It’s been 73 years since the Battle of the Bulge took place on the Western Front during World War II and area veterans who fought off the last major German offensive campaign are gathering Saturday in Manhattan.
“I was a combat infantryman with Company B, 1st Infantry Division, and I joined the battle after it had been launched,” Manhattan resident and Battle of the Bulge veteran Jim Sharp told KMAN Friday. “The Germans had broken through and I was replacement for some of those who were captured the first few days of the battle.
The annual reunion of Battle of the Bulge veterans will take place at the American Legion in Manhattan with registration beginning at 8:30 a.m. A program and lunch will follow.
Sharp, now 93, said there are fewer and fewer World War II veterans left each year, but added he’s thankful for the long life he’s lived.
“I didn’t think I was going to live through the battle in the first place,” he said. “And here I am with three kids, seven grand-kids and five great-grand-kids.”
The American Legion is located at 114 McCall Road in Manhattan. Lunch is free for World War II veterans, otherwise the cost is just $5.
