Today in 1944, the Division commander, Major General Jim Gavin, received a call from the XVIII Airborne Corps Chief of Staff.
Gavin was told about the German counterattack in the Ardennes Forest and that the 82nd Airborne Division must be prepared to move to the front lines the next day.
Gavin immediately called all his regimental commanders to the Division command post. He gave them orders to get ready to move to the Ardennes Forest.
What Gavin did not know was that approximately 60 hours prior, the Germans achieved a total surprise in attacking a weakly-defended section of the Allied line, taking advantage of heavily overcast weather conditions that grounded the Allies' overwhelmingly superior air forces.
The Battle of the Bulge - the largest offensive on the Western Front of WWII - was on. One of the most memorable moments in All American history was about to begin.
Pictured are engineers emerging from the woods and moving out of defensive positions after fighting in the vicinity of Bastogne, Belgium.
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