Readers of Dogwoods Blush know there are numerous references to wars in the book ... WWII, Korea, Vietnam and Iraq ... all are referenced in varying degrees. That's because of my military background (26+ years in the Army) and my passion for military history. Of particular note is the portion of Dogwoods where the mysterious Night Terror makes his way to a VFW Hall in Leavenworth, Kansas in order to kill his longtime enemy, Mike Ewing. While there, Night Terror encounters a WWII vet and wounded survivor of the Battle of the Bulge named Blake Benson. Blake Benson is based on an actual soldier I met in Luxembourg in December 2004. This is his story.
For those who might like a brief refresher course in WWII history, the Battle of the Bulge occurred in December 1944. While conventional wisdom speculated that the war was already won for the allies, Hitler and his SS Panzer commanders had other ideas. Launching a surprise attack on December 16 in the Ardennes Forest of Belgium and Luxembourg, Hitler hoped to fracture the alliance of the USA, France and England, inflict heavy casualties and seize the valuable oil and ammunition stored at the port of Antwerp. With bad weather, surprise and speed on his side, the battle began. The "Battle of the Bulge" gets its name from the penetration of the German advance ... the allied line "bulged" but did not break. American units across the entire front fought bravely to hold their position and the German advance stalled. This was due in no small part to the Screaming Eagles of the 101st (Airborne) who held the critical transportation node of Bastogne, Belgium. Completely surrounded and cut-off, 101st acting Commander BG Anthony McAuliffe was given a "surrender or die" ultimatum by the Germans. McAuliffe responded with one word ... "Nuts." The 101st held until elements of General Patton's 3rd Army broke through and linked up with them. The Battle of the Bulge ended in January 1945 with a complete German defeat, although US forces lost about 81,000 men (the Germans lost 100,000). I published the above graphic novel, Hitler's Last Gamble: Battle of the Bulge, for Osprey Publishing in 2007. Check it out if you get the chance.
In December 2004 I had just returned from Iraq and was assigned to 3rd Army, the same unit commanded by General Patton in WWII. I was asked by the Commander to represent the Command in a series of ceremonies to commemorate the 60th Anniversary of the Battle of the Bulge in Belgium and Luxembourg. I reluctantly agreed ... I wanted to spend the holidays with my family ... and boarded my flight to Germany. There I linked up with my contacts and headed north to Belgium. Over the next several days, I attended many ceremonies and wonderful events, including a full-colors parade through the streets of Bastogne with about 50 veterans from the famous battle. I met Patton's granddaughter, the King of Belgium, Prime Minister of Luxembourg, and participated in many other great events. But meeting "Blake" was a moment I will never forget. On the last night there, I attended a USO show designed to simulate similar shows from WWII. While there I met SGT Blake, a survivor from the battle who still carried guilt from that awful event from 60-years earlier. His company commander, a young captain, died to give Blake the opportunity to retreat to relative safety and in 2004, the remorseful Blake still mourned that decision and carried the guilt that many survivors of traumatic events endure. We talked well into the night, Blake and I, and his sadness and respect for his fallen captain was as fresh as if it had just happened yesterday. While I'd like to think that Blake felt better after our long discussion, I know it would be hard to let go of a guilt carried and nursed for exactly 60-years to the day. But I will never forget how this man touched me in that tent on a frosty night outside Bastogne in December 2004. And so it is to SGT Blake and all the many others like him that I paid homage to in the guise of Blake Benson in Dogwoods Blush. As the Night Terror told him In the book, "You are still a very good soldier! It is an honor to have met you!" So say we all. To the brave men and women who lost a friend or companion in armed conflict, we thank you. Like the fictional Blake Benson, I just wanted to let you know ... it's an honor to have met you.
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