THE SAUGUS ADVOCATE – FriDAy, MArCH 29, 2024 Page 7 ~ The Old Sachem ~ World War II, Home and Away By Bill Stewart I t was Sunday afternoon. Dad was reading the Sunday paper and I was reading the funny pages in the living room. We had the radio on and suddenly we heard “We interrupt this station to bring the latest news. Hawaii has been attacked by the Japanese.” It was December 7th about 5 p.m. and Ma was preparing dinner. Everything stopped. We sat there listening to the news, worrying about what was to come. Soon Congress announced war to Japan and the Axis powers in Europe. The world changed. I was seven years old. Soon in school we were presented with folders to store dimes to help out the war effort. When we filled all the slots, I think it was a dollar. We gave the folder to the teacher, who gave it to the principal, who gave it to the town, who gave it to the state, who gave it to the federal government. Soon families were issued coupons because many items were needed for the war effort, and items such as food were needed by the military. We could only buy a small amount of meat with the coupons. I also remember there were coupons for tires and gas for the car. My uncle Jim enlisted in the Army after his junior year of high school. The military wasn’t too careful about age – they needed soldiers quickly. The government was drafting boys 18 to 45 for service. Jim was in the infantry and sent to France. We got mail from him sporadically, usually about two weeks after he mailed it. We knew the area he was in, and after it was over we found out he was in the Battle of the Bulge. The Allied Forces had a front from Belgium to the south of France, and the Germans attacked with an elite force and pushed the “The Old Sachem,” Bill Stewart. (Courtesy photo to The Saugus Advocate by Joanie Allbee) Allies back in a small area in Belgium. The battle lasted six brutal weeks: from December 16, 1944, to January 25, 1945. It took place in the Ardennes Forest during frigid weather; about 30 German divisions fought against battle fatigued American troops across 85 miles of dense forest. As the Germans advanced into the Ardennes Forest, the Americans pulled back. The battle cost the Americans about 100,000 casualties. The Germans advanced at St. Vith, Elsenborn Ridge, Houffalize and later Bastogne, which was defended by the 101st Airborne Division. The Americans were surrounded and the Germans asked for surrender of the Americans. The response from the commanding General, McAuliff e, was the statement “Nuts.” The 101st held out until Christmas and the siege was fi nally ended when the forces of General George Patton, the 3rd Army Division, punched through the German forces and relieved the city. One very signifi cant fact of the Battle of the Bulge was that the Americans needed to move black soldiers into the battle lines because of the needs of many troops to face the Germans. A unit named 761st “Black Panthers” of the 106th Golden Lions Division was the fi rst black tank unit to go into battle alongside the white units. Major problems for both forces were the blizzards and freezing rain. On December 23 the weather cleared and the Americans were able to deploy air attacks along with the ground forces to drive the Germans back. And from then on, the battles went westward and eventually the Third Reich was defeated. My uncle survived the battle and his unit was sent to Norway to face the German forces there, which were mostly older men around 65 years to lads of 15. Jim returned home when Germany was defeated. (Editor’s Note: Bill Stewart, who is better known to Saugus Advocate readers as “The Old Sachem,” writes a weekly column about sports – and sometimes he opines on current or historical events or famous people.) RON’S OIL Call For PRICE MELROSE, MA 02176 NEW CUSTOMER’S WELCOME ACCEPTING VISA, MASTERCARD & DISCOVER (781) 397-1930 OR (781) 662-8884 100 GALLON MINIMUM
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