Bogleheads:
I was a scared 20 year-old paratrooper in the
Battle of the Bulge which was the largest and bloodiest single battle fought by the United States in WWII.
A key to stopping the German advance was the city of
Bastogne, Belgium with its vital highway and railroad intersections the Germans needed to continue their advance. The 101st Airborne Division was sent to hold the city. We were soon surrounded by three German Divisions trying to kill us. It was also one of the coldest winter's in Belgium history (I sleep with socks to lessen the pain of my frozen toes). We held the city and were the first American Division to receive
The Presidential Unit Citation.
The Hills of Bastogne
The crop shall be full in Belgium next year,
The soil should be fertile, but the price has been dear.
The wheat should be red on the hills of Bastogne.
For its roots have been drenched with the blood of our own.
Battered and reeling we stand in their way.
It's here we are, and here we'll stay.
Embittered, wrathful, we watch our pals fall.
God, where is the end? The end of it all?
Confident and powerful they strike at our lines.
But we beat them back, fighting for time.
Berserk with fury, they are hitting us now
flesh against steel, we'll hold, but how?
For each day that we stay, more Mothers must grieve.
For each hill we hold, more men must we leave.
Yes, honor the men who someday come home,
But pray for the men, 'neath the hills of
Bastogne.
Best wishes
Taylor
Jack Bogle's Words of Wisdom: "I’ve known many people in the financial business who’ve said, ‘I’m really proud because I did it all myself.’ And when someone has the temerity to say that to me, and a lot of people do, the first thing I say is ‘isn’t that wonderful, you did it all yourself. And I think that’s terrific, I don’t know many people who’ve done that. But how did you arrange to be born in the United States of America?"