US and allies mark the 80th anniversary of WWII Battle of the Bulge

BASTOGNE, Belgium (AP) — The United States, its European allies and a dwindling number of veterans are marking the 80th anniversary of the Battle of the Bulge. It was one of the most important and deadly battles in World War II. It stopped Adolf Hitler’s last-ditch offensive and opened the way for the full Nazi defeat. At dawn on Dec. 16, 1944, over 200,000 German soldiers threw Hitler’s last hopes in a unexpected attack through the dense woods of Belgium and Luxembourg’s hilly Ardennes. The Germans pierced the front line so deeply it came to be known as the Battle of the Bulge.