTHING OUT THERE."
( speaking Letzeburgesch)
Translator:
WE SAW THAT SOMETHING
WAS GOING ON:
LOTS OF GERMAN
MILITARY EVERYWHERE
IN THE STREETS,
BUT NOT ON THE MAIN ROADS.
THERE WERE MACHINE GUNS,
TANKS, TRUCKS, CANNONS.
YOU CAN'T NAME IT ALL,
BUT LOTS LOTS OF EQUIPMENT.
Narrator:
MARGUERITE LINDEN-MEIER
WAS A LUXEMBOURGER
WHO HAD BEEN PICKED UP
BY A GERMAN PATROL
AND TAKEN BEHIND ENEMY LINES.
( speaking Letzeburgesch)
Translator:
WE DID NOT GIVE OURSELVES
AWAY AS LUXEMBOURGERS.
WE POSED AS GERMANS FROM BAULER.
THEY TOLD US THAT IF WE
POSSIBLY COULD, TO GET AWAY
BECAUSE SOMETHING
WAS ABOUT TO HAPPEN.
THEY DIDN'T KNOW WHEN,
BUT THEY SAID
"SOMETHING IS GOING TO HAPPEN,
FOR SURE."
"WIR WOLLEN WIEDER NACH PARIS,"
THEY SAID.
"WE'RE ON OUR WAY TO PARIS."
Narrator:
LINDEN-MEIER MADE HER WAY BACK
ACROSS THE BORDER TO LUXEMBOURG
AND REPORTED WHAT SHE'D SEEN
TO THE AMERICAN FORCES.
OTHER CIVILIANS TRICKLED IN,
BRINGING THE SAME STORY.
INTELLIGENCE OFFICERS PASSED THE
REPORTS UP THE LINE OF COMMAND
AND WARNED OF A GERMAN BUILDUP.
THE WARNINGS WERE DISMISSED.
WE DID HEAR TANKS MOVING, TRUCKS
MOVING ALL SORTS OF NOISES
INDICATIVE OF
THE ASSEMBLY OF STRENGTH
AND WHEN WE REPORTED IT,
WE WERE TOLD
FROM CORPS, I THINK
CERTAINLY FROM DIVISION
"THEY'RE PLAYING
PHONOGRAPH RECORDS.
"THEY KNOW WE'RE
A GREEN DIVISION
AND THEY'RE JUST TRYING
TO PUT THE SCARE ON YOU."
I'M SURE THEY HAD PLAYED
PHONOGRAPH RECORDS
OF TANK MOVEMENT BEFORE
AND GOTTEN SOME RESULTS.
THESE WEREN'
PHONOGRAPH RECORDS.
THEY WERE TANKS.
BUT WE ACCEPTED THAT
BECAUSE OF OUR MIND SE
THAT THESE PEOPLE CAN'T REALLY
LAUNCH A SERIOUS ATTACK.
( jazz playing)
EH BIEN, C'ETAI
UNE ATMOSPHERE DE LIESSE
Translator:
IT WAS AN ATMOSPHERE
OF JUBILATION.
EVERY EVENING, IN EVERY
VILLAGE, IN EVERY TOWN
THERE WAS A BALL,
DANCES THAT WERE ORGANIZED
BY THE LOCAL POPULATION,
OR BY THE AMERICANS THEMSELVES.
ET JE PENSE QU'ON
NE PEUT PAS MIEUX RESUMER
Translator:
THE BEST WAY TO SUM UP
THAT SITUATION IS THIS:
HUSBANDS WERE EVEN PROUD
TO SEE THEIR WIVES FLIRTING
WITH THE AMERICANS, WHO, BELIEVE
ME, DID NOT HOLD BACK AT ALL.
( bell tolling, band playing)
( speaking Letzeburgesch)
Translator:
THE WORD WENT AROUND:
THE AMERICANS ARE COLLECTING
ALL THEIR RATIONS
TO GIVE A PARTY FOR THE CHILDREN
ON DECEMBER 6, ST. NICHOLAS DAY.
MOTHER SUPERIOR CAME INTO CLASS
TO TELL US ABOUT I
AND THAT TWO OF US COULD BE HIS
ANGELS, AND I WAS ONE OF THEM.
WE WERE PUT INTO A JEEP, AND
DRIVEN THROUGH THE WHOLE TOWN.
WHEN WE WERE READY TO GO HOME
ST. NICHOLAS TOOK EACH ONE
OF US ANGELS IN HIS LAP
AND GAVE US A KISS.
Narrator:
A QUARTER OF A MILLION GERMANS
WAITED AT THE BORDER.
ON DECEMBER 16, A SATURDAY
CLOUDS AND FOG
COVERED THE VALLEYS.
IT WAS THE WEATHER
HITLER SAID HE NEEDED
TO KEEP THE AMERICAN BOMBERS
OFF HIS BACK.
THAT DAY, A MESSAGE WENT OU
TO THE FIFTH PANZER ARMY:
"SOLDIERS OF THE WEST FRONT,
YOUR GREAT HOUR HAS ARRIVED."
Kimmelman:
I WAS THE DIVISION SPECIAL
TROOPS DENTAL OFFICER
AND I WAS STATIONED
ABOUT TEN MILES FROM THE FRON
IN WILTZ, LUXEMBOURG
AND SERGEANT PAUL GIFFORD
WAS LATE
AND I SORT OF WAS A WISEGUY,
AND I TOLD HIM HE WAS LATE
AND HE SAID, "WELL, CAPTAIN,
I'M SORRY, BUT I LOST MY TANK."
AND I SAID, "BOY,
THEY'RE EXPENSIVE AS HELL.
YOU BETTER GO GET THAT TANK."
HE SAID, "WELL,
THE GERMANS TOOK IT."
I SAID, "WELL, YOU BETTER
GO BACK AND GET THAT TANK.
THAT'S BAD BUSINESS."
SO I GOT THE USUAL LAUGHTER.
AND I SAID, "WHAT HAPPENED
TO COLONEL SO-AND-SO?
HE'S GOING TO GIVE IT TO YOU."
HE SAID, "HE LOS
HIS ARTILLERY PIECE."
I SAID, "WHAT'S HAPPENING?"
HE SAID,
"THE GERMANS ARE PUSHING."
DIVISION HEADQUARTERS,
OF WHICH I WAS A PAR
WAS AWARE THAT THERE
WERE NOW AN INCREASE
IN THE ENEMY ARTILLERY FIRE
AND ALL THA
BUT NOTHING TERRIBLY DRAMATIC,
EXCEPT THERE WAS A HUSH
REALLY AND TRULY,
YOU COULD FEEL A HUSH
AS THOUGH THE CIVILIANS SENSED
WHAT WE DIDN'T COMPREHEND.
Man:
WE WERE GOING TO ETTELBRUCK
TO PLAY FOR THE TROOPS
AND WE BEGAN TO SEE ALL THESE
SOLDIERS THEY'D BROUGHT IN THERE
G.I.s THAT WERE
ALL BANGED UP AND WOUNDED
SO WE WENT TO INQUIRE
AND SEE WHAT THEY HAD PLANNED
AND THERE WERE SO MANY WOUNDED
SOLDIERS LYING IN THIS HOSPITAL.
WELL, THEY CALLED OFF
OUR PERFORMANCE
BECAUSE IT WAS
THE BEGINNING
OF THE BULGE.
WE DIDN'T KNOW I
AT THE TIME.
YEAH, THAT'S RIGHT,
THAT WAS THE BEGINNING OF IT.
THE SHELLS WERE
FLYING ALL NIGHT LONG
AND THE NEXT MORNING,
THAT WAS SOMETHING ELSE.
HE SAYS, "WELL,
HOW'D YOU SLEEP?"
NOT VERY GOOD, YOU KNOW.
( explosion)
Rutland:
I WENT TO BED,
AND THE NEXT MORNING, AT 6:00
ONE OF MY MESSENGERS
CAME OVER TO WAKEN ME
AND HE SAID,
"EVERYTHING'S POPPING LOOSE."
AND I SAID I TOLD THIS MAN TO
"OH, GO ON AND LEAVE ME ALONE."
AND THEN AT THAT TIME
I HEARD THE SCREAMING MEEMIES
START COMING IN
THE ARTILLERY AND
ALL TYPES OF ARTILLERY.
THAT WAS DECEMBER THE 16th.
THAT WAS A VERY, VERY ROUGH DAY.
AND BY THAT NIGHT,
THE GERMANS WERE ALL OVER US
WITHIN 10, 15 YARDS
RIGHT IN FRONT OF US.
IF YOU COULD SEE A BUNCH
OF WILD CATTLE RUNNING WILD
THAT'S WHAT IT'D REMIND YOU OF.
I BELIEVE THEY WERE DOPED.
I BELIEVE THAT THE GERMAN
SOLDIERS WERE DOPED
TO A CERTAIN EXTEN
BECAUSE THEY WERE
THEY WERE ACTING AS IF
"I DON'T CARE
IF I GET KILLED OR NOT."
THEY WERE LIKE WILD MEN.
THAT'S THE BEST I COULD
DESCRIBE IT OF THAT FIRST NIGHT.
I THOUGHT THAT MY DIVISION
HAD BEEN HI
BY WHAT WE'D BEEN TAUGH
IN THE FANCY LANGUAGE
OF MILITARY ACADEMIES AND BOOKS,
IS A "SPOILING ATTACK"
AND THAT IT JUST AMOUNTED
TO GETTING OUR ACT TOGETHER
AND WE'D THROW 'EM OUT.
I CERTAINLY NEVER BELIEVED
THAT WE'D BEEN HIT BY A FORCE
THAT WAS REALLY GOING
TO TEAR US UP NEVER.
Narrator:
THE MEN ON THE FRONT LINE
WERE HUNKERED IN FOXHOLES
CUT OFF FROM EACH OTHER.
THEY HAD NO IDEA
THEY WERE BEING HI
BY ONE OF THE LARGEST GERMAN
ARTILLERY ATTACKS OF THE WAR
OR THAT THEY WERE OUTNUMBERED
IN SOME PLACES BY TEN TO ONE.
Rutland:
WE LOST MANY MEN THAT FIRST DAY.
AN INFANTRY COMPANY
WAS APPROXIMATELY 200 MEN.
"A" COMPANY WAS 21 MEN
AFTER THE FIRST DAY.
"C" COMPANY COULD ACCOUN
FOR 59 MEN
AND IN MY COMPANY, I ONLY
LOST 28 MEN THE FIRST DAY.
EVERY COMPANY COMMANDER
WAS MISSING THE FIRST DAY
EXCEPT MY COMPANY COMMANDER.
IT'S REALLY HARD TO BELIEVE,
BUT IT HAPPENED.
AND SOME OF MY BETTER MEN
IN GARRISON
WERE SOME OF THE FIRST ONES TO
CRACK UNDER COMBAT CONDITIONS.
THEY WERE, LIKE,
HUGGING EACH OTHER
AND JUST SHIVERING,
FROM SCARED.
I NEVER HAD SEEN
SUCH A THING BEFORE.
