WWII80

WWII 80 Commemoration

The following page gives a recollection on the support of U.S. Forces to the commemoration of the events throughout the commemorative period of 80 years since World War II.

During the timespan from June 2024 - May 2025 the U.S. armed forces members stationed in Europe, and U.S.-based units with historical links to WWII events, recognized and honored the men and women of the "Greatest Generation" by performing music, marching in parades and honoring the actions and sacrifices of allied nations during the commemorative period of 80 years since World War II.

The continued commitment to honor the historic significance of WWII and the sacrifices made, connects the strength of alliance and dedicated resolve during WWII to NATO strength and unity today.

To see more photos, videos and stories of commemorations during the 80th anniversary of WWII go here: https://www.dvidshub.net/feature/WWII80inEurope

USAREUR-AF support to 80th anniversary of WWII

Commemoration Timeline

August in WWII 80
September in WWII 80
October in WWII 80
November in WWII 80
December in WWII 80
JANUARY IN WWII 80
FEBRUARY in WWII 80
MARCH in WWII 80
APRIL in WWII 80
MAY in WWII 80

80th Commemoration of the Battle of the Bulge

80th Anniversary of the Battle of the Bulge

Dec. 17, 2024 | 1:00

World War II veterans, heads of state from Luxembourg and Belgium and active and retired service members attended the 80th anniversary event for the Battle of the Bulge, Dec. 13-14, 2024, in Bastogne, Belgium and at the Luxembourg American Cemetery. 19,000 U.S. service members were killed, 47,000 wounded and 23,000 lost or captured during the five-week long battle.

80th Anniversary of the Battle of the Bulge - Maj. Gen. Peter Andrysiak Interview

Dec. 17, 2024 | 3:23

Interview with U.S. European Command Chief of Staff, U.S. Army Maj. Gen. Peter Andrysiak, Dec. 14, 2024. The 80th Anniversary of the Battle of the Bulge took place in Bastogne, Belgium and at the Luxembourg American Ceremony, Luxembourg.

80th Anniversary of the Battle of the Bulge in Luxembourg gun salute

Dec. 14, 2024 | 3:51

Military Police from the 529th Military Police Company, 709th Military Police Battalion, 18th Military Police Brigade fired the 21-gun salute with cannons for the 80th Anniversary Ceremony of the Battle of the Bulge on 14 December 2024 at Luxembourg American Cemetery and Memorial in Hamm, Luxembourg.

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80th Anniversary of the Battle of the Bulge

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80th Anniversary of the Battle of the Bulge - Maj. Gen. Peter Andrysiak Interview

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80th Anniversary of the Battle of the Bulge in Luxembourg gun salute

Market Garden

Approximately 120 Soldiers from the 101st Airborne Division and the 82nd Airborne Division, alongside approximately 300 troops from the Netherlands, U.S., U.K., Canada, and Poland honored the service and sacrifice of the Greatest Generation by participating in more than 60 ceremonies and events in the Dutch provinces of Limburg, Brabant, and Gelderland.

Events were also supported by Soldiers from the XVIII Airborne Corps. Two senior representatives of the historic 30th Infantry Division, Brig. Gen. Charles W. Morrison and Col. Paul Hollenack are scheduled to support the commemorative events.

Read the 80th anniversary of Market Garden Press Release
See all images, videos and news of supported events during the 80th commemoration of Market Garden: https://www.dvidshub.net/feature/MarketGardenWWII
Read the Media Advisory of the 101st Airborne Division's support for 80th anniversary of Market Garden
Read the Factsheet about the 82nd Airborne Division's involvement in Operation Market Garden

Liberation of Mons

Liberation of Belgium

USAG Benelux Soldiers visited several communities during the first days of September to commemorate the 80th anniversary of Belgium’s liberation during World War II. In the cities and towns of Mons, Cendron, Rumes, Saint-Remy and Monceau-Imbrechies, garrison leaders and color guard members joined Belgian Allies in honoring the service and sacrifices of U.S. soldiers, Belgian forces and members of the Belgian Resistance to free Belgium from Nazi occupation.

