WWII Bastogne

Dare and Endure:
World War II
BASTOGNE - THE SOLDIER'S BATTLE

I found this clipping with a notation "L. D. Jan 30, 1945" penciled on it. If anyone can shed some light on what "L.D." means (possibly London Daily?), please let me know.

The Soldier's Battle

Bastogne was a soldier's battle. The fog and smoke have rolled back far enough to make that clear.

It was an infantryman alone in his foxhole. Shooting it out with a Tiger tank. A worthy target for the Tiger. For if that one American broke and ran it might break the spirit of the others. No American broke. No soldier ran.

He was a straggler. Cold, hungry. Sole survivor of his squad. He chewed a can of beans. Then: "Gimme my gun," he said. "Let me get at the sons of bitches."

He was a casualty, shot in the arm and leg, lying in the slush of a surrounded CP. The SS broke through. He and every other bandaged, bleeding doughboy able to cock a carbine, shot it out with the Hun.

Yes, the position was strong. Well chosen by Command. But officers and men worked in darkness and confusion. It didn't matter. Any errors in staff work were fixed by GI Joe.

Yes, our TDs and tanks were terrific. The artillery, as ever, was great. Together, they smashed half the German assaults at the starting line. But the other half were stopped by Joe.

Never did air and ground work better together. Fighters, bombers and fighter-bombers - they laid it on the line. But before the last dirt and splinters had fallen, there was GI Joe.

It was a soldier's battle. Once joined there wasn't much the brass could do. It was up to the man with the M1 whether, when Rundstedt pitched in his best, the soldiers everywhere would stick.

That was Bastogne. The soldier's battle.

They stuck.

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