"Ike's Son Remembers George S. Patton Jr." Topic

"On the morning of December 19, 1944, General Dwight D. Eisenhower strode into the gloomy school building in Verdun that housed the main headquarters of General Omar Bradley's Twelfth Army Group. He had called a meeting of all the senior commanders under Bradley. More than just the building was gloomy; the weather outside was a dark gray, and the tactical situation facing the American Army in Europe was also dark. Adolf Hitler's gigantic Ardennes counteroffensive had been launched three days before, and German Gen. Hasso von Manteuffels's Fifth Panzer Army was about to surround the all-important road junction at Bastogne. The news had reached the United States, and near panic reigned from across the ocean.

This was the first meeting of the commanders since the counteroffensive began, and they had received no news to be optimistic. Perhaps to their surprise, they found the Supreme Commander in an upbeat mood. "The present situation is to be regarded as one of opportunity for us and not disaster," he admonished. "There will be only cheerful faces at this conference table."…."
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