Clarksville, TN – On December 16th, 1944, the German Army launched a desperate offensive designed to split the Allied armies in two and capture the strategic supply port of Antwerp, Belgium. This offensive has come to be known as the Battle of the Bulge.
We are now in the midst of the 70th Anniversary of that offensive and historians from the Clarksville area including history faculty from Austin Peay State University will take part in presenting a series of programs that will educate, inform and enlighten the public as to the importance of this offensive. A highlight of one seminar will be actual World War 2 veterans that served in the Bulge fighting.
[1]101st Airborne Division personnel retrieve an A-4 Aerial Delivery Container containing medical supplies. Photo taken in the Bastogne area. Resupply missions took place between 23-27 December 1944.
The Battle of the Bulge, which ended in late January 1945, was the largest single battle ever fought by the United States Army. Some 27 American divisions, including the storied 101st Airborne Division, fought in the battle along with dozens of other units including cavalry groups, artillery units, tank battalions and infantry battalions.
The British Army committed 3 divisions and several brigades. All of these troops were used to stop the attack of three German armies. Over a million men fought for both sides, the Americans alone suffering some 80,000 casualties. And despite the bad weather, American air power was used extensively to help stop the German assault.
The following out line offers the details for each of the several seminars devoted to the study and commemoration of the 70th Anniversary of the Battle of the Bulge. Each seminar will feature specific programs delivered by selected speakers. This schedule is subject to some changes. All events are free to the public and are being held in several venues in Clarksville, Tennessee.
For the events at Austin Peay you will need a special parking pass. If you plan on attending those events please email Greg Biggs at Biggsg@charter.net [2], to get your parking pass emailed to you. This must be placed on your dashboard and allows you to park in specific lots as detailed on the pass.
We look forward to seeing you at these events.
February 3rd, 2015, Tuesday
4:00pm – Austin Peay State University, 601 College Street, University Center, Room 103. This is located in the center of the campus.
Voices of the Bulge: The Battle of the Bulge – An Overview (introduction into this seminal campaign)
- The War in Western Europe From Normandy To the Huertgen Forest – Dr. David Snyder, APSU (also the moderator)
- Wacht Am Rhein: The German Army in the Battle of the Bulge – Greg Biggs, military historian
- The American Army in Late 1944– William Parker; Austin Peay State University
February 17th, 2015, Tuesday
4:00pm – Customs House Museum, 200 South 2nd Street, Clarksville, TN.
Voices of the Bulge: The Veterans Speak
- Dr. John Steinberg, APSU, moderator
- Michael Freeland, Hopkinsville, KY. Veteran of the 82nd Airborne Division.
March 17th, 2015, Tuesday
4:00pm – Clarksville Train Station, 189 Tenth Street, just south of Commerce.
Voices of the Bulge: Famous Units of the Battle
- The Saga of the Golden Lions – 106th Infantry Division – John Schuler, historian
- Saving Bastogne: The Stand of the 28th Infantry Division – Greg Biggs, military historian
- Kampfgruppe Peiper – Spearhead of 6th Panzer Army – William Parker, APSU
April 7th, 2015, Tuesday
4:00pm – Clarksville-Montgomery County Library, located off Madison Street in the county complex. 350 Pageant Lane.
Voices of the Bulge: Civilians and the Battle of the Bugle – War on the Home Front
- Clarksville in World War 2 and the Bulge– Krista Castillo, Fort Negley and military historian
- The German POWs in Tennessee and Kentucky – Antonio Thompson , Austin Peay State University
- How the War Affected a Clarksville Teenager– Hazel Goodlett, Clarksville, TN.
April 21st, 2015, Tuesday
4:00pm – Austin Peay State University, 601 College Street, University Center, Room 103. This is located in the center of the campus.
Worlds Collide: The End of World War 2 and the Beginning of the Cold War
- The Soviets From January to May 1945– Dr. John Steinberg, Austin Peay State University (also moderator)
- The American Army: Conquest and Occupation of Germany – Dr. Dewey Browder, Austin Peay State University
- The War Perspective of a Former Soviet Citizen – Dr. Anna Gregg, Austin Peay State University
- The War Perspective of a Former German Citizen – Lilo Rogoish