Honoring World War II’s final major European battle
March 2025
Troops of the 509th Parachute Infantry Battalion, 7th Armored Division, move toward enemy positions beyond St. Vith, Belgium, January 1945. (courtesy Library of Congress)
story courtesy of Family Features
The Ardennes Offensive, commonly known as the Battle of the Bulge, was the single bloodiest battle fought by the U.S. during World War II. Waged in the bitter cold of mid-December 1944, it took the Allies a month to secure victory. The cost was staggering: nearly 20,000 Americans were killed in action, close to 50,000 wounded and another 20,000 captured.
In honor of the 80th anniversary of this pivotal battle, the Library of Congress Veterans History Project has launched an online exhibit to commemorate the milestone. While the battle itself is etched in the annals of history, the personal stories from those who endured it remain one of the most powerful testaments to its impact.
The online exhibit, “Serving Our Voices,” features accounts from 12 Battle of the Bulge survivors. These stories are part of the thousands of narratives preserved by the project, which ensures that future generations can gain a deeper understanding of veterans’ service and sacrifice.
One such story involves Eliot Annable, a 20-year-old radio operator serving with the Army’s 106th Infantry Division. Just days after arriving at the western front, Annable was under German artillery barrages on Dec. 16, 1944. In his oral history, he recalled the assault, describing the intensity as “almost enough to knock you on the floor.”
Alvin Sussman, left, and Eliot Annable, veterans with the 106th Infantry Division, review a map of the Malmedy Massacre that occurred in December 1944. (courtesy Library of Congress)
The following five days became the most harrowing days of Annable’s military service. While on a communications mission, he became stranded behind enemy lines and spent nearly a week evading the enemy in the Ardennes Forest without food, shelter or appropriate winter clothing. After traveling more than 30 miles, he safely rejoined his unit’s remnants.
Back home, Annable’s parents were gripped by uncertainty. On Dec. 31, 1944, his father wrote a letter expressing the family’s anguish and love for their son, regardless of what happened. The moving letter and Annable’s oral history provide an intimate view into one soldier’s Battle of the Bulge experience.
Another featured veteran in the exhibit, Guy Martin Stephens, also served with the 106th Infantry Division. Unlike Annable, Stephens was captured by the Germans during battle. In his oral history, he recounted the surreal feeling of combat, the relentless hunger he endured as a prisoner of war, and the lingering effects of his time in captivity.
“It’s hard,” Stephens says. “It’s something you can’t ever … your mind is just like a video, or camcorder, I guess. You put it in there. You get busy and get married. You get home, and you get an education, and get a job, and raise your family and everything like that. You can kind of gloss it over or try to push it back, but it’s always there, you know?”
To explore more veterans’ stories and learn how you can contribute to the program, visit loc.gov/vets.