Narrator:
DWIGHT EISENHOWER
AND OMAR BRADLEY
THE TWO MOST POWERFUL
COMMANDERS IN EUROPE
GOT WORD OF THE ATTACK
ON THE 16th, AT VERSAILLES
BUT THE NEWS HAD
LITTLE IMPACT THAT FIRST DAY.
IKE WENT TO A RECEPTION
TO TOAST HIS ORDERLY'S NEW BRIDE
AND HIS OWN PROMOTION
TO FIVE-STAR GENERAL.
THE BRITISH COMMANDER,
FIELD MARSHAL MONTGOMERY
WAS BRIEFED WHILE
ON THE GOLF COURSE.
Hansen:
ON THE AFTERNOON OF THE 16th
THERE WAS NO REAL WORRY
OR CONCERN
ABOUT THE SEVERITY
OF THE ATTACK.
THOSE WORRIES STARTED
ON SUNDAY MORNING
AND I REMEMBER GENERAL BRADLEY
WALKING UP INTO THE WAR ROOM
THAT AFTERNOON, AND HE SAID
"WHERE IN THE WORLD HAVE
THE SON OF A BITCHES GOTTEN
ALL OF THIS STUFF?"
HE PRECEDED THAT BY SAYING,
"PARDON MY FRENCH."
HE WAS A VERY MILD-MANNERED MAN
IN HIS SPEECH
BUT YES, EVERYONE
WAS GENUINELY SURPRISED
BY THE FORCE OF THE GERMAN
ATTACK AT THAT POINT.
Kimmelman:
BY MONDAY, REFUGEES WERE
STREAMING DOWN THE STREETS
WITH THEIR HOUSEHOLD POSSESSIONS
AND THEIR FACES ARE ABSOLUTELY
GRIM AND THERE'S NO GREETINGS
AND YOU KNOW THAT YOU'RE LOOKING
AT A CLASSIC KIND OF THING
REFUGEES BEFORE THE ENEMY.
AND I WENT UP
TO HEADQUARTERS UP THE HILL
AND THERE IT LOOKED
AS THOUGH IT WAS
A RECENTLY DISTURBED ANTHILL.
PEOPLE WERE RUNNING
IN ALL DIRECTIONS.
SOLDIERS WERE RUNNING,
AND SEEMINGLY HAPHAZARD
JUMPING ON VEHICLES
THAT WERE TAKING OFF.
AT THAT TIME IT WAS
THERE SEEMED TO BE NOBODY
IN CHARGE, NOBODY IN CHARGE.
I SAW ONE HIGHER OFFICER
ABSOLUTELY LOSE HIS WITS
AND HE SEEMED TO BE
TRYING TO CRANK A JEEP.
THERE HADN'T BEEN CRANKS
ON CARS FOR A LONG TIME.
HE WAS JUST ABSOLUTELY
PANIC-STRICKEN.
AND THAT DISTURBED ME A LOT,
THAT SHOOK ME UP.
( explosion)
Rutland:
IT WAS NOT AN ORDERLY RETREAT.
WE WERE JUST DOING
WHAT WE THOUGHT WAS BES
AT THAT PARTICULAR TIME.
PRIMARILY, WE WERE BACKING UP.
WE DIDN'T REALLY KNOW
WHERE WE WERE GOING
BUT IT WAS PRIMARILY BACKING UP.
NOTHING WAS ORGANIZED
IN THE WAY OF RETREAT.
NOTHING
NO, BECAUSE WE WERE
TOO SPREAD OU
AND CONFUSED
TO BEGIN WITH.
Narrator:
NORM PLUMB AND CLYDE BURKHOLDER
MADE UP THE BETTER PAR
OF THE TROMBONE SECTION
OF THE 28th DIVISION DANCE BAND.
CLYDE WAS
A FIVE-FOOT-ONE CROONER
WITH A VOICE REMINISCEN
OF EDDIE CANTOR
BUT WITH LITTLE TALEN
FOR SOLDIERING.
HE AND PLUMB WERE PAR
OF THE AD HOC ASSEMBLY
OF REAR GUARD TROOPS
NOW CHARGED WITH ENGAGING
THE PANZERTRUPPEN.
Plumb:
AND THEY DIVIDED US UP, THE BAND
WITH OTHERS QUARTERMASTER,
PEOPLE FROM FINANCE
AND A LOT OF THEM HAD WEAPONS
THEY DIDN'T EVEN KNOW
HOW TO USE PROPERLY.
INCLUDING THE BAND.
IN FACT, SOME OF THE BAND,
I HEARD, HAD A BAZOOKA.
YOU'RE KIDDING.
WE WERE LUCKY
WE COULD LOAD A CARBINE
LET ALONE A MACHINE GUN.
THAT'S ALL WE HAD
IS CARBINES.
YEAH, BUT I WAS THINKING THA
WHEN I BROUGHT THE BULLETS THERE
AND EVERYBODY KEPT SAYING,
"WHAT ARE THEY FOR?"
Patton:
WELL, STARTING AT NOON, WE WEN
TO HELL IN A HAND BASKET.
IN THE WOODS,
WE RAN INTO GERMANS.
AND AS WE PUSHED FORWARD, WE RAN
INTO MORE AND MORE GERMANS
UNTIL BY THE TIME
WE GOT TO THE ROAD
THAT WE WERE SUPPOSED
TO CUT AND GO ACROSS
WE WERE JUST BACKED UP.
THERE WAS A HEAVY FIRE FIGHT.
THERE WAS A LOT OF FIRE.
MY PLATOON WAS
JUST MELTING AWAY.
I WENT BACK AND FOUND
THE COMPANY FIRST SERGEAN
WHO SAID, "THERE'S AN ORDER
FOR US TO PULL OUT, COME BACK"
AND IN THE DUSK I SAW A MAN
AND I YELLED AT HIM,
I'M SURE FAIRLY OBSCENELY
TO GET HIS ACT OUT OF THERE,
THAT WE WERE LEAVING
AND HE WASN'T MINE, HE WAS
A GERMAN, AND HE SHOT ME.
AND I WAS PU
IN THE AID STATION
AND I REMEMBER DURING THE NIGH
THE CHAPLAIN CAME TO ME
AND SAID, "OLLIE, WE GOT TO GO.
"AND WE'RE GOING TO LEAVE
THOSE OF YOU WHO CANNOT WALK
"IN THE AID STATION,
UNDER THE CARE OF A MEDIC
A SOLDIER WHO HAS VOLUNTEERED
TO LOOK AFTER YOU."
AND IT DAWNED ON ME THEN
THAT THINGS HAD GOTTEN SERIOUS
THAT YOU DON'T ABANDON,
YOU DON'T LEAVE YOUR WOUNDED
AND WHAT HE WAS TELLING ME IS,
"WE CAN'T GET YOU OUT."
Rutland:
ON THE EVE OF THE 18th OR 19th
WHICH WOULD HAVE BEEN
THE THIRD OR FOURTH DAY
THE SENIOR COLONEL CALLED BACK
TO DIVISION HEADQUARTERS
AND SAID,
"WE HAVE NO AMMUNITION"
BECAUSE THEY ONLY HAD
48 ROUNDS PER MAN TO BEGIN WITH
AND THAT WAS GONE
AFTER THE THREE DAYS.
HE CALLED BACK
TO THE DIVISION COMMANDER
AND SAID, "WE HAVE NO CHOICE
BUT TO SURRENDER."
ENCIRCLED, AND UNDER
ARTILLERY AND EVEN TANK FIRE
AND MANY GERMANS ON EITHER SIDE,
THE REMNANTS WERE SURRENDERED.
WE LOST TWO-THIRDS
OF THE INFANTRY STRENGTH
OF THE DIVISION ON THAT DAY.
Narrator:
MORE THAN 4,000 MEN OF
THE 106th WERE GIVEN UP.
ONLY THE AMERICAN SURRENDER
AT BATAAN WAS LARGER.
THESE MEN HAD BEEN ON THE LINE
EIGHT DAYS, IN COMBAT FOR THREE.
ALAN JONES, THEIR GENERAL,
WAS STUNNED.
"I'VE LOST A DIVISION
FASTER THAN ANY OTHER
COMMANDER IN THE U.S. ARMY."
Kimmelman:
AFTER WE SURRENDERED
THE GERMAN CORPORAL
TOOK ME FORWARD
AND THEN THEY PUT ME
ON THE HOOD OF A CAR.
I WAS SITTING WITH MY LEGS
DANGLING OVER THE GRILL
AND HE HAD A PISTOL TO MY HEAD
AND SO WE WENT UP
AND DOWN SOME HILLS
AND I WAS LIKE A TROPHY
ON THE HOOD OF HIS CAR
WITH THIS PISTOL AT MY HEAD.
AND TO MY ABSOLUTE ASTONISHMEN
I WAS LOOKING AT DROVES,
AT HERDS
OF BEAUTIFULLY UNIFORMED,
YOUNG, HEALTHY-LOOKING
WELL-FED, WELL-EQUIPPED
GERMAN TROOPS
AND MY HEART SANK.
GOD, THEY DID IT.
I MEAN, THEY SURPRISED US.
THEY GOT STORES OF PEOPLE
THAT WE DIDN'T KNOW ABOUT.
WOW!
AND THEY CAME BY
THESE YOUNG, GOOD-LOOKING KIDS
LAUGHING AT ME AS A TROPHY.
WE HAD BEEN SURPRISED
AND WERE IN TROUBLE.
( band playing jive intro)
Man:
THIS IS THE G.I. JIVE,
MAN ALIVE ♪
IT STARTS WITH THE BUGLER
BLOWING REVEILLE OVER YOUR BED ♪
WHEN YOU ARRIVE ♪
JACK, THAT'S THE G.I. JIVE ♪
ROODLE-DEE TOOT ♪
JUMP IN YOUR SUIT ♪
MAKE A SALUTE ♪
VOOT! ♪
Man:
I HAD A FRIEND, HERB SPENCE,
AND ANOTHER, JACK MANLEY.
OF COURSE, WE WERE REAL THRILLED
THAT WE HAD A PASS
AND COULD GET OUT LIKE THAT.
WE GOT TO PARIS,
BIG CITY UNKNOWN TO US.
WE HADN'T BEEN THERE BEFORE
OR ANYTHING LIKE THA
AND WE WERE LOOKING
FOR A GOOD TIME
AND WE DIDN'T HAVE ANY TROUBLE
FINDING GIRLS, AND LIKED THA
AND I REMEMBER
STAYING IN A HOTEL
A PLACE CALLED PLACE DE CLICHY
AND A NICE LITTLE HOTEL THERE
AND PLENTY OF SUPPLY OF COGNAC
AND THIS SORT OF STUFF, YOU KNOW
SO WE WOULD SIT AROUND AND TALK
AND THE GIRLS WOULD COME IN
AND THE PARTICULAR GIRL
THAT I HAD
HAD LITTLE, SHORT LEGS
ABOUT SO LONG
AND I THINK SHE WEIGHED PROBABLY
OH, I GUESS IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD
OF 140 POUNDS
AND SHE DID A PRETTY GOOD
JOB WITH YOU, YOU KNOW
WHEN YOU WERE
IN THE ACTION, LET'S SAY
WHEN YOU WERE
IN ACTION, IN COMBAT.
