For veterans, Battle of the Bulge memories 'getting a little misty'

[unhappycamper]

Like a scene out of an old movie, re-enactors rest in Hemroulle, Belgium, during the 30th walk of the Bastogne perimeter commemorating the 63rd anniversary of the Battle of the Bulge.


For veterans, Battle of the Bulge memories 'getting a little misty'
By Kevin Dougherty, Stars and Stripes
European edition, Sunday, December 16, 2007

BASTOGNE, Belgium — He can close his eyes and recall it all, or at least as much as Frank Soboleski cares to these days.

At 83, in the twilight of his life, the World War II veteran prefers happy to haunting thoughts.

But standing in a field north of Bastogne, an area he hasn’t graced since 1944, Soboleski can lower the lids and still recall the foxhole he and Herb Suerth dug. Or the sight of a German tank cresting a hill. Or the call of a wounded man on a frigid night asking for a medic after a German artillery barrage.

“I’m not coming back,” says Soboleski, a veteran of Easy Company, 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne Division. His recollections of the Battle of the Bulge “are getting a little misty,” he says, “and they can stay there.”

Soboleski was one of several veterans who returned to Belgium this weekend to commemorate the 63rd anniversary of the largest land battle in Army history. They were joined by scores of U.S. servicemembers, hundreds of WWII re-enactors and thousands of regular citizens.


Rest of article at: http://www.stripes.com/article.asp?section=104&article=51033

[hlthe2b]

1. Easy Company, 101st Airborne was subject of "Band of Brothers"

the HBO miniseries of a few years back. If any DUer has not seen it, I highly recommend you buy the DVDs or rent them. Really excellent. I bought the series because I find it so inspirational. Spielberg and Hanks did a great job with both the production and the extra taped interviews that are included on the DVD. I thought the music score was great, too.