BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KERO) \u2014 This December marks 81 years since the Battle of the Bulge \u2014 one of the most significant battles of World War II. And now, a local 101-year-old veteran who fought in that battle is returning to Europe for the first time since 1945.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ve never been so glad to see the U.S. in my life.\u201d Bill Galaspie said.<\/p>\n
Nearly eight decades ago, Bill Galaspie was a 19-year-old soldier fighting through the Battle of the Bulge \u2014 one of the deadliest battles of World War II. He remembers it as if it happened yesterday.<\/p>\n
\u201cI was on what they call an M16 half-track \u2014 had a torque in the back end with four machine guns. The other squad had an M15 with two machine guns and a 37-millimeter cannon.\u201d Galaspie said. <\/p>\n
I sat down with Bill to hear his stories about serving in the Army. Now, at 101 years old, he\u2019s preparing to return to Europe for the first time since 1945 \u2014 traveling with local historian Arnold Martinez.
The two will visit battlefields in Belgium and Luxembourg \u2014 places Bill helped liberate nearly 80 years ago.<\/p>\n
For Bill, it\u2019s more than a trip \u2014 it\u2019s a chance to remember the friends who never made it home.<\/p>\n
\u201cShe handed me my discharge and 300 dollars and said, \u2018You\u2019re a free man.\u2019 Then she said, \u2018You\u2019re a civilian,\u2019 and I couldn\u2019t wait to get on that bus to go home.\u201d He said.<\/p>\n
Historian Arnold Martinez has interviewed many veterans across the western United States \u2014 but he says this trip, and this story, are especially meaningful. \u201cThis trip means a lot \u2014 especially to be able to take a local veteran back, knowing he hasn\u2019t been back since \u201945. After interviewing over 200 World War II veterans, this is the cherry on top of the cake. That winter, in \u201944 and \u201945, was the coldest Europe had seen in over 100 years \u2014 so we\u2019re hoping it\u2019s not as cold this time.\u201d<\/p>\n
For Bill, this trip is more than a return to Europe \u2014 it\u2019s a chance to walk the same ground he once fought on, remember the friends he lost, and honor the legacy they left behind. \u201cKinda looking forward to going back over, see what it looks like now. It\u2019s been a little over 80 years since I was there, but I know it\u2019s bound to change a lot.\u201d He said. <\/p>\n
The trip is set for December 9th through the 17th \u2014 and both Bill and Arnold say they\u2019re excited for this journey.<\/p>\n