'Band of Brothers' troops pay a visit to Hanau on way to Bastogne reunion

HANAU, Germany — A buzz of anticipation rifled through the crowded gymnasium. In a few minutes, a Band of Brothers six-pack would pop in for a brief visit before heading off for a historic reunion in Bastogne, Belgium.

Darrell “Shifty” Powers looked not the least bit fazed by it all. While his compatriots were off preparing for the grand entrance, Powers stood outside chatting with a few troops and having a last-minute smoke.

Some of the talk centered on the veterans’ missing luggage. Heavy fog had delayed their flight into Frankfurt on Tuesday, and when it arrived nearly all of their bags had been left behind in Paris. The 127th Aviation Support Battalion, which hosted Wednesday’s visit to Hanau, Germany, stepped up to meet their needs until the lost luggage arrived.

“It’s no problem,” Powers repeatedly assured the young GIs.

That’s typical talk for a member of Easy Company, 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne Division. War has a way of putting things in proper perspective.

Thursday marks the 60th anniversary of the Battle of the Bulge, Adolf Hitler’s last major offensive of World War II. This weekend in Bastogne, scores of veterans will attend commemorative ceremonies marking the occasion.

Among those on hand will be the six veterans of Easy Company, immortalized in Stephen Ambrose’s best-selling book “Band of Brothers.”

At the invitation of the 127th ASB, based at Fliegerhorst Casern in Hanau, the veterans paid the soldiers a visit that had been months in the making.

It seems that several members of the unit had been in frequent contact with Easy Company vets during their tour in Iraq. In fact, Earl McClung was on the phone with Sgt. 1st Class Billy Maloney one day when Maloney’s camp came under fire. McClung stayed on the line during the whole episode.

“I think they are happier to meet us than we are to meet them,” Staff Sgt. Scott Fussell of Alpha Company said after Powers walked away to join his compatriots inside.

It was hard to tell.

When the six walked into the gymnasium, the place erupted in applause, and continued as the veterans, now in their early 80s, walked through the crowd toward the stage.

“I’d rather be here than back home,” William “Wild Bill” Guarnere said to the gym full of GIs.

Buck Compton referred to the 1st Armored Division as “a noble unit” that today faces a foe that is “far and away a greater threat [to world peace] than the enemy we fought.”

“Your country is for you and proud of you and don’t you ever forget it,” Compton said, eliciting hearty cheers.

Joining Compton, Guarnere, Powers and McClung on stage were Edward Heffron and Don Malarkey.

The hour flew by. After brief statements by each of the veterans, the audience members got their chance to ask several questions, which sometimes spawned a side tale or two.

When someone asked Guarnere about the German motorcycle he commandeered, he hesitated for a moment.

“Which motorcycle?” Guarnere inquired as the crowd began to laugh. “Normandy or Holland? There were two motorcycles.”

Malarkey chipped in that on joyrides, he “rode in the side car like a general … and nobody ever stopped us.”

And on and on it went. There were stories and plenty of tributes to today’s frontline soldier.

“You are what we were 60 years ago,” McClung said.

Deborah Harris asked the veterans for some homefront advice. She said her son, Capt. Eugene Fewell, is on his second tour in Iraq and wondered what tone is the best to strike in her letters from home.

Heffron fielded the question, noting that he and three of his brothers fought in WWII. When they heard of problems back home, they worried a lot.

“Don’t give him any bad news,” Heffron said. “He’s got his own problems.”

Click here to see some front pages and stories about the Battle of the Bulge, from the Stars and Stripes archives.

Anniversary events ...

The Army veterans in the Band of Brothers will join actor Tom Hanks and others at the 60th anniversary observance of the Battle of the Bulge in Bastogne, Belgium, this week.

Highlights of those events include:

¶ Thursday — A vigil beginning at 5 p.m. to commemorate the beginning of the battle between German and Allied forces in the Ardennes region, fighting that became known as the Battle of the Bulge. Ceremonies of remembrance will take place at various monuments and sites in Belgium and Luxembourg, including the American Military Cemetery in Hamm, east of Luxembourg City, where more than 5,000 Americans killed during World War II are buried. A ceremony with U.S. and international officials at Hamm will start at 3 p.m.

¶ Saturday — Commemoration of the siege of Bastogne, with a historic walk along the Bastogne defensive perimeter. Three self-paced walks — six, 12 and 20 kilometers — will begin from the town square. The walks officially begin at 8 a.m., but walkers can start up to 9:30 a.m. Cost is 3 euros, and walkers can register at the Europa tavern on the town square between 7 a.m. and 9:30 a.m.

Also scheduled is the annual Nuts Fair, once a celebration for farm workers and animal tenders looking to spend the year’s wages while also seeking work for the new year. Those who were hired purchased cakes and nuts to give as gifts. The fair’s name also ties in with Brig. Gen. Anthony C. McAuliffe’s famous reply when asked by the Germans to surrender, and the event is now a big party for war re-enactors and others. A sound-and-light re-enactment begins at 5:30 p.m.

¶ Sunday — Religious ceremony beginning at 10 a.m. honoring war dead at Noville, near Bastogne, and a parade of military vehicles in the afternoon in Bastogne.

¶ Dec. 24 — 60th anniversary midnight Mass at Saint-Pierre Church in Bastogne beginning at 11:30 p.m.

Other events continue through June. For a list and additional information, check the Web site www.bastogne.be/60eme/eng/home_eng.htm.