[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 150 (2004), Part 18]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 24118]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




  RECOGNIZING THE 60TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE BATTLE OF THE BULGE DURING 
                              WORLD WAR II

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                           HON. RAHM EMANUEL

                              of illinois

                    in the house of representatives

                      Thursday, November 18, 2004

  Mr. EMANUEL. Mr. Speaker, as the 60th anniversary of the Battle of 
the Bulge approaches, I rise to pay tribute to the brave American and 
Allied troops who participated in this grueling 39 day battle which 
effectively ended the last German offensive of World War II.
  In the winter of 1944, German forces launched a surprise offensive in 
the Ardennes forest region of Belgium and Luxembourg. It was intended 
to split the Allied forces in Europe by breaking through the Allied 
lines and crippling its fuel supply lines. Their progress was halted by 
the brave efforts of 600,000 American troops and 55,000 troops from 
Great Britain, Belgium and Canada, who fought gallantly while 
outnumbered and battling through treacherous terrain and bitter weather 
conditions until reinforcements could arrive.
  The most famous engagement of this battle was at the key Belgian 
crossroads town of Bastogne, where 101st Airborne Division was 
completely surrounded but persevered through a lengthy siege of its 
position. The Allied resistance prevented the German forces from 
gaining access to Antwerp and the Meuse River Line.
  The Battle of the Bulge resulted in 81,000 American and 1,400 British 
casualties, of whom over 19,000 American and 200 British soldiers gave 
their lives. Because of their sacrifice, the momentum of the German war 
machine was halted and the long road toward the defeat of Nazi Germany 
was opened for a final Allied offensive, helping to bring an end to the 
war in Europe four months later.
  Following last week's Veterans Day observances, I ask that my 
colleagues join me in honoring the memory of the brave Americans who 
fought and died at the Battle of the Bulge and in extending our deepest 
gratitude to their families.
  I would also like to thank the many World War II veterans who have 
participated in the Chicago World War II Veterans Oral History 
Anthology, a project that will preserve their accounts of valor and 
victory so that we may pass those stories and their values on to future 
generations of Americans. These veterans are again demonstrating their 
heroism and commitment to this country by recounting their often 
painful memories so that future generations may benefit from their 
individual experiences, and that this nation may benefit from their 
collective wisdom.
  As we solemnly commemorate the 60th anniversary of the Battle of the 
Bulge, it is my honor and privilege to pay tribute to the Chicago-area 
veterans--and their families--who proudly wore the uniform of their 
country, endured the rigors of the war, and fought for our liberty and 
the freedom of future generations of Americans.

                          ____________________