Read the full story

Liberation of Mons - Tanks in Town 2024

1st Armored Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division participated in the Tanks in Town commemoration event in Mons, Belgium, Sept. 1, 2024. The weekend-long event culminated in a military parade through the surrounding communities and the streets of Mons. This is one of many outreach events that V Corps Soldiers participated in across Europe this year. Events like this help connect the U.S. military with local communities and inspire trust and confidence in the capabilities and skills of the Soldiers of V Corps.

Market Garden Videos

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Operation Market Garden - 80th Anniversary 17 Sep

82nd Airborne Division
Sept. 17, 2024 | 0:45

On Sep. 17, 2024, Paratroopers from the 82nd Airborne Division joined with the communities of Grave and Groesbeek to commemorate the 80th Anniversary of Operation Market Garden. Each year, U.S. Army units partner with Dutch communities across the Netherlands to celebrate their shared history from the campaign and the initial liberation of the Netherlands during World War II. (Video by U.S. Army Maj. Matthew Diaz)

Normandy Campaign June 6 - July 24, 1944

Operation Overlord - D-Day

June 6, 1944 the U.S. military participated in the largest multinational amphibious landing and operational military airdrop in history. By the end of the D-Day invasion, more than 9,000 allied troops were dead or wounded.
Each year hundreds of U.S. armed forces members stationed in Europe, and from U.S.-based units with historical links to D-Day, join service members and civilians from all over Europe to recognize and honor the actions and sacrifices of the allied nations during the commemorative period of 1-9 June in the region of Normandy, France.
The continued commitment to honor the historic significance of D-Day and the sacrifices made, connects the strength of alliance and dedicated resolve during WWII to NATO strength and unity today.

Related:
Read about the Normandy Campaign
Visit the U.S. Army D-Day page
Visit the D-Day page for more information

Operation Overlord - D-Day

Southern France Campaign - Operation Dragoon

Operation Dragoon 80th Anniversary Commemorations

Operation Dragoon 80th anniversary ceremonies to honor the sacrifice of the service members, who fought to liberate France from German forces in the European theater of World War II

Related:
Read about the 80th Anniversary of Operation Dragoon at Rhone American Cemetery
More about Operation Dragoon Commemorations this year

Operation Dragoon

The Allied invasion of southern France in late summer of 1944, an operation first named ANVIL and later DRAGOON, marked the beginning of one of the most successful campaigns of World War II.
The cross-Channel attack on Normandy took place on 15 August 1944. The success and the capture of the great southern French ports of Toulon and Marseilles, together with the subsequent drive north up the Rhone River valley to Lyon and Dijon, were ultimately to provide critical support to Normandy-based armies finally moving east toward the German border.

Related:
Read about the Southern France Campaign History
Read about Operation Dragoon

Battleground: The Invasion of Southern France

July 26, 2011 | 24:28

The story of Operation Dragoon in World War II. This episode features Roosevelt, Churchill, Chiang Kai-shek and Stalin.

Operation Dragoon

Aug. 23, 2017 | 0:59

Representatives from Naval Forces Europe and Africa attended several remembrance ceremonies in Théoule-sur-Mer, France in honor of the 73rd anniversary of Operation Dragoon.

AFN Europe News - Operation Dragoon 78

Aug. 17, 2022 | 1:00

220815-N-LD903-1001 CAVALAIRE-SUR-MER, France (August 15, 2022) Philippe Leonelli, mayor of Cavalaire-sur-Mer, France, held a commemoration ceremony in honor of the 78th anniversary of Operation Dragoon, August 15, 2022. Operation Dragoon is known as the allied landing in southern France that eventually led to it's liberation.

Operation Dragoon 75th Anniversary Rhone American Cemetery Memorial

Nov. 29, 2019 | 1:21

Rhone American Ceremony held a memorial in honor of the 75th anniversary of Operation Dragoon August 16, 2019 in Draguignan, France.