THIS IS THE G.I. JIVE,
MAN ALIVE ♪
Dunning:
SHE WAS A COUNTRY GIRL
AND SHE WOULD COME IN
FROM THE FARM
AND I KNOW SPENCE'S GIRLFRIEND,
SHE WAS A REAL MODEL.
MANLEY DIDN'T CARE.
JACK, AFTER YOU REVIVE ♪
Kinnard:
WE HAD MEN ON LEAVES
AND PASSES IN ENGLAND.
WE HAD LOTS OF PEOPLE IN PARIS.
SO WE WERE THINKING
ABOUT EVERYTHING
EXCEPT THE FACT THAT WE MIGH
HAVE TO GO BACK TO COMBAT.
I WAS HAVING A PARTY
IN MY QUARTERS IN MOURMELON,
AND IT WAS A GOOD PARTY
BECAUSE WE WERE ONLY
WE WERE IN THE MIDDLE OF
THE CHAMPAGNE COUNTRY THERE.
AND I WENT OVER
TO THE HEADQUARTERS
WHERE GENERAL McAULIFFE
INFORMED ME
THAT HE HAD JUST HAD A CALL
THAT THERE HAD BEEN
A BREAKTHROUGH IN THE ARDENNES.
HE KNEW LITTLE MORE
THAN THAT ABOUT I
BUT THAT WE WERE PROBABLY
GOING TO BE MOVING OU
THE FOLLOWING MORNING.
SURPRISED WOULD BE TO PUT I
VERY, VERY MILDLY.
WE WERE FLABBERGASTED.
Narrator:
BY THE EVENING OF THE
SECOND DAY OF BATTLE
THE ALLIED COMMANDERS UNDERSTOOD
THE ENORMITY OF THEIR SITUATION.
25 GERMAN DIVISIONS
WERE ON THE ATTACK
AGAINST ONLY 4½ U.S. DIVISIONS.
EISENHOWER AND BRADLEY REACHED
FOR THE ONLY RESERVES THEY HAD
THE 82nd AIRBORNE AND THE 101st.
THE 101st WERE PARATROOPS.
THEY'D LED THE WAY IN NORMANDY
AND THEN HOLLAND.
THEY FIGURED THEIR NEXT ACTION
WOULD BE THE TRIUMPHAL JUMP
INTO BERLIN.
Dunning:
WE WERE TOLD BY P.A. SYSTEMS
YOU KNOW, BROADCASTING.
THEY'D COME DOWN THE STREE
AND SAY "ALL AIRBORNE"
AND THAT MEANT EVERYBODY
AIRBORNE NOT ONLY THE 101st
AND IT WAS TO GET BACK TO YOUR
OUTFIT, NO QUESTIONS ASKED
AND IF YOU DIDN'
WITHIN SO MANY HOURS
THEY'D ESCORT YOU BACK.
AND THEY TOLD US TO GE
EVERYTHING READY TO GO
AND WE DIDN'T KNOW WHETHER
WE WERE GOING TO JUMP OR WHAT.
IT WAS SORT OF A HANG SITUATION.
WHEN WE GOT BACK TO CAMP,
THEN WE FOUND OU
AND WE DIDN'T REALLY KNOW
UNTIL WE GOT IN THE TRUCKS
AND THEY SAID,
"YOU'RE HEADED FOR BASTOGNE."
WELL, WHERE'S BASTOGNE,
YOU KNOW?
Narrator:
THE MAIN FIGHT NOW WAS FOR
22-FOOT STRIPS OF PAVEMENT
THE MAJOR ROADS, MOST OF WHICH
RAN THROUGH TWO TOWNS:
ST. VITH IN THE NORTH
AND BASTOGNE IN THE SOUTH.
A QUARTER OF A MILLION GERMANS
PLUS TANKS, JEEPS,
HORSES AND TRUCKS
SQUEEZED THROUGH THE ARDENNES.
GENERALS STOOD
ON THEIR STAFF CARS FOR HOURS
DIRECTING TRAFFIC.
WHILE THE REMAINS OF THE
AMERICAN FRONT RETREATED
THE WEHRMACHT MOVED ON
TO ST. VITH AND BASTOGNE
AT A CRAWL.
WE WERE TOLD TO MOVE OU
AND MOVE INTO BASTOGNE.
AND I MEAN, WE WERE SPREAD OU
ON EACH SIDE OF THE ROAD
RIGHT INTO A BATTLE FORMATION.
ALL ALONG THE ROAD, YOU WOULD
SEE DEAD GUYS, YOU KNOW.
YOU COULD HEAR
THE GUNS GOING OFF.
YOU COULD HEAR
THE GERMANS FIRING
AND IT SOUNDED LIKE IT WAS
OH, MAYBE TWO
OR THREE MILES AWAY.
THE SCENE AT 18th CORPS
HEADQUARTERS IN BASTOGNE
WAS ONE OF SEMI-ORGANIZED
CONFUSION.
THE GERMANS WERE AT THE GATES,
ALMOST LITERALLY
AND CORPS HEADQUARTERS
WAS BUGGING OUT
WERE MOVING TO ANOTHER LOCATION
BECAUSE THEY DIDN'T WAN
TO BE OVERRUN.
I SAW PEOPLE COMING BACK.
THEY THEY HAD A LOOK OF
"WELL, I'VE BEEN BEATEN,
BUT I DON'T WANT TO BE"
AND A CONFUSED,
GLASSY-EYED LOOK.
I MEAN, THEY WERE
SORT OF DAZED, LIKE
AND YOU'D ASK THEM A QUESTION,
"WHAT'S HAPPENING?"
AND THEY REALLY COULDN'T TELL US
BECAUSE THEY DIDN'T KNOW,
IT HAPPENED SO FAST.
THEN SOME OF THEM
WERE JUST PLAIN SCARED.
I MEAN, THEY HAD HAD IT.
THEY DIDN'T KNOW WHAT TO DO.
I REMEMBER ONE YOUNG GUY
KIND OF JOGGING ALONG
AND SLOGGING ALONG
AND HE'D NO WEAPONS OR ANYTHING
AND HE WAS ACTUALLY CRYING.
Narrator:
THE 101st DUG ITSELF
INTO THE FIELDS AND FORESTS
AROUND BASTOGNE.
ITS JOB WAS TO HOLD THE TOWN.
TO THE FAR NORTH,
S.S. TANKERS HAD BROKEN THROUGH.
THEY WERE SEARCHING FRANTICALLY
FOR GAS RESERVES.
AMERICANS KEP
A FRAGILE GRIP ON ST. VITH
BUT IN THE SOFT MIDDLE
THE GERMANS HAD SPLI
THE LINE WIDE OPEN.
ON THE 21st,
THE FIRST DAY OF SNOW
BASTOGNE WAS SURROUNDED.
HEAVY CLOUDS GROUNDED
THE AMERICAN BOMBERS.
C-47s, LOADED WITH SUPPLIES,
SAT ON RUNWAYS
UNABLE TO REACH THE TOWN.
Dunning:
WE WEREN'T WHAT YOU CALL
WELL-PREPARED TO GO
INTO A WINTER SITUATION.
I MEAN, WE HAD A SUPPLY
OF NORMAL COMBA
FATIGUE-TYPE THINGS
BUT THAT'S ABOUT ALL WE HAD.
GLOVES AND THINGS LIKE THA
WE DIDN'T HAVE.
FOOTWEAR WAS MAINLY
WHAT WE NEEDED.
WE HAD COMBAT BOOTS THAT HAD
THE BUCKLES ON THE SIDE
AND WE NEEDED
SOMETHING TO COVER THEM
BECAUSE WE HAD WORN THOSE
THROUGH NORMANDY AND HOLLAND
AND THEY WERE WORN
PRETTY THIN, SEE.
SOME OF US HAD EVEN CUT HOLES
IN THEM FOR AIR
WHERE WE'D IMPREGNATED
THOSE THINGS WITH GOOK
TO WATERPROOF THEM, SEE.
AND YOUR FEET WOULD
SWEAT IN THOSE THINGS
SO WE'D CUT HOLES.
WELL, THAT WAS STUPID TO DO
GOING INTO BASTOGNE
BECAUSE THE SNOW
WOULD GET IN THERE.
WE HAD LIMITED AMMUNITION
AND THAT WAS ONE OF THE THINGS,
TOO, THAT WE LACKED.
WE JUST DIDN'T HAVE TIME
TO GET SUPPLIED FULL AMMO.
Narrator:
BASTOGNE NEEDED RELIEF.
GENERAL PATTON'S ARMY
WAS 100 MILES TO THE SOUTH.
GEORGE S. PATTON
HAD A SENSE OF HISTORY
AND THE WILL TO MAKE HIMSELF
A PLACE IN IT.
HE WAS ALREADY PREPARING
HIS MAIN CHANCE
AN ATTACK THAT COULD
PROPEL HIM INTO BERLIN.
WHEN HE GOT WIND OF
THE GERMAN BREAKTHROUGH
HE FEARED IKE AND BRADLEY WERE
GOING TO STEAL AWAY HIS TROOPS
TO PLUG HOLES IN THE ARDENNES.
BUT IT DIDN'T TAKE HIM LONG
TO RECOGNIZE AN OPPORTUNITY
FOR GLORY.
HE TOLD IKE HE COULD PIVO
MOST OF HIS ATTACK FORCE
WITHIN 48 HOURS,
AND SENT WORD TO BASTOGNE
HIS ARMY WAS ON ITS WAY.
Kinnard:
ON THE 22nd OF DECEMBER,
WHEN WE WERE TOTALLY SURROUNDED
SOME GERMAN OFFICERS
UNDER A WHITE FLAG OF TRUCE
CAME INTO OUR GLIDER REGIMEN
WITH A PAPER
DEMANDING OUR SURRENDER
AND TELLING US ALL THE BAD
THINGS THAT WOULD HAPPEN
IF WE DIDN'T.
THEN WE WENT IN
TO GENERAL McAULIFFE
WHO WAS TAKING A LITTLE
MUCH-NEEDED NAP AT THAT POIN
AND GENERAL McAULIFFE
MISTAKENLY THOUGH
THAT THIS WAS SOME GERMANS
WHO WANTED TO SURRENDER TO US
BUT WE DISABUSED HIM
OF THAT THOUGHT VERY QUICKLY
AND SAID, "NO, THEY WANT US
TO SURRENDER."
AND TONY McAULIFFE THEN SAID,
"US SURRENDER? AW, NUTS!"
AND THEN HE WENT ON AND HE SAID
"WELL, I WONDER IF WE
OUGHT TO ANSWER THEM"
AND WE ALL FELT THA
IT REQUIRED AN ANSWER
AND I SPOKE UP AND SAID,
"WELL, WHAT YOU FIRST SAID
WOULD BE HARD TO BEAT."
AND TONY SAID,
"WHAT DO YOU MEAN?"
