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On the morning of December 16, 1944, German soldiers burst through the fog and snow of Belgium’s dense Ardennes forest to attack outnumbered American soldiers in what became known as the Battle of the BulgeHitler’s last attempt to win World War II.
My father served in the battle, which claimed 19,000 American lives and more than 89,000 total American casualties, and I just returned from a bipartisan official visit to the battlefield to commemorate its 80th anniversary and personally thank WWII veterans. World War they fought there.
Our visit was a powerful reminder that appeasing tyrants never works and that the United States must continue to stand firm against them. tyrants like Vladimir Putin to keep America safe.
Adolf Hitler was the leader of Nazi Germany from 1933 until his suicide in 1945. (Getty Images)
In 1944, Hitler knew he could not win the war outright. But he believed that after years of war, the allies were growing tired. He made a last-minute bet: if he led his troops between the American and British armies, he could break our will to fight and make us abandon our allies by agreeing to let him keep some of the territory he had conquered in exchange. for peace.
My dad didn’t talk much about his service, but he occasionally hinted at how harsh the conditions were. The Germans attacked when thick clouds prevented any Allied air cover. In sub-zero temperatures and with insufficient equipment, soldiers marched through dense, unforgiving forests and deep snowbanks. Their weapons froze and a terrible condition called trench foot slowed their every step. American lines bent and nearly broke.
But Hitler underestimated the strength, courage, and spirit of the Americans. Our soldiers knew they had to see the war through to the end to rid the world of Hitler’s tyranny and preserve freedom. The battle was won and soon the war.
We can hear the echoes of the Battle of the Bulge as Putin attempts to advance further into Ukraine, attempting to divide and exhaust those who love freedom. There are differences, but the difficult conditions Ukrainians face today have parallels to the conditions faced by the heroes of the Ardennes. And like Hitler, Putin knows that while he can no longer win the war outright, he can still secure victory by breaking America’s resolve to oppose him.
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Some suggest that it is in US interest in leaving Ukraine. They are wrong. Even when a war happens on the other side of the world, it affects us, just as Hitler’s invasion of Europe affected my father and millions like him.
As Hitler’s strength grew in the run-up to World War II, he threatened, in 1938, to invade Czechoslovakia. Hoping to appease Hitler and contain his aggression, British and French leaders signed the Munich Agreement, handing over Czech territory to Germany. However, this only emboldened Hitler, leading him to conquer not only Czechoslovakia, but then invade almost all of Europe before the United States entered the war and ultimately defeated him.
Tyrants like Hitler and Putin value strength and capitalize on weakness. If we abandon Ukraine now, Ukraine will likely be forced to accept a deal that will only embolden Putin. The tyrants and terrorists in Iran, North Korea and China will notice and try to exploit what will be seen as a glaring American weakness.
The best option is to support our allies so that Ukraine can be in a strong position to determine its own future. Now is the time to show Putin and our adversaries around the world that America’s resolve cannot be broken.
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The heroes of the Battle of the Bulge left us an important lesson: tyranny on the march can only be turned back by force, and freedom belongs to the brave and the wise. By the time the United States entered the war, Hitler had been strengthened by those who refused to confront him when he first came to power.
At the 80th anniversary ceremony at the American Cemetery in Luxembourg, John Foy, a veteran of the Battle of the Bulge, reminded us that, at that time, “the freedoms we cherish came at a terrible cost.”
In that cemetery, I had the honor of recognizing the heroes of the Ardennes by laying the Senate wreath as part of the commemoration ceremony. I reflected on the ways in which many things have changed since 1944 and that the ranks of the living veterans of World War II They have lost weight.
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It has been 80 years since the last shots were fired in the Battle of the Bulge. It’s been decades since my dad asked me at the breakfast table, “What are you doing for freedom today?”
The heroes of the Battle of the Bulge still call to us. His example of strength and courage is still valid. We cannot be the first generation of Americans to turn our backs, recoil from tyrants, and fail to heed their calls.
