OLD WARRIORS

At our last Roundtable event of the season, Hal Winton (Lt. Col, Ret., PhD, Professor Emeritus) spoke on the art of command, offering a unique perspective of the Battle of the Bulge through the six U.S. Army Corps commanders. The corps commander, of course, is between the strategic Army group and the tactical division. So corps commanders must focus on the operational level of the battle at hand, but bear in mind both the strategic and tactical consequences, as well. Hal's book, CORPS COMMANDERS OF THE BULGE, is an important contribution to the extensive literature of the Bulge. If you think you know all there is to know about the Bulge, think again. This has been Hal's passion for years and he has incredible knowledge.

We had two veterans of the Battle of the Bulge in attendance. Paul Thompson fought with a recon troop in the 106th Division on the south and was taken prisoner. Art Guggemos fought with the 23rd Infantry Regiment, 2nd Division on the north. Both men are in great shape and very sharp. Their recall and their story-telling was as good as it gets [there remain WW2 veterans still able to speak well]. I particularly enjoyed facilitating my 6:00 pre-session. We were able to weave Hal's in-depth perspective from the corps level (and his twenty-five years as an infantry officer, including two tours in Vietnam) with the first-hand experience of two young privates caught up in a colossal battle against overwhelming odds in December 1944 - January 1945. We had an overflow crowd with many in standing room only and many commented that the hour was fascinating. I, personally thought it was priceless and memorable.

In the attached photo, Paul Thompson is on the left, Art Guggemos in the center, Hal Winton on the right.

www.freedomhistory.com