AND I SAID, "YOU SAID, 'NUTS!'"
SO HE TOOK A PENCIL AND
WROTE TO THE GERMAN COMMANDER
"NUTS! EXCLAMATION POIN
A.C. McAULIFFE, COMMANDING."
WHEN THE SURRENDER ULTIMATUM
WAS LEARNED OF
IT WAS APPARENTLY A GOOD MORALE
BOOSTER FOR THE AMERICAN PUBLIC.
THE AMERICAN PRESS EVERY DAY WAS
SHOWING A PICTURE OF THE BULGE
WITH ONLY BASTOGNE IN THE WHITE
AND ALL THE REST OF I
WAS GERMAN
AND WE WERE STILL HOLDING OU
AND THAT WAS ABOUT THE
ONLY GOOD NEWS THERE WAS.
Arend:
BASTOGNE N'AVAIT STRICTEMEN
AUCUNE IMPORTANCE.
Translator:
THE TOWN OF BASTOGNE HAD
NO MILITARY IMPORTANCE.
THE PROOF OF IT WAS
IN THE PLAN OF ATTACK.
THERE WASN'T EVEN A PLAN
TO TAKE THE TOWN ITSELF.
THE GERMANS GOT TAKEN
INTO THE GAME.
ONCE THEY SAW BASTOGNE
WAS BECOMING FOR AMERICA
A SYMBOL OF RESISTANCE
THEN THE GERMANS SET OU
TO DESTROY THAT SYMBOL.
Narrator:
HITLER MADE IT PLAIN
TO HIS COMMANDERS:
BASTOGNE MUST BE TAKEN.
HE RELEASED EVERY SPARE MAN
TO THE CAUSE.
GERMAN ARTILLERY
FLATTENED THE TOWN.
TANKS AND INFANTRY
ATTACKED FROM EVERY SIDE.
THERE WAS NO WAY TO EVACUATE
THE AMERICAN WOUNDED.
MEDICAL SUPPLIES WERE USED UP.
DOCTORS OPERATED
BEHIND MAKESHIFT CURTAINS.
FOR ANESTHETIC,
THEY USED COGNAC.
THIS GROWING DRAMA
WAS NOT LOST ON PATTON.
HE RADIOED AHEAD.
HE WOULD CRACK THROUGH
ON CHRISTMAS DAY.
Hansen:
PATTON WAS A RATHER
MERCURIAL KIND OF A GUY.
UH VERY FLASHY.
THEY USED TO SAY THA
HE WAS THE BEST ASS-KICKER
IN THE UNITED STATES ARMY.
Narrator:
FROM HIS COMMAND POS
IN LUXEMBOURG CITY
PATTON ORDERED HIS MEN
TO ATTACK NIGHT AND DAY.
HIS ARMY NEARED THE SOUTHERN
FLANK OF THE BULGE AT A GALLOP
BUT TWO DAYS BEFORE CHRISTMAS
THE WEATHER UPSTAGED HIM.
Rutland:
THE WEATHER CLEARED, AND THE
PLANES COULD START FLYING AGAIN.
PLANES WERE COMING OVER
BY THE HUNDREDS.
YOU'D SEE 36 IN A GROUP,
36 MORE, 36 MORE
AND I DON'T KNOW
HOW MANY HUNDREDS
AND WE'D JUST LOOK UP IN THE SKY
AND SAY, "THANK GOODNESS
THEY'RE FLYING AGAIN."
AND SEE THOSE GUYS
DIVING DOWN AND STRAFING.
WE KNEW THEY WERE HITTING TANKS
AND THAT WAS KEEPING
THE KRAUTS MOVING
AND THIS HAPPENED
FROM DAYLIGHT TO DARK.
Narrator:
HITLER HAD GAMBLED
EVERYTHING IN THE ARDENNES:
HIS BEST TROOPS,
HIS NEW RESERVES
HUNDREDS OF NEW TANKS AND
HIS MEAGER SUPPLY OF FUEL.
BUT HE'D ALWAYS KNOWN
THAT WASN'T ENOUGH.
HE'D ALSO COUNTED
ON BAD WEATHER
AND AFTER SEVEN DAYS,
HIS LUCK HAD RUN OUT.
Patton:
THE GERMAN OFFENSIVE
STALLED OUT.
THE ALLIES HELD
THE NORTHERN SHOULDER.
THE SOUTHERN SHOULDER WAS HELD.
THE GERMANS WERE CONSTRICTED
TO THAT 80-MILE BASE
AND DRIVING TOWARD ANTWERP
THEY GOT NO FARTHER
THAN JUST WITHIN SIGH
OF THE MEUSE RIVER.
NET EFFECT WAS
IT DIED RIGHT THERE.
THAT WAS THE END OF IT.
SILENT NIGHT, HOLY NIGHT ♪
ALL IS CALM ♪
ALL IS BRIGHT ♪
ROUND YON VIRGIN MOTHER
AND CHILD ♪
HOLY INFAN
SO TENDER AND MILD ♪
Narrator:
PATTON'S ARMY GOT TO BASTOGNE
THE DAY AFTER CHRISTMAS
AND THEY OPENED UP
ENOUGH OF A HOLE
FOR THE PRESS TO SQUEEZE THROUGH
ALONG WITH THE MORALE TROOPS
AND THE MEDAL PINNERS.
McAULIFFE AND THE 101st WERE
THE PRIDE OF THE AMERICAN ARMY.
BUT THE PRICE OF AN EARLIER
PRIDE WAS ALSO ON DISPLAY
AN ARMY WHICH HAD
HELD ITSELF UNSTOPPABLE
HAD SUFFERED 4,000 DEAD
IN THE BULGE BY CHRISTMAS.
30,000 MORE AMERICANS HAD
BEEN WOUNDED OR TAKEN PRISONER.
THE S.S. HAD EXECUTED HUNDREDS
OF UNARMED AMERICAN PRISONERS
AND IN THE TOWN OF STAVELO
MORE THAN A HUNDRED
BELGIAN CIVILIANS.
THE AMERICANS HAD GIVEN UP
A POCKET OF LAND 5O MILES DEEP.
IT WOULD TAKE THEM A WHOLE MONTH
TO WIN IT BACK.
Man:
YOUR IMAGINATION KIND OF
RUNS AWAY WITH YOU, I GUESS
ESPECIALLY WHEN YOU HEAR NOISES
AND OF COURSE AT NIGH
IT WAS WORSE
BECAUSE YOU REALLY DIDN'
KNOW WHAT WAS HAPPENING.
Man:
WE WERE VERY MUCH
AFRAID OF THE DARK.
YOU COULDN'T SEE THE DANGER
AND SO AS THE LIGHT BEGINS
TO COME, IT'S BEAUTIFUL.
IT PROVIDES YOU AT LEAST A VIEW
OF WHAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN
AND YOU KNOW WHAT'S GOING TO
HAPPEN IN TERMS OF THE BATTLE.
Newsreel Narrator:
TO MEET THE GERMAN DRIVE
GENERAL EISENHOWER RESOURCEFULLY
REGROUPS HIS FORCES
GIVING FIELD MARSHAL MONTGOMERY
COMMAND OVER THE
ENTIRE NORTHERN SECTOR.
WITH BRITAIN'S FAMOUS "MONTY"
HOLDING RUNDSTED
BACK IN THE NORTH
HIS AMERICAN COUNTERPART,
GENERAL BRADLEY
BLOCKS THE NAZIS IN THE SOUTH.
Narrator:
THE FIRST ORDER OF BUSINESS
ONCE THE GERMANS
HAD BEEN STOPPED
WAS CLOSING THE HOLE
IN THE AMERICAN LINE
WHERE THE FIRST AND THIRD ARMIES
WERE WEDGED APART.
EISENHOWER'S PLAN WAS
TO JOIN THE TWO ARMIES QUICKLY
AND THEN PUSH EAST.
PATTON WANTED TO MAKE
A BOLDER MOVE
BUT EISENHOWER HELD HIM BACK.
Oliver Patton:
PATTON WANTED DESPERATELY
TO DRIVE RIGHT BACK UP
THE ORIGINAL LINE
AND BE MET BY A COUNTERATTACK
FROM THE NORTH
AND THUS BAG ALL OF THE GERMANS
WHO HAD GOTTEN
THEMSELVES FORWARD
IN THE BULGE, SO-CALLED BULGE.
HE WANTED TO CUT THEM OFF
AND BAG THIS LOT.
I STILL DON'T UNDERSTAND EXACTLY
WHY THE DECISION WAS MADE
BUT RATHER THAN TRYING TO CU
THESE PEOPLE OFF IN A BAG
THE DECISION WAS MADE
TO PUSH THEM OUT.
SO IN EFFECT,
RESERVES WERE COMMITTED
FROM THE SOUTH, FROM THE NORTH
AND FROM HERE
AND THE AMERICAN ARMY
SIMPLY STOOD UP
AND SLUGGED ITS WAY
BACK TOWARD THE START LINE.
SLOW, DOGGED, COSTLY ADVANCE.
Man:
BOTH THE ENEMY AND THE WEATHER
COULD KILL YOU.
IF YOU WERE HIT,
YOU COULD GO INTO SHOCK
AND IN THAT TEMPERATURE,
YOU COULD FREEZE TO DEATH
BEFORE THEY COULD GET TO YOU.
Man:
THE FIRST TIME I DUG IN
AND I WAS DIGGING ME A FOXHOLE
AND I THROWED MY FIRS
SHOVELFUL OF SNOW OVER
AND I HIT SOMETHING,
AND I TURNED THE SNOW
AND THERE LAID A DEAD
AMERICAN SOLDIER FROZE, SEE?
YOU SAY,
"THAT COULD HAVE BEEN ME.
"I'M HERE NOW, WE'RE HERE.
THIS IS THE REAL THING."
Narrator:
THE AMERICANS ATTACKED
INTO THE WORST EUROPEAN WINTER
IN MEMORY.
BUT EISENHOWER MAINTAINED
HIS GOOD CHEER.
HE WAS A MAN
WHO LIVED BY NUMBERS
AND HE KNEW THOSE
WERE ON HIS SIDE.
IN THE EUROPEAN THEATER
THE ALLIES HELD A TEN-TO-ONE
ADVANTAGE IN TANKS
THREE-TO-ONE IN AIRCRAFT,
2½-TO-ONE IN TROOPS.
IKE POURED HALF A MILLION MEN
INTO THE ARDENNES.
THE BATTLE OF THE BULGE
WOULD BECOME
THE BIGGEST, COSTLIES
BATTLE IN U.S. HISTORY
FOR MANY YOUNG AMERICANS
THEIR INTRODUCTION TO
THE RAW EXPERIENCE OF WAR.
Man:
OUR FIRST ATTACK,
MAJOR OFFENSIVE
WAS ON JANUARY 7.
