Battle of the Bulge seminar continues in Clarksville, April 7th

Battle of the Bulge seminar at Clarksville Train Station on Tuesday, April 7th, 2015, at 4:00pm

Clarksville, TN – On December 16th, 1944, the German Army launched a desperate offensive designed to split the Allied armies in two and capture the strategic supply port of Antwerp, Belgium. This offensive has come to be known as the Battle of the Bulge.

We are now in the midst of the 70th Anniversary of that offensive and historians from the Clarksville area including history faculty from Austin Peay State University will take part in presenting a series of programs that will educate, inform and enlighten the public as to the importance of this offensive. A highlight of one seminar will be actual World War 2 veterans that served in the Bulge fighting.

The Battle of the Bulge, which ended in late January 1945, was the largest single battle ever fought by the United States Army. Some 27 American divisions, including the storied 101st Airborne Division, fought in the battle along with dozens of other units including cavalry groups, artillery units, tank battalions and infantry battalions.

The British Army committed 3 divisions and several brigades. All of these troops were used to stop the attack of three German armies. Over a million men fought for both sides, the Americans alone suffering some 80,000 casualties. And despite the bad weather, American air power was used extensively to help stop the German assault.

The following out line offers the details for each of the several seminars devoted to the study and commemoration of the 70th Anniversary of the Battle of the Bulge. Each seminar will feature specific programs delivered by selected speakers. This schedule is subject to some changes. All events are free to the public and are being held in several venues in Clarksville, Tennessee.

We look forward to seeing you at these events.

April 7th, 2015, Tuesday– 4:00pm

Clarksville-Montgomery County Library, located off Madison Street in the county complex. 350 Pageant Lane.

• Moderator – Dr. David Snyder, Austin Peay State University
• Voices of the Bulge: Civilians and the Battle of the Bugle – War on the Home Front
• Clarksville in World War 2 and the Bulge – Krista Castillo, Fort Negley and military historian
• The German POWs in Tennessee and Kentucky – Antonio Thompson , Austin Peay State University
• How the War Affected a Clarksville Teenager – Hazel Goodlett, Clarksville, TN.