On Jan. 23, 2025, a large group from the Battle of the Bulge Association—including five members of Congress and four World War II veterans—gathered next to the Battle of the Bulge Memorial at Arlington National Cemetery for an annual ceremony to honor Americans who served and sacrificed in that pivotal World War II battle.
The Battle of the Bulge, fought in the snow-covered forests of Belgium and Luxembourg between Dec. 16, 1944 and Jan. 25, 1945, was Nazi Germany’s last major offensive. It was named for the “bulge” that it made in the American lines.
“Eighty years ago, in the Ardennes Forest, the Nazis launched a brutal offensive that tested the resolve of the Allied troops,” U.S. congressman Michael McCaul (R-TX) told the group. To McCaul, World War II was personal. “This was my father’s war,” he said, explaining that his father flew 32 missions as a bombardier in a B-17 bomber, including some over Belgium and Luxembourg during the Battle of the Bulge. “He is my hero, as are all those who fought to liberate Europe and defeat evil.”
Rep. Mark Takano (D-CA), the current ranking member of the House Veterans Affairs Committee, also spoke about how American forces prevailed despite bitter cold and high casualties. He even brought the crowd into his speech when he remarked, “The 101st Airborne was surrounded at Bastogne and asked to surrender, but Gen. [Anthony] McAuliffe’s favorite one-word reply was….” “Nuts!” the audience shouted back.
Four veterans of the war in Europe attended the event: David Baily, from Arlington, Virginia, who served in the 106th Infantry Division; Benjamin Berry, from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, who served in the 863rd Quartermaster Fumigation and Bath Company; Athanace Joseph Landry, Jr., from Shirley, Massachusetts, who served in the 776th Anti-Aircraft Artillery Automatic Weapons Battalion; and Andrew Valero, from Norfolk, Virginia, who served in the 9th Infantry Division. Valero clearly recalled the horrors of the war. “I remember my buddies and so many that died in the ice cold,” he said. “I ended up in two hospitals with frozen feet and frozen hands.”
Baily, representing the veterans, laid a wreath at the memorial. Belgian Ambassador H.E. Nicole Bintner-Bakshian then laid a wreath on behalf of her country, followed by Reps. McCaul and Takano. Also in attendance were Reps. Salud Carbajal (D-CA), Scott Fitzgerald (R-WI) and Keith Self (R-TX). The event concluded with a second wreath-laying ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.
During the ceremony, Bintner-Bakshian honored veteran Darrell Bush, who fought in Bastogne during the Battle of the Bulge and passed away in 2024. “I just want to have a thought for Darrell and his beautiful family,” she said. Bush was a frequent visitor to the cemetery, attending events year-round wearing his World War II Eisenhower jacket with his wife, Dorothy, on his arm.
To learn more about World War II and those buried or honored at Arlington, explore our educational resources: https://education.arlingtoncemetery.mil/Themes/World-War-II.