WE MOVED UP UNDER ARTILLERY
FIRE TO AN ATTACK POSITION
AND WE WERE HIT FROM BEHIND
AND ACTUALLY IT WAS
ONE OF OUR OWN COMPANIES
IN OUR BATTALION HAD GOTTEN
A LITTLE BIT OFF LINE
AND IN THE CONFUSION THA
WAS GOING ON AT THAT TIME
THEY MISTOOK US FOR THE GERMANS
AND START FIRING AT US
FROM THE REAR.
AFTER THAT WAS STRAIGHTENED OU
THEN WE BEGAN
OUR ATTACK ON THE WOODS
AND THEN WE CAME
TO A LARGE, OPEN FIELD.
ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE FIELD
WAS A LARGE TANK
GIVING DEVASTATING FIRE
INTO OUR RANKS
AND I THINK THE ARMY TERMS I
"STRATEGIC WITHDRAWAL"
BUT IT REALLY WE REALLY
JUST BEAT IT OUT OF THERE
AND I WAS SEEING PEOPLE
AHEAD OF ME FALLING
AND BEING HI
AND SO I WENT DOWN ON MY FACE
AND I LOOKED
RIGHT IN FRONT OF ME.
THERE WAS A FRIEND OF MINE
THAT HAD
I COULD SEE HE HAD BEEN KILLED.
WE PROBABLY HAD
IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD OF
200 PEOPLE IN THE COMPANY
AND AT THE END OF THAT DAY
I UNDERSTAND
ABOUT 64 WERE PRESENT.
IT WAS A REAL TURNING POIN
IN OUR LIFE
BECAUSE I DON'T THINK ANY
OF US HAVE EVER BEEN THE SAME
AFTER THAT DAY.
ABOUT MIDNIGHT, I WAS SLEEPING.
MY BUDDY WAS ON DUTY.
AND SOMEHOW OR OTHER
THE GERMANS GOT WITHIN
20 YARDS OF OUR POSITION.
GORDON GOT RIPPED
BY A MACHINE GUN
FROM ROUGHLY THE LEFT THIGH
THROUGH THE RIGHT WAIST.
HE THEN TOLD ME THAT HE WAS HI
THROUGH THE STOMACH AS WELL.
WELL, WHEN YOU'RE THAT FAR
FROM YOUR HOME BASE
AND IT'S SNOWING,
AND THE TEMPERATURE IS ZERO
YOU DON'T HAVE A CHANCE.
WE WERE CUT OFF.
THE GERMANS HAD OVERRUN
OUR POSITION
AND WE WERE IN THE FOXHOLE
BY OURSELVES.
SO BASICALLY, WE BOTH KNEW
HE WAS GOING TO DIE.
WE HAD NO MORPHINE,
WE COULDN'T EASE I
AND SO, UH
I TRIED TO KNOCK HIM OUT.
THE TOOK OFF HIS HELMET,
HELD HIS JAW UP
AND JUST WHACKED I
AS HARD AS I COULD
BECAUSE HE WANTED TO BE PUT OUT.
THAT DIDN'T WORK, AND SO, UH
I HIT HIM OVER THE HEAD
WITH A HELMET.
AND THAT DIDN'T WORK.
NOTHING WORKED.
HE SLOWLY FROZE TO DEATH,
BLED TO DEATH.
THE NEXT MORNING,
AS WE LOOKED AT OUR GEAR
IT LOOKED AS IF I'D SPEN
A DAY IN A BUTCHER SHOP.
MY CLOTHES WERE
ALL COVERED WITH BLOOD
HIS CLOTHES WERE
ALL COVERED WITH BLOOD
THE TERRITORY WE WERE IN
WAS ALL COVERED
HE JUST
IT WAS A BUTCHER SHOP.
Kinnard:
THE REALLY HARDEST PAR
OF THE FIGHTING FOR THE 101st
WAS NOT DURING THE TIME
THAT WE WERE ON THE DEFENSIVE
EVEN THOUGH WE WERE SURROUNDED.
THE MOST DIFFICULT FIGHTING
THAT WE REALLY HAD
WAS WHEN WE WERE ASKED
TO GO ON THE OFFENSIVE.
BY THIS TIME, THE GERMANS
WERE ON THE DEFENSE
AND THEY WERE TRYING THEIR
BEST TO KEEP AN OPENING
SO THEY COULD GET THEIR
PEOPLE OUT OF THE BULGE
AND BACK TO GERMANY.
Narrator:
THE GERMAN GENERALS KNEW
THEIR ARMY WAS OVEREXTENDED
AND BADLY EXPOSED.
THEY WANTED TO PULL THEIR
MEN QUICKLY ACROSS THE RHINE
TO THE SAFETY OF THE HOMELAND.
HITLER REFUSED.
ON JANUARY 8
HE RELUCTANTLY ALLOWED
HIS MEN TO INCH BACK
BUT THERE WOULD BE
NO EASY RETREAT.
THEY WERE TO FIGHT AS THEY WENT.
THE GERMAN ARMY HAD FOUGH
THROUGH RUSSIAN WINTERS.
ITS COMMANDERS UNDERSTOOD
WINTER WARFARE.
THEY SET UP DEFENSIVE POSITIONS
ON THE HIGH GROUND
AND IN THE WARMTH OF THE TOWNS.
THE AMERICANS LIVED
OUT IN THE WOODS.
Foster:
MOST OF THE TIME WE WERE
IN A FOXHOLE BY OURSELF.
OCCASIONALLY,
WE'D BE WITH SOMEONE
AND WE WERE FOXHOLES
PROBABLY SCATTERED OU
ANYWHERE FROM
30 TO 50 YARDS APART.
YOU HAD VERY LITTLE CONTAC
WITH ANYBODY.
WELL, THE GROUND WAS FROZEN,
IN THE FIRST PLACE
TO SUCH A DEPTH
THAT YOU COULD HARDLY GET DOWN
THE FIRST EIGHT INCHES OR SO.
IT WAS JUST FROZEN
LIKE CONCRETE.
AND YOU JUST HAD
TO CHIP IT AWAY.
CONSEQUENTLY,
WE FOUND OURSELF USING
OLD FOXHOLES, ONES THAT HAD
BEEN OR SLIT TRENCHES
THAT HAD BEEN DUG EITHER
BY THE ENEMY OR BY OURSELF.
OF COURSE, IF YOU WERE
OCCUPYING ENEMY HOLES
THEY KNEW WHERE THEY WERE
SO THERE WAS A CERTAIN AMOUN
OF RISK EITHER WAY YOU WENT.
ONCE YOU GOT IN,
IF YOU WERE THERE A WHILE
AND WE USUALLY WEREN'T
YOU START TRYING TO IMPROVE I
BY PUTTING LOGS
OVER THE TOP OF I
TO SHIELD YOU FROM
TREE BURSTS OF ARTILLERY.
Foster:
THEY SHELLED US CONTINUOUSLY.
IF YOU GOT OUT OF YOUR HOLE
YOU WAS LIABLE
TO GET BLOWED AWAY.
Man:
IT WAS A SCREAMING SOUND
TO THE 88s
WHICH WAS THE MAJOR ARTILLERY
OF THE GERMANS
AND AT FIRST IT WAS
ABSOLUTELY FRIGHTENING.
IT WAS A NIGHTMARE.
EVENTUALLY YOU GE
ACCUSTOMED TO I
YOU BEGIN TO MAKE
JUDGMENTS ABOUT IT.
IS IT COMING IN CLOSE?
AND YOU BEGIN
TO BE ABLE TO ESTIMATE
PRETTY MUCH WHERE
IT'S GOING TO HIT.
Hagerman:
YOU CAN'T FIGHT BACK.
MOST PEOPLE JUST KIND
OF DOUBLE UP LIKE THA
AND HUNKER DOWN, AS THEY SAY
AND HOPE THAT SOMEBODY ELSE,
NOT YOU, GETS IT.
Narrator:
THE AMERICANS WERE
NOW ON THE ATTACK.
EACH DAY THE MEN HAD TO COME
OUT OF THEIR HOLES
AND ADVANCE INTO ARTILLERY FIRE.
THE GERMANS HAD SUPERIOR GUNS,
AND STILL PLENTY OF THEM.
ARTILLERY ACCOUNTED
FOR HALF OF ALL AMERICAN
CASUALTIES IN THE BULGE.
Stewart:
YOU HAD PEOPLE KILLED
IN MANY DIFFERENT WAYS.
AND YOU WOULD SEE
HANDS AROUND, ARMS, BODIES.
YOU'D SEE A WHOLE BODY THERE,
HORRIBLY CHOPPED UP.
Hagerman:
PEOPLE DIDN'T CRUMPLE AND FALL
LIKE THEY DID IN
THE HOLLYWOOD MOVIES.
THEY WERE TOSSED IN THE AIR
THEY WERE WHIPPED AROUND
THEY WERE HIT TO THE GROUND HARD
AND BLOOD SPLATTERED EVERYWHERE
AND A LOT OF PEOPLE WERE
STANDING CLOSE TO PEOPLE
AND FOUND THEMSELF COVERED
IN BLOOD AND FLESH
OF THEIR FRIENDS.
AND THAT'S A PRETTY TOUGH THING
FOR ANYBODY TO HANDLE
AND WE WERE
NO EXCEPTION TO THAT.
Hansen:
WE HAD A STAFF MEETING
EVERY MORNING
ON THE OPERATIONAL SITUATION,
THE INTELLIGENCE SITUATION
AND ALWAYS A MANPOWER REPOR
ON THE CASUALTIES
FROM THE DAY BEFORE.
Narrator:
AS THE G.I.s CREPT FORWARD
IN THE ARDENNES
THEIR GENERALS SIFTED
REPORTS FROM THE FRONT.
THEY WERE GRIM.
PATTON'S ARMY,
KNOWN FOR ITS SPEED
WAS COVERING LESS
THAN A MILE A DAY.
THE ATTACK FROM THE NORTH
WAS EVEN SLOWER.
IKE REMAINED 200 MILES BACK
AT VERSAILLES.
THE FRONT WAS
NOT HIS ONLY WORRY.
HE WAS TRYING TO KEEP
THE PEACE WITHIN HIS COMMAND.
Hansen:
THERE WERE SEVERE STRAINS
DURING THE BATTLE OF THE BULGE.
MONTGOMERY WAS PERCEIVED
IN THE AMERICAN ARMY
AS A RATHER ARROGANT,
STUBBORN LITTLE FELLOW.
I THINK GENERAL BRADLEY
AND OTHERS FEARED
THAT IF MONTY EVER GO
HIS HANDS ON OUR ARMIES
HE'D NEVER LET GO.
Narrator:
FOR MONTHS, MONTY HAD BEEN
BADGERING EISENHOWER
FOR CONTROL OF THE GROUND WAR.
AFTER THE GERMAN BREAKTHROUGH
IKE HAD RELUCTANTLY
GIVEN HIM COMMAND
OF BRADLEY'S TROOPS
IN THE NORTH.
BUT MONTY WANTED MORE.
HE DEMANDED PERMANENT CONTROL
OF ALL AMERICAN GROUND TROOPS.
IKE WAS SICK
OF THE FIELD MARSHALL
AND THREATENED
TO HAVE HIM FIRED.
