European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - December 11, 1994, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Cover Story i battling the  from the cover be the Center of the battlers history. A a let a face it a he said by Telephone. A it was heroic. They did put up a hell of a fight. They were surrounded. Their general supposedly said  the sky cleared right at Christmas. And they had a reporter in  the men of the 99th inf div do not want to discredit the defense of Bastogne made by the 101st airborne div they know that the mad experience of combat is a bonding one and they have More in common with the men of Bastogne than they have differences. They want simply for the historical record to accurately depict the events of the Battle of the bulge. One historian who is trying is William  Cavanagh a belgian author whose history of the 99th inf div was recently published. He is also the author of Krinkels Vocherath the Battle for the twin villages a Book about a key piece of the Battle. A to be fair to the men it was worse bleeding to death in Bastogne than it was not bleeding to death at else born a he said. Cavanagh said there Are Good reasons for Bas Tognet a notoriety. The sudden Clearing of the weather gives it a a cavalry to the Rescue Quot Appeal. And the colourful Gen. George Patton was involved. A it was valiant. It was courageous a Cavanagh said. A it seems to have eclipsed everything else. A and a he said of the men of the 99th, a it upsets these Guys. Every time they turn on the television or they read a newspaper or buy a Book its Bastogne a Cavanagh said. A plus the stamp released by the . Postal service this year commemorating the Battle of the bulges 50th anniversary depicts a scene from Bastogne. The men of the 99th inf div were there when the Battle of the bulge began but they have done More than rely on their memories they have studied the maps read the books. They have returned time and time again to the terrain. To them the Battle of the bulge was not 50 years ago. It was yesterday. A the Battle of the bulge opened at 5 30 . Dec. 16 with an artillery barrage by the germans a Byers said. A they pounded our front line for about 45  at 6 30 ., the German infantry advanced. This was the 6th is Panzer  led by Gen. Sepp Dietrich a a Hitler a buddy Quot Byers Calls hink Quot their Mission was to Clear the 99th out by noon that Day a Byers said. On the surface that would seem an easy task. They were facing men inexperienced in combat Many expecting Only to be the  of occupation in1 an infantryman and his fellow american soldiers Advance toward Bastogne Belgium in december 1944. A Defeated Germany. A we had just gotten into the lines about a month before a Foehringer said. A til never forget the first Guy i saw killed. He had a Small Hole in his head a a piece of shrapnel. I went wow this is for  fought Well. Cavanagh said they fought sometimes against to to a Odds and inflicted casualties at an inverse rate. The German goal was Antwerp Belgium. The shortest distance to Antwerp from the German front was through the ardennes where the 99th inf div shivered in the pre Christmas cold. A there were five designated attack routes a Byers pointed out. A the 99th had the misfortune of being astride four of the  because of the Strong defense made by the 99th inf div and others including the 2nd inf div which shared the area the German timetable was thrown off. The Battle continued until late january but it was decided in those first few Days along else born Ridge. Although the 99th inf div won that Battle it has Little Hope of winning the fight to wrest the limelight from Bastogne. That City has become too entrenched As a Symbol of hitlers failed last  the veterans of the 99th know that this anniversary will Pale in comparison with that of a Day a few months ago in Normandy. More than a dozen Heads of state attended those ceremonies in the spotlight of the world Media. Bulge veterans expect no such glory this month for the anniversary of their Battle although they do manage to debate the merits of that oversight. A people done to realize it but there were Over 600,000 people involved in this Battle a said Pete Gacki a 99th Veteran in East Lansing Mich. Cavanagh said a if you look at Tye bulge it constitutes the largest pitched Battle in . History. There were More americans in the bulge than you had in the persian Gulf  indeed by the end of the Battle on Jan. 28,1945, the american losses were More than 75,000, including 8,477 killed 46,170 wounded and 20,905 Cap tured or missing. The germans lost nearly 70,000 men including 10,749 killed. Bill Meyer who edits the 99th inf div veterans newsletter from his Home in Marion kari., said a in All honesty the bulge was even bigger than a Day a More people More casualties. But its not going to get the  v Byers watched much of the a Day anniversary coverage last summer. He said that the lbs network concluded its coverage with a 10-minute summation of the remaining 11 months of the War. Included in that 10 minutes was the comment that the Battle of the bulge was won at Bastogne. A i mean a Byers said a that really  waking up again to the sound of fury fifty years later to the minute the sound of _ artillery will once again shatter Tolje predawn darkness along else born Ridge in the ardennes Region of Eastern Belgium. This time it will be a recording. Fifty years ago at 5 30 , dec. 16,1944, the artillery savaged the 99th inf div and began the Battle of the bulge. This time the artillery sound will serve to remind men of something they will never forget. Division veterans anywhere from 15 to 25, Wall be on that Ridge Friday morning to remember their fallen buddies. After the Brief recorded barrage a few words will be spoken and the men of the 99th will be left with their memories. It is a Day that never passes without those Mem ories being recalled. A Rqn the 16th, there Are a lot of phone Calls around the United states among us Quot said Dick Byers. A a a a. Byers who lives in Mentor Ohio was a staff sergeant when the Battle of the bulge began. By the time it ended in late january he was an officer having received a Battlefield commission to help replace the Large number of officers lost. Shortly after his commission he was in a jeep that ran Over a mine killing his Driver and a hitchhiking infantryman. _ a every february 5,1 celebrate a its great to be alive Day a Quot Byers said. Peter Gacki of East Lansing Mich., was in a farmhouse with fellow soldiers and the woman and Young girl who lived there. It was in the path of a German Advance that Gacki and the others helped to stall. But the attack was too great. The House was overrun and Gacki was captured. A few years ago he returned to Belgium and drove to the House. A i looked and there was a woman standing in the doorway a he said. It was the same woman who had lived there in 1944, a i  see my eyes were full of tears a he said. A a a a a a Roger Foehringer of Genoa 111., was also a prisoner of War captured during the Battle of the bulge but As he is wont to do he quickly adds that he escaped. A i can to get those words out fast enough Quot he said a i was a prisoner of War. I put my hands up. I gave up. I said  a 7. A but i escaped. I can to get those words out fast  a a he slipped away from a Camp near Wurzburg Germany on april 1,1945, with five others. A German family hid them until the american Advance reached the area. A Byers and Foehringer will think of these things As they stand on that Ridge again this week. Gacki is unable to make this trip. _. Ron Jensen Page 4 sunday t december .11. 1994