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Behind the Headlines at the Battle of the Bulge by Avi Heiligman
Forgotten Her es Behind the Headlines at the Battle of the Bulge
By Avi Heiligman
Six months after the Allied landing at Normandy, France, in June 1944, the Germans decided to make one last offensive and ultimately force a peace treaty on more favorable terms. The Germans hoped to prevent the Allies from gaining control of the port of Antwerp and wanted to split the Allied lines. They were banking on bad weather, the element of surprise, and the fact that the American supply chain was spread thin. Failing to recognize a major buildup of German men and vehicles, entire Americans divisions were on the run following the start of the offensive. Called the Battle of the Bulge, the Americans reversed the German gains in just a few weeks, but it gave a major scare to the entire Allied forces in the west.
Almost from the beginning General Eisenhower realized that this was a big offensive and started preparations for defense. 250,000 men and 50,000 vehicles were rushed to the frontlines. This included sending the 101st Airborne, aka the Screaming Eagles, and elements of the 10th Armored Division to the important crossroads city of Bastogne. Casualties were high, and they were low on supplies but still held out. On December 21, five German divisions had surrounded the city and demanded that the Americans surrender. The highest-ranking officer in the pocket, Brigadier General Anthony McAuliffe, responded with one word: “Nuts!” On December 26, a week after being sent to the city, American reinforcements from General George Patton’s Third Army broke through the German siege.
The Battle of the Bulge is fairly er had been killed, and he asked Chiwy to volunteer. Together with her friend, Renee Lemaire, the two nurses joined an aid station for the 10th Armored Division treating wounded soldiers. However, a German bomb hit the station on December 24 and killed Renee along with dozens of wounded soldiers. Chiwy was blown through a wall by the blast but survived. She continued to
well-known, but there were forgotten heroes and stories that didn’t make first page news. Many local civilians decided to help out the beleaguered American soldiers despite the dangers. Augusta Chiwy was a Belgian nurse originally from the Congo and was in Bastogne visiting family when the Germans launched their surprise attack. Army Dr. John Prior from Vermont was desperate for any help as his ambulance drivaid Americans and wore an American uniform while going out in the battlefield to retrieve the wounded under fire. It is estimated that Chiwy and Lemaire saved hundreds of American lives during the Siege of the Bastogne.
The Medal of Honor was awarded to twenty soldiers for heroic actions during the battle. One of them went to Private James Hendrix from Arkansas. He was with Company C, 53rd Armored Infantry Regiment, 4th Armored Division and had landed in Normandy five days after D-Day. On December 26, the 4th Armored was on its way to Bastogne, and Hendrix was with the elements poised to break through the siege. They encountered heavy artillery and small arms fire, and the private got off of his vehicle and started firing at the two enemy artillery guns, forcing the crews to surrender. Later, he dismounted again to come to the aid of two wounded Americans and silenced two machine guns in the process. Sometime later, he rushed to a burning vehicle and rescued another soldier from the inferno.
Isadore Jachman was born in Berlin, Germany, in 1922. His family moved to the U.S. when he was two. They soon settled in Baltimore, and Isadore went to school at TA and Baltimore City College. When World War II broke out, he volunteered (all paratroopers were volunteers for the hazardous duty) and joined the 17th Airborne Division. Soon he attained the title of staff sergeant in Company B, 513th Parachute Infantry Regiment in the 17th Airborne Division. To the west of Bastogne, the 17th Airborne deployed to Flamierge, Belgium.
Isadore’s Company B, 513th PIR
Augusta Chiwy is second from right in a photo from 1945 President Truman awarding the Medal of Honor to Sergeant James Hendrix Isadore Jachman
was pinned down by enemy fire coming from artillery, machine guns, and small arms. To add to the deadly barrage, two tanks were advancing on his positions. He grabbed a bazooka (anti-tank weapon) and ran across an open field to get a good shot at the Panzer tanks. One of his shots damaged a tank, and the other retreated. Tragically, Isadore suffered fatal wounds in that attack. He received the Medal of Honor for his actions in 1950. Years later, it was discovered that the statue the town had erected of an American soldier was actually of Isadore Jachman, whom they considered to have saved their village.
By January, over 700,000 Allied troops were engaged against a diminishing German Army, and in early February, the lines were about where they were when the offensive began. The German losses had been incredibly high, their reserves gone, and the Luftwaffe was permanently crushed. This led to final Allied push that saw the Nazis surrender in May 1945. The men and women who fought at the Bulge and held out at Bastogne were a major part in the victory, and their sacrifices won’t be forgotten.
Avi Heiligman is a weekly contributor to The Jewish Home. He welcomes your comments and suggestions for future columns and can be reached at aviheiligman@gmail.com.