ON THE NINTH OF JANUARY
AN ANGRY BRADLEY
MADE THE DISPUTE PUBLIC.
HITLER WAS DELIGHTED.
THIS WAS JUST THE FIGH
HE'D HOPED FOR.
IT TOOK A STIRRING
SPEECH BY CHURCHILL
TO GET THE ALLIED GENERALS
BACK IN LINE.
Hansen:
THE WAR WENT ALONG
AND EVERY DAY WAS
LIKE THE DAY BEFORE.
IT WAS A SEVEN-DAY-A-WEEK JOB,
IT WENT ON FOREVER.
FOR RELAXATION, GENERAL BRADLEY
DID ALGEBRA PROBLEMS.
AND HE WORKED
AT INTEGRAL CALCULUS
WHEN HE WAS FLYING AN AIRPLANE
OR FLYING IN HIS AIRPLANE.
HE SAID IT RELAXED HIM,
MADE HIM THINK.
Hagerman:
WE WERE ALWAYS
THINKING ABOUT FOOD.
WE WERE ALWAYS THINKING
ABOUT THE COLD
AND HOW TO GET WARM
OR HOW TO GET DRY.
AND WE WERE ALWAYS
THINKING ABOUT SLEEP.
YOU WERE LUCKY IF YOU GO
TWO OR THREE HOURS' SLEEP
AND IF THE SUN
EVER DID COME OUT
AND IT DID FINALLY
DURING THE LATTER PART
IT ALMOST PUT YOU
TO SLEEP JUST IMMEDIATELY.
Conroy:
YOU GOT EXTREMELY TIRED.
WHEN YOU'RE MARCHING,
CARRYING A PACK
AND GOING 10, 20 MILES
UP TOWARD THE FRON
YOU'RE NUMB, YOU'RE TIRED
AND YOU CAN GO TO SLEEP WALKING.
IT'S BEEN DONE
IT'S BEEN DONE A LOT.
EXCEPT IF THE ROAD TAKES A TURN
YOU GO INTO THE DITCH.
Stewart:
IT'S VERY DIFFICULT TO SLEEP
IF YOU'RE SHIVERING WITH COLD.
ONE OF THE THINGS
THAT YOU WOULD DO
YOU'D LIE DOWN ON YOUR SIDE,
YOU'D BRING YOUR KNEES UP
AND YOU'D BE PAIRED WITH
ANOTHER GUY WHO WAS FACING YOU
SO YOUR KNEES WOULD GO
INTO HIS STOMACH
AND YOUR HEAD AROUND HIS HEAD.
YOU'D HAVE TWO PEOPLE
IN THE WOMB POSITION
TAKING ADVANTAGE
OF THAT POSITION
TO PRESERVE BODY HEAT AND LIFE.
ANOTHER WAY OF DOING I
TO KEEP YOU OFF THE SNOW
IS YOU'D TAKE THREE PERSONS,
THREE MEN
AND YOU'D PUT YOUR ARMS
AROUND EACH OTHER'S SHOULDERS
SO THAT YOU GOT THREE BODIES,
IF YOU'RE PROPPING EACH OTHER UP
AND THEN YOU LOWER YOUR HEAD
AND YOU GO OFF TO SLEEP
STANDING UP.
YOU NEVER REALLY WENT OFF
INTO A DEEP SLEEP
SORT OF HALF AWAKE, HALF ASLEEP.
Hagerman:
I WOULD GO TO SLEEP AT NIGH
AND MY FEET WOULD GET COLD
AND I WOULD WAKE UP
AND THEY WERE NUMB.
I'D KICK THEM TOGETHER
AND GET CIRCULATION STARTED.
THEN I WAS GOOD MAYBE
FOR ANOTHER HOUR OR SO.
Rutland:
I HAD FROZEN TOES.
MY BIG TOES WERE AS BIG AS A
MUCH BIGGER THAN A GOLF BALL
AND I HAD MANY MEN
THAT I HAD TO SEND BACK
THAT HAD FEET AMPUTATED
AT THE ANKLE.
SOME OF THEM WOULD
JUST LOSE THEIR TOES.
Narrator:
HALFWAY THROUGH THE BATTLE
OF THE BULGE
THE ARMY WAS STILL WAITING
FOR ITS MAIN SHIPMEN
OF WINTER BOOTS.
MEN SUFFERING FROM FROZEN
FEET WERE GIVEN WHISKY
OR DISTILLED ALCOHOL TO DRINK
WHICH ONLY MADE THINGS WORSE.
SOME 15,000 SOLDIERS WERE TAKEN
OFF THE LINE WITH FROSTBITE.
Foster:
WE WENT OUT AT DARK
AS CLOSE TO THE GERMAN LINES
AS WE COULD GE
AND I WAS TO REPORT BACK
TO LIEUTENANT CLAWSON
AND REPORT WHAT WE'D SEEN
OR HEARD THAT NIGHT.
SO I WENT BACK TO THE HOUSE
AND TOLD LIEUTENANT CLAWSON
WE DIDN'T HEAR OR SEE ANYTHING.
MY NAME WAS PORKCHOP IN THE ARMY
AND HE SAID, "PORKCHOP,
YOU GO AHEAD AND LAY DOWN HERE
AND GO TO SLEEP AND I'LL
WAKE YOU WHEN I NEED YOU."
SO THIS WAS, LIKE,
7:00 IN THE MORNING
AND I DIDN'T WAKE UP TILL
ABOUT 12:00 THAT NIGHT.
AND WHEN I WOKE UP,
I ALMOST INSTANTLY NOTICED
THERE WAS SOMETHING WRONG
WITH MY FEET.
AND THEY'D SWOLLEN UP
ABOUT A THIRD BIGGER
THAN THEY WERE, YOU KNOW
AND THEY HURT THEN
AND WITHIN THREE DAYS, I WAS
BACK IN ENGLAND IN THE HOSPITAL.
I SAW PEOPLE BEING EVACUATED
WITH FROZEN FEE
AND THEIR FEET WERE
JUST AS BLACK AS COAL
KIND OF MAYBE A GUN STEEL BLUE,
IF YOU WANT TO PUT IT THAT WAY.
IN THE FIRST STAGES,
THEY SWELL UP QUITE A BI
BUT THEN AFTER THA
WHEN THEY START TURNING BLUE
AND EVERYTHING
THEY GET ALMOST FLAT.
KIND OF TURNS YOUR STOMACH,
I GUESS.
IT'S A BAD SIGHT.
Foster:
IF YOU DIDN'T GET CIRCULATION
BACK IN X NUMBER OF DAYS
I CAN'T REMEMBER,
FOUR, FIVE DAYS
THEN THERE WAS
A GOOD POSSIBILITY
THAT GANGRENE WAS SETTING
IN OR HAD SET IN
AND IF YOU WENT ANOTHER
THREE OR FOUR DAYS
AND YOU DIDN'T STAR
GETTING FEELING
THEY AMPUTATED FEET.
I DO KNOW THERE WAS ONE BOY
JUST ABOUT THREE BUNKS FROM ME
HE'D BEEN THERE
A FEW DAYS BEFORE
AND WHEN THEY INFORMED HIM
THAT HE WAS GOING TO HAVE
TO HAVE HIS LEFT FOOT REMOVED
I REMEMBER THAT BOY,
LIKE, WENT CRAZY.
PEOPLE DO GET HURT.
PEOPLE GET WOUNDED,
PEOPLE DIE IN WAR
AND THERE ALWAYS HAD TO BE A
STREAM OF REPLACEMENTS COMING IN
PARTICULARLY FOR
THE RIFLE COMPANIES.
IT WAS A CRITICAL SITUATION
AND WE WERE NOT GETTING
THE REPLACEMENTS THAT WE NEEDED.
Narrator:
INFANTRYMEN MADE UP ONLY 10%
OF THE TOTAL AMERICAN ARMY
BUT THEY TOOK 70%
OF THE CASUALTIES.
EISENHOWER WAS ANXIOUSLY
COMBING OUT THE REAR ECHELONS
LOOKING FOR MEN.
HE DIDN'T NEED
MORE FANCY HARDWARE.
IN THIS WEATHER,
A LOT OF IT DIDN'T EVEN WORK.
THE HIGH COMMAND UNDERSTOOD.
THERE WAS ONLY ONE WAY
TO TAKE GROUND.
THE KEY TO THE FIGHTING ABILITY
OF A FORCE IS THE GUY
WHO PICKS UP A RIFLE,
THE INFANTRYMAN
AND THERE AREN'T THAT MANY
INFANTRYMEN IN THE DIVISION.
THERE ARE ONLY
ABOUT 3,200 INFANTRYMEN
WHO PICK UP THEIR RIFLES
AND GO FORWARD.
FROM NORMANDY TO BASTOGNE
I WOULD GUESS PROBABLY
OUR RATE OF CASUALTIES
I HAVE HEARD THE FIGURES OF
ANYWHERE FROM 250% TO 300%.
AND THAT SEEMS
A LITTLE FANTASTIC
BECAUSE WE HAD
A TERRIFIC AMOUNT OF TURNOVER
IN THIS TYPE OF THING.
YOU'D BE THERE ONE DAY AND YOU'D
HAVE ALL NEW GUYS THE NEXT DAY.
Narrator:
THE ARITHMETIC WAS SIMPLE.
THE ARMY HAD BEEN LOSING
2,000 MEN A DAY
FOR ALMOST A MONTH.
NEW MEN HAD TO BE FOUND
TO TAKE THEIR PLACE.
PHYSICAL STANDARDS WERE LOWERED,
TRAINING CUT SHORT.
MANY RECRUITS WERE JUS
OUT OF HIGH SCHOOL.
THEY WERE ILL-PREPARED
AND LITTLE ENCOURAGED.
AS ONE ASSIGNING OFFICER
WAS FOND OF TELLING THEM
"MOST OF YOU AREN'T COMING BACK.
JUST AS WELL
GET USED TO IT NOW."
THEY WERE SUDDENLY LOADED
INTO TRUCKS BY THE NUMBERS
AND SENT OFF
TO A DIVISION SOMEWHERE.
AND PARTICULARLY
IN THE BATTLE OF THE BULGE
WE HAD MEN WHO WERE SENT IN
AS REPLACEMENTS JOINING A UNI
SERGEANTS NEVER EVEN
GOT TO KNOW THEIR NAMES
BEFORE THEY WERE WOUNDED
OR KILLED THE NEXT DAY.
Hagerman:
WE REALLY DIDN'
GET TO KNOW THEM.
WE JUST KIND OF TOLERATED THEM,
SO TO SPEAK
AND AS I LOOK BACK ON IT NOW
I REALIZE THAT WE PROBABLY
TREATED THEM PRETTY SHABBILY
AND I FEEL SORRY FOR THEM.
A LOT OF THEM WERE KILLED
AND WE NEVER EVEN
KNEW WHO THEY WERE.
SOMEBODY SAID,
"WE GOT CASUALTIES.
WHO WERE THEY?"
AND THEY SAID,
"A COUPLE NEW GUYS.
I DON'T KNOW
WHAT THEIR NAMES ARE."