Operation Dragoon 80th Anniversary Commemorations

Operation Dragoon

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Battleground: The Invasion of Southern France

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Operation Dragoon

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AFN Europe News - Operation Dragoon 78

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Operation Dragoon 75th Anniversary Rhone American Cemetery Memorial

WWII 80 History: Rhineland Campaign Sep. 15, 1944 - March 24. 1945

Rhineland Campaign

The Rhineland Campaign consisted of multiple large-scale military operations during the last months of WWII in Europe. The two main objectives of these combined British, American and Canadian operations were to clear the area west of the Rhine and to accomplish the crossing of the Rhine river itself.

Related:
Read about the Rhineland Campaign history
More about the Rhineland Campaign

Operation Market Garden

The operation was an airborne attack launched in conjunction with a ground attack by the British Second Army. The two attacks were known collectively as Operation MARKET-GARDEN. The airborne attack was designed to lay a carpet of airborne troops along a narrow corridor into Holland from Eindhoven northward to Arnhem. Airborne troops were to secure bridges across a number of canals as well as across three major water barriers. The objective was to get Allied troops across the Rhine. Three main advantages expected: cutting the land exit of Germans remaining in western Holland; outflanking the enemy's frontier defenses; and positioning British ground forces for drive into Germany along the North German plain. The operation was a daring strategic maneuver that failed.

Related:
Read more about Operation Market - Garden
Photos, Videos and Stories of the commenmorations
Watch the Mini Documentary about Market Garden (done for the 70 year commemoration)

Battle of Aachen

The city of Aachen had been incorporated into the Siegfried Line, the main defensive network on Germany's western border. Allies had hoped to capture it quickly and advance into the industrialized Ruhr Basin.
It was one of the largest urban battles fought by U.S. forces in World War II, and is considered one of the toughest urban encounters in the entire war. As a result, Aachen became the first city on internationally recognized German soil to be captured by the Allies.

Related:
Read about the Battle of Aachen

Battle of Huertgen Forest

The Battle of Hürtgen Forest was a series of battles fought between American and German forces on the Western Front in the Hürtgen Forest, an area about 5 km east of the Belgian–German border. It was the longest battle on German ground during World War II and is the second longest single battle the U.S. Army has ever fought.

Related:
Read abpout the battles in the Huertigen Forest
More about the Huertigen Forest Battles

Battle of Arracourt

The Battle of Arracourt was a series of offensive and defensive actions lasting from Sept. 14 ‐ 29, 1944. Within this larger action, the Arracourt Tank Battle, “one of the bitterest tank battles of the entire war,” took place Sept. 19 ‐ 22. During the Arracourt Tank Battle, 37thTank Battalion was successful because it maximized its adherence to what we now call the characteristics of the defens.

Related:
Read about the Battle of Arracourt
Read about the Arracourt Tank Battle (P.222)

Battle of Metz

The Battle of Metz was fought from late September 1944 through mid-December between the U.S. Third Army commanded by Lieutenant General George Patton and the German Army commanded by General Otto von Knobelsdorff. Strong German resistance resulted in heavy casualties for both sides. The last of the forts defending Metz surrendered on 13 December.

Related:
Read about the Battle of Metz (P. 417)

Liberation of Strasbourg

The 2d French Armored Division, reached Strasbourg on 23 November. Within hours, the city was cleared with the Allied forces pushing north and south opposite the Rhine. By 27 November, after repulsing a German counterattack, the Seventh Army had secured a widening and dangerous salient into the German defensive line.

Operation Grenade

Operation Grenade was the crossing of the Roer river between Roermond and Düren by the U.S. Ninth Army, which marked the beginning of the Allied invasion of Germany. On 23 February 1945, the 84th Division crossed the Roer River in assault boats on a one battalion front. The 84th quickly advanced inland after the successful crossing. The crossing of the Roer River is an example of methodical and deliberate planning process needed for success in a large and complicated operation.

