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Battle of the Bulge
History
"This is undoubtedly the greatest battle of the War and will, I believe, be regarded
as an ever famous American Victory."
-Sir Winston Churchill, addressing the House of Commons
In the early morning hours of December 16, 1944, three powerful German armies plunged headlong into the hills and forest of the Ardennes Region of Belgium and Luxembourg, attacking thinly-held American lines along an 85 mile front. Their goal was to split and trap American and British forces and eventually reach the Port of Antwerp.
Fighting in dense fog, snow, and bitter cold, American forces stubbornly resisted all-out German attacks, stalling their advance, and completely upsetting their timetable. After penetrating more than 40 miles into Allied territory, forming a salient or Bulge, the German advance was finally stopped on Christmas Eve, December 24, 1944. Bitter fighting continued until January 25, 1945, when the Bulge was finally erased and the original front line restored. The Allies were now poised for the final assault into the German heartland and final victory on V-E Day, May 8, 1945.
At the entrance to this memorial, an interpretive sign with a map graphically tells the story of the Battle of the Bulge. The two large black granite slabs, symbolizing the held battle line, feature an insert of a dichroic glass star that represents hope and peace, and changes color in the light throughout the day. A granite wall contains the shoulder patch logos of each of the 45 units that fought in the battle, and a memorial text at its base provides a background for the slabs. The memorial plaza includes a ceramic Veterans of the Battle of the Bulge emblem at its center, surrounded by cobblestone rings, seven of which were donated by the people of Luxemburg and Belgium.
The monument was created by NYC Parks and the Veterans of the Battle of Bulge. Architect Anthony Moody, a member of the veterans association, together with Mike Browne, NYC Parks Deputy Chief of Design, conceived the original design of the monument paying tribute to the 600,000 American men and women who participated in this epic battle. Construction began in October of 2001 and was completed in December of the same year.
Battle of the Bulge Details
- Architect: Anthony Moody and Mike Browne (DPR)
- Description: 2-part granite column with star in the middle; paved plaza has semi-circular granite wall and inset mosaic design
- Materials: Black granite, dichroic glass, ceramic
- Dimensions: 16'8" H x 5'6" W x 2" D
- Dedicated: Dec. 16, 2001
- Donor: Veterans of the Battle of the Bulge & DPR
- Inscription: GRANITE WALL:
Battle of the Bulge
Belgium and Luxembourg
December 16, 1944 January 25, 1945
WWII This is undoubtedly the greatest American battle of the war and will, I believe, be remembered as an ever famous American victory
Sir Winston Churchill House of Commons 1945
Please note, the NAME field includes a primary designation as well as alternate namingsoften in common or popular usage. The DEDICATED field refers to the most recent dedication, most often, butnot necessarily the original dedication date. If the monument did not have a formal dedication, the yearlisted reflects the date of installation.
For more information, please contact Art & Antiquities at (212) 360-8163
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