BOALSBURG, Pa. (WJAC) — A military monument was dedicated Sunday in Centre County. The monument at the Pennsylvania Military History Museum honors Pennsylvanians who died in the Battle of the Bulge, during World War II.
From December 1944 to January 1945, Allied forces withstood and repelled what would become Adolf Hitler's last gamble on the Western Front, paving the way for the Allied invasion of Nazi Germany, and the ultimate end of the Third Reich.
The monument was dedicated to those in Pennsylvania's 28th Infantry Division who died in the pivotal battle, the largest battle in United States history.
A trip of some former 28th Division commanders to the site in Luxembourg sparked the idea for the monument.
"They realized, 'Wow, it's the 80th anniversary coming up of, of course, World War II,'" the museum's director, Tyler Gum, told 6 News. "And we realized our grounds, as far as the shrine and the monuments, we don't have anything to Battle of the Bulge. Well, that's where, of course, the 28th Division's gonna be called 'the Bloody Buckets' because they gave so much of themselves, literally and figuratively, of their bloodshed, that their key red keystone, of course, looks like a bloody bucket."
"And so, we said, 'Wouldn't it be great? We need to have one here at Boalsburg,'" retired Maj. Gen. Wesley Craig of the 28th Division recalled.
The grounds of the museum house other monuments honoring the 28th Division for their sacrifices in other conflicts.
"So, it shows more than a hundred years of service here on these hallowed grounds," Craig noted.
He explained that the 28th Division had come out of a very tough fight and had to go through a lot of replacements, before the Battle of the Bulge.
"And they were hit by seven German divisions, with only one division. So, they were outnumbered, outgunned... Every crossroad became like an Alamo and they fought to the bitter end. The Germans expected they'll be able to blow through in about one day. It took 'em about four to finally penetrate the 28th Division lines."
Gum said that when people think of military history, many tend to think of just the tactics.
"But it's really...a personal story," he emphasized. "So, when you think about the battle of the bulge monument, the meaning of it, the reason for it, and the importance of it, it's that it's that tangible connection. I can't take you to the location of that battle, but what I can do, though, is have you pause and reflect for what that battle means both to the families of the fallen and today."
"[The monument] tells me hope, it tells anybody who sees it, the soldiers that are currently serving, what a difference that people will fight for freedom and liberty," said Craig. "That's what we did for in World War II. That's, what's going on right now in Ukraine. ...It's a way to teach history and inspire people to continue to serve."
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