SO SOMEBODY HAD TO CHECK THE DOG
TAGS TO FIND OUT WHO THEY WERE.
Rutland:
ON JANUARY THE 13th
WE WERE ALMOS
TO THIS LITTLE TOWN OF COULEE
AND THE ARTILLERY
STARTED COMING IN.
I HAD AT LEAST 15 OF
MY NEW MEN THAT I HAD
I KNEW THE NAMES ON PAPER
BUT I HADN'T PUT THE NAME
AND THE FACE TOGETHER YE
BECAUSE I'D ONLY HAD THEM
A WEEK OR TEN DAYS.
AND ABOUT 15 OF THOSE MEN
WERE KILLED JUST LIKE THA
IN A PERIOD
OF TEN MINUTES OR LESS.
Narrator:
THE AMERICANS WERE
TAKING BACK THE ARDENNES
ONE SMALL TOWN AT A TIME.
FIRST GUNNERS BLANKETED
THE TOWNS WITH ARTILLERY.
THEN THE GROUND SOLDIERS
CAME OUT OF THE WOODS ON FOO
AND IN TANKS,
SHOOTING AS THEY WENT.
WHEN G.I.s FOUGH
THEIR WAY INTO A TOWN
THE CIVILIANS
WERE NEVER IN SIGHT.
ON MENAIT UNE VIE
DANS LES CAVES.
Translator:
WE LIVED OUR LIVES
IN THE CELLARS.
YOU TRIED TO LIVE THERE
WITH THE MEANS YOU HAD
WITH WHAT YOU COULD GET TO EAT.
JE ME RAPELLE QUE
LES CONDUITES D'EAU ETAIENT
Translator:
I REMEMBER THAT THE WATER
MAINS HAD BEEN DESTROYED.
THERE WAS NO WATER, SO
I REMEMBER MY FATHER WENT OUT.
IT WAS WINTER.
EVERYTHING WAS FROZEN
AND HE BROUGHT BACK THE SNOW
AND PEOPLE MELTED I
TO DRINK IT.
AND THIS WATER WAS BLACK
BLACK FROM GUNPOWDER
FROM ALL THE SHELLS
EXPLODING IN THE AREA.
Narrator:
WHILE CIVILIANS PRAYED
IN THEIR BASEMENTS
THEIR TOWNS WERE FALLING
AROUND THEIR EARS.
THE BELGIAN TOWN OF HOUFFALIZE
WAS PARTICULARLY UNLUCKY.
EISENHOWER HAD PICKED I
AS THE PLACE
WHERE THE DIVIDED ARMIES
WOULD JOIN.
U.S. FORCES
PULVERIZED HOUFFALIZE
TRYING TO GET THE GERMANS OUT.
ON JANUARY 13,
PATTON BEGAN HIS FINAL ASSAULT.
HIS MEN WERE "CHASING
A SINKING FOX," HE INSISTED
"AND BABBLING FOR THE KILL."
THE GERMAN BULGE,
DRIVEN INTO THE ALLIED LINES
THE AMERICAN LINES
HAD A START LINE
AND WE WERE PUSHING THEM BACK
TOWARD THAT START LINE
LITERALLY WITH TWO HANDS
ONE FROM THE SOUTH
AND ONE FROM THE NORTH
AND ON THE 16th AT HOUFFALIZE,
THOSE TWO HANDS JOINED.
SO YOU HAD REJOINED
YOU NOW HAD A SOLID
AMERICAN FRON
BUT IT STILL HAD TO GO
TEN OR A DOZEN MILES
TO WIN BACK
TO THE GERMAN START LINE.
Narrator:
THE DAY AFTER HOUFFALIZE
WAS TAKEN
PATTON CONGRATULATED
HIS CORPS COMMANDERS
ON THEIR VICTORY
AT THE BATTLE OF THE BULGE.
BUT WHATEVER THE PAPERS SAID,
THIS FIGHT WAS NOT OVER.
IT WOULD TAKE TWO WEEKS
TO GO THE LAST TEN MILES.
THE MEN AT THE FRONT WERE
GETTING ALMOST NO REPLACEMENTS.
PLATOONS OF 40 HAD BEEN
GROUND DOWN TO EIGHT OR TEN.
STILL, THE COMMAND
ORDERED THEM TO TURN
AND FIGHT THEIR WAY EAST.
Conroy:
SO THE FELLOWS, THERE WERE
A HELL OF A LOT LESS OF THEM
AND THEY WERE IN TERRIBLE SHAPE.
A BOSTON GUY, McCARTHY
WAS SUFFERING FROM BOTH
DYSENTERY AND UPSET STOMACH
AND HE WAS THROWING UP
HE WAS WORKING BOTH ENDS
AND HE GOT AWFULLY WEAK.
THEN ONE ATTACK THEY WENT INTO
HE WAS A SERGEANT
HE PASSED OUT RIGH
IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ATTACK.
HIS GUYS TOOK HIM OVER
TO A HAY STACK, PULLED IT APAR
PUT HIM IN IT, PACKED HIM DOWN
TO KEEP HIM FROM FREEZING
FINISHED OFF THE ATTACK AND
CAME BACK AND GOT HIM LATER ON.
IT WAS VERY TOUGH.
THEY WOULDN'T SEND HIM BACK.
HE TRIED TO GO BACK.
NOTHING SENT YOU BACK,
EXCEPT BIG HOLES OR DEAD.
Narrator:
"THE FIRST QUALITY
OF A SOLDIER," NAPOLEON SAID
"IS CONSTANCY IN ENDURING
FATIGUE AND HARDSHIP.
COURAGE IS ONLY SECOND."
IN THE FINAL STAGES
OF THE BATTLE OF THE BULGE
THE MEN ON BOTH SIDES
WERE SPENT;
THEIR ARMIES'
RESOURCES DWINDLED.
ALL THAT WAS LEFT WAS SURVIVAL
OF THE MOST PRIMITIVE KIND.
THE GERMAN TROOPS WERE IN
TATTERS, BUT THEY KEPT FIGHTING.
IF THEY TRIED TO SURRENDER,
THEY'D LIKELY BE SHOT.
GERMAN DEAD WERE LEF
TO FREEZE WHERE THEY FELL
PAST THE POINT OF PITY.
AMERICAN SOLDIERS SAT ON THEM
LIKE LOGS TO EAT THEIR RATIONS.
ON THE 22nd OF JANUARY
PATTON CALLED BRADLEY AND
URGED THAT ALL ARMIES ATTACK
WHETHER THEY WERE FATIGUED
OR HAD LOSSES OR NOT.
BLOOD WAS SO SHORT THA
AMERICAN FIELD HOSPITALS
HAD TO BLEED
HEALTHY ENLISTED MEN.
PENICILLIN WAS
RECYCLED FROM URINE.
THE INSTRUCTIONS TO THE DOCTORS
NEVER CHANGED.
THROUGHOUT THAT FALL AND WINTER
THEY SALVAGED ANYONE THEY COULD
AND SHIPPED THEM
BACK TO THE FRONT.
Kimmelman:
MEN WHO WERE WOUNDED
AND WERE REDEEMABLE
WERE IN A VERY BAD POSITION.
THERE WAS A KIND OF MERCILESS
RULE ABOUT SENDING THEM BACK IN
IF THEY WERE ABLE TO GO.
AS FAR AS THEY COULD TELL,
IT WOULD BE REPEATEDLY
IF THEY WEREN'T KILLED
OR SO WOUNDED
THAT THEY WERE DESTROYED.
IT'S VERY HARD TO FORGE
THE EXPRESSIONS ON THEIR FACES.
THEY HAVE A KIND
OF A HOLLOW-EYED
LIFELESS, SLACK-JAWED EXPRESSION
AND THEY ALMOST DON'
SEE YOU AS YOU GO BY.
AND AFTER A WHILE YOU LEARN
NOT TO GREET THEM
BECAUSE THEIR MINDS
ARE ELSEWHERE.
IT'S ALMOST AS THOUGH
THEY'RE GOING TO A HOPELESS DOOM
AND THERE'S
A PHRASE FOR THESE MEN.
THEY WERE CALLED "RAGMEN."
THESE WERE INFANTRYMEN,
INFANTRY MEDICS OR SUCH
GOING BACK UP
TO A HOPELESS FUTURE
OR NO FUTURE, AND HAVING
NO CHOICE IN THE MATTER.
DETERMINED,
AND THEIR PRACTICE
THEIR PRACTICED MARCH,
THEIR PRACTICED STEP
IS AS ALWAYS BACK UP
WHERE THEY MUST GO.
IT JUST LOOKED ALMOST ENDLESS
LIKE YOU WERE GOING TO BE THERE
THE REST OF YOUR LIFE.
IF YOU WERE WOUNDED, YOU COULD
BE OUT OF IT FOR A WHILE.
AT LEAST THAT WAS TIME THA
YOU'D BE BACK IN A HOSPITAL
AND COULD WARM UP
AND GET SOMETHING TO EA
AND BE ABLE TO TAKE A BATH
AND THAT SORT OF THING
BUT THEN YOU KNEW
THAT YOU HAD TO GO BACK UP.
IF YOU'RE LUCKY,
IT'S GOING TO BE A LEG WOUND.
IF YOU'RE NOT LUCKY,
IT'LL BE WORSE.
AND IF YOU'RE VERY, VERY LUCKY,
YOU'LL TAKE IT THROUGH THE HEAD.
BECAUSE AFTER YOU'RE
IN COMBAT AWHILE
DYING IS A LOT EASIER
THAN LIVING.
A FRIEND OF MINE, OLLIE AND I
FELL INTO A DEPRESSION
IN THE GROUND.
IT HARDLY QUALIFIED
AS A FOXHOLE.
WE WERE BOTH NUMB,
ABSOLUTELY NUMB WITH EXHAUSTION
AND ALL HE COULD SAY
FOR ABOUT 24 HOURS A DAY WAS
"WE GOT TO SHOOT OURSELVES.
"WE GOT TO TAKE A BULLET TO
OUR ARM OR A LEG OR SOMEWHERE.
"WE GOT TO GET OUT OF HERE
"BECAUSE WE'RE NEVER
GOING TO MAKE IT."
HE SAID, "WE'RE JUST NEVER
GOING TO MAKE IT."
AND MY STOMACH
STARTED TO CURL UP
AS IF I WAS GOING
TO START TO CRY
AND I WAS AFRAID
I WAS CRACKING UP.
WHEN THE ENEMY'S 500 YARDS AWAY
AND YOU GOT SUPPOR
TROOPS BEHIND YOU
AND YOU'RE SITTING
THERE IN A HOLE
WITH A GUY WHO WANTS
TO SHOOT HIMSELF
AND YOU'RE READY TO CRY.
THAT'S NOT NORMAL.
AND OTHER FELLOWS
ARE ALREADY CRACKED.
Announcer:
FOR EVERY FOUR MEN WOUNDED
ONE SOLDIER WILL BECOME
A PSYCHIATRIC CASUALTY.
