REMEMBERING THE BATTLE OF THE BULGE.

• Author: Valera, Charley
• Position: THE WORLD YESTERDAY

PRIVATE 1ST CLASS George J. Pelletier served in Europe as a machine gunner under Gen. George S. Patton's Third Army, M Company, 345th Infantry Regiment, 87th Infantry Division. He witnessed vicious action in France, Belgium, Luxembourg, and Germany. He participated in some of the most-barbaric battles during World War II, including those in the Ardennes, Rhineland, and Central Europe, as well as the occupation with Soviet forces at the German-Czechoslovakian border.

The Pearl Harbor attack "just shocked the whole nation. We were just stunned that it had occurred. All the fellows in the area that were 18 and 19 years old enlisted right away. Everyone responded to the crisis. My four brothers-in-law also enlisted immediately." Pelletier nodded. "They all did--everybody did."

Pelletier graduated from Saint Bernard's High School in Fitchburg, Mass., in 1943, and was drafted by the Army as soon as he turned 18. Eager and ready to help, young Pelletier first reported to Ft. Devens, Mass., in December 1943. 'Two days after my 19th birthday, I joined with the 87th and we were ready to go overseas."

One of the most--if not the most--horrendous and well-documented campaigns was known as the Battle of the Bulge. When the Allies jointly invaded Normandy in June 1944, it seemed as though the war might soon be over. U.S. troops were making ground, and were hoping that Germany also would see the end coming, but even if it did, Adolf Hitler had other plans in mind to turn the tide.

Hitler commanded an offensive attack called Operation Watch against American and British forces in the Ardennes. There were 200,000 Germans against 80,000 Allies. The battle took place Dec. 16, 1944-Jan. 25, 1945 during one of the worst winters in then-recent history. Deep snow, strong winds, and difficult terrain made the fighting even more dangerous. Three powerful German armies were in the thick, dense forest and rugged mountains of Ardennes. They were trying to break the U.S. line of defense by splitting the American forces in half and encircling them. The Ardennes Forest extended from Belgium into Luxembourg. The U.S. line was very thin and did not anticipate such German force. At least one entire American division was encircled and had to surrender, with more than 6,500 GIs laying down their arms as POWs.

The Germans put GI uniforms on their English-speaking soldiers to sneak into U.S. camps and cause great havoc. They cut communication lines, switched road signs, spread...