Veterans Who Fought In Battle Of The Bulge Remember Historic Battle
BETHPAGE, N.Y. (CBSNewYork) – A tribute for WWII survivors to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the historic battle of the bulge will take place in Bethpage this weekend.
"Very difficult. I feel like crying. I get emotional thinking how awful it was," 90-year-old veteran Jay Culter said.
It was a bitter cold December night in 1944 and Cutler, of Valley Stream, was among the first U.S. soldiers warned that Germans were massing in the dark surrounding forests of Belgium surrounding his platoon.
"Saw a German paratrooper in white come down and run into the woods, so I sent out an alarm," Cutler remembered.
The Battle of the Bulge was about to begin—considered the largest and bloodiest of WWII.
The battle raged on for more than a month in Belgium, France and Luxembourg. Half a million American troops took part; 19,000 were killed, nearly 100,000 were wounded or missing.
The 70th anniversary of the historic battle begins Tuesday and CBS2 met among the last of those who survived at the Museum of American Armor in Old Bethpage Village Restoration, still retaining vivid recall of the savage counteroffensive.
"I am proud to have served and wish that many of the people who gave their lives could be here now to celebrate," Irving Greger, 95, said.
Greger, of Plainvew, survived lethal enemy fire that caused the loss of two tanks and scores of men.
The allies ultimately won the battle; General George Patton broke the bulge.
"They called him 'Blood and Guts,' our blood, your guts" Cutler said.
Veteran Cutler's rare memorabilia includes leaflets that General Patton air dropped onto German troops encouraging them to surrender.
"Once the bulge was broken, they were surrendering en masse,"
The museum will honor veterans Greger, Cutler and other Battle of the Bulge survivors with a parade of armor beginning Sunday at 2 p.m. as the month-long anniversary approaches.
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