Related:
Read about Operation Grenade
Read about the Roer River Offensive

Battle of Remagen

U.S. forces captured the Ludendorff Bridge over the Rhine intact. They were able to hold it against German opposition and build additional temporary crossings. The presence of a bridgehead across the Rhine advanced by three weeks the Western Allies' planned crossing of the Rhine into the German interior.

Related:
Read about the Battle of Remagen

Rhineland Campaign

Operation Market Garden

Battle of Aachen

Battle of Huertgen Forest

Battle of Arracourt

Battle of Metz

Liberation of Strasbourg

Operation Grenade

Battle of Remagen

Ardennes-Alsace Campaign Dec. 16, 1944 - Jan. 25, 1945

Ardennes-Alsace Campaign

Battle of the Bulge

The Battle of the Bulge was a turning point in World War II and a symbol of victory for freedom. Today, our strong NATO Alliance continues to uphold those values. We remain unified in our commitment to securing a peaceful future. This year, like every year, we commemorate this battle by demonstrating our commitment to our Allies and partners, which allows us to effectively combat threats and ensure security in the European and African theaters.

Related:
Read about the Battle of the Bulge
Visit the Battle of the Bulge page

Battle of the Bulge Begins

Jan. 11, 2021 | 1:39

On Dec. 16, 1944, with the onset of winter, the German army launched a counteroffensive that was intended to cut through the Allied forces in a manner that would turn the tide of the war in Hitler's favor.
The battle that ensued is known historically as the Battle of the Bulge.
The courage and fortitude of the American Soldier was tested against great adversity. Nevertheless, the quality of his response ultimately meant the victory of freedom over tyranny.

Nuts!

Dec. 16, 2022 | 1:31

On Dec. 16, 1944, our forefathers entered in what was called “the greatest American battle of the war” , the Battle of the Bulge in the Ardennes region of Belgium was Adolf Hitler’s last major offensive in World War II against the Western Front.
During the brutal fighting in the winter of 1944 in the Ardennes Forest, the grit and determination of the Screaming Eagles saved the besieged City of Bastogne - and consequently a major turning point in the war, lasting six brutal weeks, from December 16, 1944, to January 25, 1945.

Battle of the Bulge

Dec. 16, 2019 | 2:28

December 1944 the German Army made a surprise attack on the American sector in the Ardennes Forest. This attack launched the Battle of the Bulge--the largest and bloodiest single battle fought by the U.S in #WWII. The Big Red One played a critical role in the U.S. Army stopping the German advancement.

Part of Something Bigger - A Reenlistment Story

Dec. 16, 2022 | 2:13

Staff Sgt. Michael E. Fyffe, a Soldier with 101st Airborne Division, reenlists with a small group of Soldiers in Bastogne, Belgium on Dec. 10, 2022. Festivities and parades were held all week in commemoration of the 78th anniversary of the Battle of the Bulge. In this video, Fyffe reflects on his choice to reenlist in such a historical place and the sacrifices made by the Soldiers of the 101st.

WWII75: Bastogne remembers with parade

Dec. 14, 2019 | 0:48

The city of Bastogne recently held the commemoration of the Siege of Bastogne parade, part of the 75th anniversary of the Battle of the Bulge commemoration on December 12th, 2019. The 101st Airborne Division participated in the parade that included hanging wreaths at the General George S. Patton Memorial and The General Anthony McAuliffe memorial and concluded with the "Jet de Noix" (throwing of the nuts) from the balcony of the Town Hall by city representatives and government officials.

Veteran Harry Miller describes Battle of the Bulge

March 13, 2019 | 2:42

World War II veteran Harry Miller describes how his ill-equipped 740th Tank Battalion, against all odds, stopped a massive German offensive in December 1944.

Battle of the Bulge: Jim Sharp

Jan. 28, 2020 | 2:51

Battle of the Bulge veteran Jim Sharp reflects on the time he entered the Army over 75 years ago. His determination, selfless service, and bravery, landed him in the thick of the fight in the Ardennes Forest during the Battle of the Bulge in January 1945.

Ardennes-Alsace Campaign

Battle of the Bulge

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