ANNUAL INDEPENDENCE DAY PARADE WILL HONOR BATTLE OF THE BULGE VETERANS

          The Military Affairs Committee of the Griffin-Spalding Chamber of Commerce has announced that the annual Independence Day Parade will honor World War II veterans of the Battle of the Bulge.  The battle, which was fought on an 80 mile front running from southern Belgium to the middle of Luxemburg, lasted from mid-December 1944 to the end of January 1945.  It was the largest land battle of the war in which the United States was involved, with estimates of up to 81,000 American casualties.  Hitler knew that he was losing the war and the Battle was his last ditch effort to stop the advancing forces.  To do so, he threw everything he had at the Allies.  Over a million allied and enemy troops were involved in the battle.

          To honor and recognize local veterans of the Battle of the Bulge, they have been selected to be the Grand Marshall’s of the annual July 4^th Independence Day Parade and will have a special place in the parade.

          If the combat wasn’t bad enough, the temperature and weather made it even worse.  There were great snowstorms and the temperature was the coldest on record.  Casualties from exposure to the cold were about as great as casualties from the fighting.

          It was so cold that GI’s had to run their trucks every half hour to keep the oil from freezing.  Weapons froze and the soldiers had a hard time keeping them operational.  When the Germans finally pulled back, they had few forces left to fight with.  The end of the war was just a few months away.  Not too soon for the miserable, battle weary GI’s.  “The Battle of the Bulge took place about six months after D-Day”, said Daniel Ham, chairman of the Military Affairs Committee.  It was a bitter, hard and terrible month and a half for in the Bulge and we just want to honor and thank them”, he added.

          The point of contact for Bulge Veterans is Allan Imes, 770-228-5227.  Information about any local Bulge Veteran should be provided to him.  All veterans are invited to participate in the parade.

          Applications for the parade are now being accepted at the office of the Griffin-Spalding Chamber of Commerce, 143 North Hill Street in the Griffin Welcome Center.  For more information contact the Chamber at 770-228-8200.