SUCH MEN MAY
BE SHAKING OR CRYING
BUT MORE OFTEN
THEY ARE JUST VERY TIRED
AND DIRTY AND DEPRESSED.
THEY ARE UNNERVED
AND HAVE NO INITIATIVE.
THEY'RE NOT QUITTERS,
BUT ARE TRULY ILL.
TELL ME, SOLDIER,
WHAT'S YOUR TROUBLE?
I CAN'T STAND
SEEING PEOPLE KILLED.
WHAT WERE
YOU AFRAID OF?
EVERYTHING.
WHAT IN
PARTICULAR?
WHAT IN
PARTICULAR?
DEAD.
WHAT?
DEAD.
DEAD WHAT?
DEAD PEOPLE,
I CAN'T STAND SEEING THEM.
I CAN'T HEAR YOU.
I CAN'T STAND
SEEING DEAD PEOPLE.
Kimmelman:
PEOPLE WHO WERE NO
NECESSARILY SEVERELY WOUNDED
BUT WHO WERE NO LONGER
IN CHARGE OF THEMSELVES
THEY WOULD PUT THEM IN
A DETACHMENT OR AN INSTALLATION
TO PUT THEM THROUGH A KIND OF
A VERY QUICK AND DIRTY PROCESS
IN WHICH THEY WERE
GIVEN SODIUM AMYTAL
OR ONE OF THESE OTHER,
IT'S A SORT OF TRUTH SERUM THING
BUT IN THE FORM OF TABLETS
AND THIS WOULD GIVE THEM
A VERY DEEP, DEEP SLEEP
ALMOST A TRANCELIKE SLEEP,
FOR 24, SOMETIMES 48 HOURS.
DURING THIS TIME
THE ENLISTED MEN
WOULD SOMETIMES GO BY
BECAUSE THERE'D BE SCREAMING AND
THEY WOULD BE DEEP, DEEP ASLEEP
AND THERE'D BE TERRIBLE
EXPRESSIONS OF THEIR FEAR.
YOU'RE BACK
ON THE BATTLEFIELD NOW.
WATCH OUT THOSE
SHELLS ARE COMING.
WATCH OUT,
DUCK!
Kimmelman:
THE ASSUMPTIONS WERE
THAT THIS WOULD HAVE SOME
KIND OF CATHARTIC EFFEC
THE SODIUM AMYTAL
WHICH THE MEN CALLED BLUE 88s.
YOU KNOW, THE MOS
EFFECTIVE ARTILLERY PIECE
OF THE GERMANS WAS THE 88
AND THIS WAS BLUE 88s
BECAUSE THE SODIUM AMYTAL
WAS A BLUE TABLET.
AND THEN THEY WOULD COME OUT OF
THIS, DEPENDING ON THE DOSAGE
24, 48, 72 HOURS AND THEY'D BE
WALKING AROUND COMPLETELY NUMB.
SOMETIMES THEY WOULD BE
SLIPPING AND FALLING.
THAT TOOK A FEW MORE HOURS
AND THEN THEY WOULD BE GIVEN
A SHOWER, NEW CLOTHES
AND A PEP TALK AND THE ATTEMP
WAS MADE TO SEND THEM BACK.
I SAY "THE ATTEMPT" BECAUSE
IT DIDN'T ALWAYS SUCCEED.
THEY WEREN'T SUITABLE
TO BE RETURNED.
THE THING
THAT REPELLED ME SO BADLY
WAS THAT YOU WERE TALKING TO MEN
WHO WEREN'
IN CHARGE OF THEMSELVES
AND YOU WERE SHEPHERDING
THEM BACK TO THE FRONT.
ONCE THE CHIEF OF STAFF
ASKED ME TO TALK TO THEM.
HE SAID, "YOU'RE GOOD AT THAT."
I SAID,
"I REALLY DON'T WANT TO."
AND HE SAID, "I KNOW, BEN,
DO IT ANYHOW."
I WENT OUT AND I TRIED
HAPHAZARDLY TO TRY TO GET THEM
TO PERSUADE THEM TO GE
IN THEIR TRUCKS AND GO BACK.
THEY'D FINISHED
WITH THEIR 72 HOURS.
THEY'D GOTTEN THEIR CLOTHES
AND THEY JUST LOOKED AT ME
AND HALF OF THEM LOOKED
AS IF THEY COULDN'T FOCUS
AND FINALLY ONE OF THEM SAID,
"DON'T YOU GUYS UNDERSTAND?
"IF YOU CAN STILL WALK
"AND SEE
THEY'LL KEEP SHIPPING YOU BACK."
SO I DIDN'T DO THAT AGAIN.
AND I TOLD MY COMMANDING OFFICER
I WOULDN'T
Narrator:
IN THE LAST FEW DAYS OF JANUARY
AMERICAN TROOPS MADE THEIR WAY
BACK TO THE ORIGINAL LINES
THE ONES THEY'D HELD BEFORE
THE GERMAN OFFENSIVE BEGAN.
THE BOOKS ON THE BATTLE
OF THE BULGE WERE CLOSED.
16,000 AMERICANS HAD BEEN KILLED
60,000 MORE WOUNDED OR CAPTURED.
GERMAN CASUALTIES
WERE SAID TO BE TWICE THAT.
THERE WAS NO CEREMONY
TO MARK THE END OF THE BATTLE
NOT EVEN A HEADLINE.
THE G.I.s SIMPLY KEPT MOVING
FORWARD INTO GERMANY.
Hansen:
THE BATTLE OF THE BULGE
WOULD BE REMEMBERED
AS THE GREAT SURPRISE
OF THE CAMPAIGN IN EUROPE.
I THINK GENERAL BRADLEY
WOULD HOLD
THAT IT SPEEDED
THE END OF THE WAR
BECAUSE THE GERMAN
TOOK SO MANY CASUALTIES
AND WHEN HE WAS AS SEVERELY
DEFEATED AS HE WAS
IN THE BATTLE OF THE BULGE
IT HELPED END THE THING BY MAY.
AN INTELLIGENCE FAILURE?
CERTAINLY WE DIDN'
KNOW HE WAS COMING.
WHEN YOU LOOK BACK ON THE RECORD
YOU CAN SAY, "HEY, YOU
SHOULD HAVE SEEN THIS
OR YOU SHOULD HAVE SEEN THAT."
I DON'T THINK ANYONE DID.
Arend:
QUAND NOUS AVONS COMMENCE
A ARRIVER DANS LES ARDENNES
Translator:
MAKING OUR WAY BACK
INTO THE ARDENNES
IT WAS SOMETHING QUITE AMAZING.
EMERGING FROM THE SNOW
WERE TWO THINGS:
HOUSES THAT WERE DESTROYED
BECAUSE THE VILLAGES
WERE PRACTICALLY ALL DESTROYED
AND HUGE, BLACK HOLES
VAST NUMBERS OF THEM,
IN THE FIELDS.
C'ETAIT UN PAYSAGE
D'APOCALYPSE.
Translator:
IT WAS AN APOCALYPTIC LANDSCAPE.
REALLY, A MADMAN
WOULDN'T HAVE BEEN ABLE
TO IMAGINE SUCH A LANDSCAPE.
PAR EXEMPLE,
ON AVAIT ENTERRE LES GENS,
MAIS TRES SOMMAIREMENT
Translator:
PEOPLE HAD BEEN BURIED,
BUT VERY SUMMARILY
BECAUSE IN WINTER,
EVERYTHING WAS FROZEN.
CA NOUS FAISAIT PEUR
ET NOS PARENTS, BIEN SUR, TACHE
DE NOUS RETENIR DE CES LIEUX
Translator:
IT WAS FRIGHTENING
AND OUR PARENTS, OF COURSE
TRIED TO KEEP US
FROM THOSE PLACES.
STILL, THEY WERE EVERYWHERE,
THESE BODIES HALF-BURIED.
APRES DEUX OU TROIS ANS,
ON A FINI PAR QUAND-MEME
Translator:
IT WAS TWO OR THREE YEARS BEFORE
THEY MANAGED TO FIND THE BODIES
OF ALL THE SOLDIERS
THAT HAD FALLEN.
Hagerman:
EVERY TIME IT SNOWS OR SOMETHING
I'LL THINK ABOUT THOSE DAYS
DURING THE BULGE.
IT BRINGS BACK MEMORIES
OF THE FRIENDS THAT I LOS
AND THE DESPERATE FEELING
THAT WE HAD IN THOSE DAYS.
IT KIND OF IRKS ME
THAT AFTER 50 YEARS
I STILL THINK THAT WAY.
I SHOULD FORGET I
AND GO ON ABOUT MY LIFE
BUT I GUESS IT MADE SUCH
AN IMPRESSION
IT'LL ALWAYS BE
WITH ME, I GUESS.
Conroy:
THESE MEMORIES ARE THERE
A LOT MORE VIVIDLY
EVEN AFTER 50 YEARS, THAN
PROBABLY WHAT I DID YESTERDAY.
I CAN TELL YOU
HOW DEEP THE SNOW WAS.
I CAN TELL YOU THE COLOR
OF THE SNOW
AND THE BLOOD THE NEXT MORNING.
I KNOW WHAT EQUIPMENT I HAD ON.
I KNOW THE WORDS THAT WE SAID.
THEY STAY WITH YOU.
Stewart:
IT DOESN'T GO AWAY.
IT SLEEPS SOMETIMES,
BUT THEN IT AWAKENS AGAIN.
THINGS ARE HAPPENING,
PEOPLE ARE DOING THINGS
THAT YOU NEVER DREAMED
YOU'D EVER SEE OR HEAR ABOUT.
IT'S AN ENORMITY
OF AN EXPERIENCE
AND EVERYTHING AFTER THA
HAS BEEN A FOOTNOTE.
THERE'S MORE ABOU
THE BATTLE OF THE BULGE
AT AMERICAN EXPERIENCE ONLINE.
BROWSE AN INTERACTIVE TIMELINE
OF THE WAR
AND READ PERSONAL STORIES
FROM SOLDIERS AND NURSES
WHO WERE THERE.
ALL THIS AND MORE
AT PBS ONLINE.
"BATTLE OF THE BULGE"
IS AVAILABLE
FOR $19.95 PLUS SHIPPING
AND HANDLING
FROM WGBH BOSTON VIDEO.
TO PLACE AN ORDER,
CALL 1-800-255-9424.
Man:
"I DON'T THINK ANY MAN
CAN EXACTLY EXPLAIN COMBAT.
IT'S BEYOND WORDS."
Man 2:
"I DON'T REALLY WANT TO GE
TO KNOW ANYBODY OVER HERE
"BECAUSE IT WOULD BE BAD ENOUGH
TO LOSE A MAN.
I DAMN SURE DON'T WAN
TO LOSE A FRIEND."
Woman:
"I LOVE YOU SO,
AND MISS YOU SO."
FROM THE REVOLUTION
TO THE GULF WAR
THESE ARE THEIR WORDS.
"WAR LETTERS" NEXT TIME
ON AMERICAN EXPERIENCE.
CAPTIONED BY
MEDIA ACCESS GROUP AT WGBH
ACCESS.WGBH.ORG
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