©Stars and StripesMannheim, Germany, November, 1949: Lt. Col. Creighton W. Abrams, commanding officer of the 63rd Heavy Tank Battalion, holds a model of a tank at his office in Wiesbaden. Abrams was being interviewed for a story marking the fifth anniversary of the World War II Battle of the Bulge, in which his 37th Tank Battalion broke through the German encirclement of the 101st Airborne Division at Bastogne. Abrams went on to become commander of U.S. forces in Vietnam and Army Chief of Staff; the M1A1 Abrams Main Battle Tank is named after him.

RELATED MATERIAL: Stars and Stripes' 1949 interview with Lt. Col. Creighton W. Abrams.