QUITE THE ANNIVERSARY

Today is the 75th anniversary of the start of Hitler's final, desperate offensive in the Ardennes that became known as the Battle of the Bulge.

My grandfather was caught up in it, and was among the brave American soldiers who persevered through the Siege at Bastogne. That's where he spent Christmas. Not knowing if he'd make it out alive.

One of my uncles still has the letters my grandfather wrote to his girl back home, who'd wind up being his wife (and, of course, my grandmother). "They shell us all day and bomb us all night," he told her. "I don't know how we're going to make it out of this."

So, at this time of year, I'm always grateful to Gen. George Patton and the 3rd Army, who pulled off one of the most stunning maneuvers in military history, which wound up breaking the siege, turning the tide of the battle, and, it's fair to say, saving my grandfather's life. (See more at right.)

("Play ball" will always be about more than baseball to me.)

From Wikipedia:
At the Supreme Command conference (on December 19), Eisenhower led the meeting, which was attended by Patton, Bradley, General Jacob Devers, Major General Kenneth Strong, Deputy Supreme Commander Air Chief Marshal Arthur Tedder, and several staff officers.[164]
When Eisenhower asked Patton how long it would take him to disengage six divisions of his Third Army and commence a counterattack north to relieve the U.S. 101st Airborne Division which had been trapped at Bastogne, Patton replied, "As soon as you're through with me."[165] Patton then clarified that he had already worked up an operational order for a counterattack by three full divisions on December 21, then only 48 hours away.[165]
Eisenhower was incredulous: "Don't be fatuous, George. If you try to go that early you won't have all three divisions ready and you'll go piecemeal." Patton replied that his staff already had a contingency operations order ready to go. Still unconvinced, Eisenhower ordered Patton to attack the morning of December 22, using at least three divisions.[166]
Patton left the conference room, phoned his command, and uttered two words: "Play ball." This code phrase initiated a prearranged operational order with Patton's staff, mobilizing three divisions – the 4th Armored Division, the U.S. 80th Infantry Division, and the U.S. 26th Infantry Division – from the Third Army and moving them north toward Bastogne.[163] In all, Patton would reposition six full divisions, U.S. III Corps and U.S. XII Corps, from their positions on the Saar River front along a line stretching from Bastogne to Diekirch and to Echternach, the town in Luxembourg that had been at the southern end of the initial "Bulge" front line on December 16.[167] Within a few days, more than 133,000 Third Army vehicles were rerouted into an offensive that covered an average distance of over 11 miles (18 km) per vehicle, followed by support echelons carrying 62,000 tonnes (61,000 long tons; 68,000 short tons) of supplies.[168]