On Monday, U.S. Rep. Chris Smith will speak and be honored at the dedication of a monument at Arlington National Ceremony to honor those who fought in the Battle of the Bulge – the largest land battle in which the US Army has ever participated. Smith is being recognized for authoring legislation that eventually led to the placement of the new monument.
One of the most decisive battles in the war in Europe, the Battle of the Bulge began on December 16, 1944, when the German Army attempted to split the Allied line in half by launching an attack against a perceived weak line of American and allied troops. Their goal was to reach the sea and trap four allied armies – resulting in a favorable peace treaty on the Western front.
Though the German Offensive took the Allied forces by complete surprise, the severely outnumbered American troops refused to cede ground. The “bulge” describes the extension of the German lines in this battle that nearly surrounded the Allied controlled territory. Within 72 hours, the Americans held their position in snow and sub-freezing temperatures while the German army fell short of its goals. Four weeks later, after a grueling fight with heavy losses on both the American and German sides, the Bulge ceased to exist.
The American and Allied armies suffered more than 81,000 casualties and the German army had nearly 85,000. Both sides lost as many as 800 tanks each, and the Germans lost 1,000 planes. Three times the size of Gettysburg, the Battle of the Bulge was one of the largest pitched battles in history. British Prime Minister Winston Churchill said of the battle, “This is undoubtedly the greatest battle of the war and will I believe be regarded as an ever-famous American victory.”
The new memorial was paid by the governments of Luxembourg and Belgium – which had been under Nazi control before being liberated by the Allies.
WHO: Representative Christopher Smith (R-NJ),
Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld – Expected
Ambassador R. Nicholas Burns, Under Secretary of State (3rd Ranking Official at Department of State)
WHEN: Monday, May 8, 2006
4:00 PM
WHERE: Arlington National Cemet
