Subject: Bastogne: The AAC Prepares
From: "Tarver Engineering"
Date: 12/21/03 1:12 PM Pacific Standard Time
Message-id:


"ArtKramr" wrote in message
...
It was now the 21st. The sky was heavlky overcast with a lot of ground
fog as
well and freezing temperatures. We all walked around looking at the sky
for any
sign of a break in the weather. Then we all descended on the Metro office
where
our weatherman 1st.Lt. Paul Forant (Boston) was working up his charts.
We
hoped for good news but Paul had none to give us. "Maybe the 23rd" he
said. But
no guarantees. In the meantime ground crews were loading bombays and ammo
belts, cleaning guns, topping off tanks and cleaning Plexiglas. When the
sky
opened up we would be ready to go. Darkness fell and we climbed into our
sleeping bags wearing our full sheepskin flying clothes. And as we fell
asleep
we thought of those poor guys of the 101st. fighting for their lives in
Bastogne and prayed for clear weather tomorrow.

My father said, on the ground in Bastogne was the coldest he has ever been.




We weren't far away in Florennes and it certainly was the coldest I have ever
been.



Arthur Kramer
344th BG 494th BS
England, France, Belgium, Holland, Germany
Visit my WW II B-26 website at:
http://www.coastcomp.com/artkramer