Members of the Newtown Senior Center were treated to a talk on the epic World War II “Battle of the Bulge,” presented by Arthur Gottlieb, Thursday, October 8.

Mr Gottlieb is a teacher at the Lifetime Learners Institute at Norwalk Community College, as well as a local historian on subjects of political and military history. He was formerly a professional curator of naval history and the technical director of exhibits at the Intrepid Sea-Air-Space Museum in New York City, according to information provided by the Newtown Senior Center. “For the past 10 years Mr Gottlieb has refocused his professional efforts toward reaching out and addressing the growing needs of aging veterans and their families. In addition to maintaining a private practice as a counselor and certified senior advisor in Norwalk, he is a field instructor for Sacred Heart University. Mr Gottlieb offers pro bono counseling services to soldiers returning from Iraq and Afghanistan.”

The October 8 presentation was one in a series of ongoing history programs by Mr Gottlieb at the Senior Center, said Marilyn Place, director, all of which have been very well received.

It was the first time member Michael Lucas had attended, he said, prior to the start of the talk. As a soldier with the 78th Division, he was stationed “on the right flank” at the Battle of the Bulge. He was very interested in hearing what Mr Gottlieb had to say, Mr Lucas said.

Hearing about the brutal battle does bring back unpleasant memories, “But places with fireworks bother me more than anything else,” he said, even more than 70 years later. “I’m happy to be here and hear this gentleman,” Mr Lucas said.

“It’s part of my education on World War II,” said Marlene Whitney, as to why she had elected to attend the Thursday afternoon program.

Others in the room had heard Mr Gottlieb speak on earlier subjects, such as Rosie the Riveter and Central Park, and were looking forward to yet another interesting and entertaining hour.

 What he hoped to do, Mr Gottlieb said, in introducing his subject for the afternoon, was to put the story of the Battle of the Bulge into the context of World War II, “and why it was significant.” As one slide after another appeared on the screen at the front of the room, Mr Gottlieb drew the audience into the story.

“I try to find photos with regular guys in them,” Mr Gottlieb explained.

First of all, he noted, the true name of the battle was the Ardennes Offensive. “The Battle of the Bulge” was just a nickname soldiers gave to the fearsome fight, referring to the “bulge” in the front line created as American forces were pushed back by German troops.

German troops, in a final offensive meant to turn the war back in their favor, attacked troops spread out along the Western front on December 16, 1944, a surge that would last through January 25, 1945. “This is the last major offensive Germans can put together in this war,” Mr Gottlieb said. “Nobody was expecting anything to happen here,” Mr Gottlieb told the group. The Ardennes Forest was mistakenly thought to be “impassable. Who’s going to launch an offensive here?” he asked. That was wishful thinking on the part of the Americans, though, he said, as the war wound down, and led to the greenest, youngest troops being stationed there, directly in the pathway of the Germans determined to get to the Antwerp Port and cut off supplies coming in to Americans.

Not only were the American troops not expecting the Germans to attack, the young men were focused on survival. “American soldiers were freezing in that forest in December of 1944. It was the snowiest, coldest winter in anyone’s memory. Soldiers did not have winter clothing. They were not prepared,” said Mr Gottlieb.

With the Western front hundreds of miles long, choices had been made as to where to place the best forces. Forces were distributed all along the front. It was, he said, the perfect example of the military axiom “He who protects everything, protects nothing.”

The amassed German forces, taking advantage as well of heavy fog preventing the use of the powerful American Air Force, caught the young soldiers off guard.

“It was horrifying. The Germans broke through the line in several places. It was chaos, and guys were killed by the hundreds,” Mr Gottlieb said. Before it ended in victory for the Americans, weeks later, tens of thousands of Americans would die or be wounded.

A mesmerized audience paid rapt attention as Mr Gottlieb continued to speak, pointing out and commenting on key figures, equipment, aircraft, and strategies that led to the Battle of the Bulge.

As with his other programs, members left feeling enlightened and looking forward to the next history presentation.

“It’s a popular series, and draws both the men and women members,” Ms Place said.

Mr Gottlieb will return to the Newtown Senior Center, Tuesday, November 17, at 2 pm, for a talk on the history of the Eiffel Tower.

The Senior Center welcomes new members. For information on joining, call 203-270-4310. There is a $15 annual membership fee.