Battle of the Bulge chapter keeps history alive

Chester-Nineteen thousand soldiers were killed in the Battle of the Bulge, which lasted six weeks, from Dec. 16, 1944, to Jan. 25, 1945. The Chester Historical Society sponsored a program on the battle at its June meeting. Herbert Goodwin, founder of Local Chapter 59 of Veterans of the Battle of the Bulge, Mid-Hudson Valley, introduced the program. The chapter is part of a national organization dedicated to keeping this bloody battle alive in U.S. history. Its members are veterans of the battle. The local chapter has about 40 members who meet monthly at the Owen Murphy Inn in Goshen. The organization also includes associate members -- relatives of veterans and those interested in the battle's history. The chapter's chaplain, Duncan Truman, and secretary, Ralf Florio, told stories of their military service in both the infantry and a tank company. Of the 30 or so people who attended, many were World War II vets and others who remember that time. On display were pictures, maps, the organization's quarterly paper, and memorabilia.