Courage Under Fire: The 99th Division's Story

The Battle of the Bulge commenced on the morning of December 16, 1944. The Allies were ill-prepared for this last, desperate offensive from the Germans, and the campaign might have succeeded if a few things hadn’t gotten in their way, including a single, green, 18-man platoon who refused to give up their ground to the Nazis.

Alex Kershaw shares the story of these men in his book, The Longest Winter, and with us today on the show. He first explains the background of the Battle of the Bulge and how an Intelligence and Reconnaissance unit that had never seen combat ended up in the thick of it. And he describes the platoon’s 20-year-old leader, Lyle Bouk, who was determined to carry out his orders and hold their position despite being massively outmanned and outgunned, and how his men fought until they were down to their last rounds. Alex then shares how what Bouk thought was a total failure — being captured as POWs after just a day of combat — turned out to have been an effort that significantly influenced the outcome of the Battle of the Bulge, and how an unlikely platoon of heroes who initially went unrecognized for their valor became the most decorated American platoon of WWII. You’ll find such an inspiring lesson in this show about living up to your duty and holding the line.

Resources Related to the Podcast

• Alex’s previous appearances on the AoM Podcast:
  • #361: The Untold Story of WWII’s 45th Infantry Division
  • #514: Remembering D-Day 75 Years Later
  • #806: The Humble Heroics of Four of WWII’s Most Decorated Soldiers
• The Bedord Boys by Alex Kershaw 
• The Bitter Woods: The Battle of the Bulge by John S.D. Eisenhower
• AoM Article: NUTS! Why Remembering Christmas 1944 Can Change Your Life
• Lyle Bouck