BASTOGNE, Belgium — David Marshall, a World War II veteran who is now 100 years old, carries a photograph that captures a moment from the fierce conditions he endured during the historic Battle of the Bulge, a key event in the four-year conflict. On Friday, he participated in commemorative events alongside other veterans and officials from the United States and its European allies to honor the significance of the battle, which played a critical role in halting Adolf Hitler’s last major offensive and paving the path toward the ultimate defeat of Nazi forces.
Marshall emphasized that the remembrance of this pivotal battle should transcend mere memorials. He urged the youth of today to delve into the history of the war. “Study about the war,” he encouraged in a recent interview. “Learn all you can about it in order to prevent any future war.” He believes that neglecting historical lessons could jeopardize the future, stating, “If you forget the past, you are not going to have a future.” During the battle, Marshall served with a mortar unit, facing both enemy soldiers and the relentless winter conditions.
On the morning of December 16, 1944, more than 200,000 German troops launched a surprise assault through the rugged forests of Belgium and Luxembourg’s hilly Ardennes region, marking the beginning of the famous confrontation. Seizing the opportunity created by harsh weather and fatigued American forces, the Germans advanced deeply into the Allied lines, which came to be known as the Battle of the Bulge.
This significant engagement ensured that the Allied forces, who had begun their advance at Normandy’s D-Day beaches in June 1944, could press onward to Berlin. Despite being initially outnumbered, American troops managed to hold off the assault long enough to receive reinforcements, which proved crucial in turning the battle’s tide by Christmas.
Marshall recounted not only the overwhelming German presence but the extreme weather conditions they faced, remarking, “It was cold, wind with snow — and there were a few Germans around, you know. And it was a matter of subsisting, you know, the weather rather than the Germans. Fighting them was not the problem. Fighting the weather was the problem.”
Hitler envisioned that a successful advance could shift the war’s momentum, pressuring U.S. and British forces into seeking peace, thereby allowing Germany to concentrate on the Soviet forces advancing in the east. However, once the Battle of the Bulge concluded on January 28, 1945, Allied troops invaded Germany, culminating in the Nazi surrender and the end of the war in Europe.
Today, Germany stands as an ally of the United States and other former wartime partners in NATO, a reality that resonated during the commemorative events. Veteran Gilbert Charleston, 101, a member of the Choctaw Nation and a former soldier with the 739th Tank Battalion, shared his insights after reminiscing about his experiences with Marshall. “There’s no reason we cannot get along,” Charleston reflected. “If they would just take the time to be kind to each other and not try to be so possessive — help when help is needed, I think the world would be a lot better place.”