World War II veteran awarded Bronze Star after nearly 80-year wait
Updated Mar 16, 2021;
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GRAND RAPIDS, MI — A small audience could hear a pin drop as World War II veteran Bob Shields slowly walked up to the podium.
Adorned in his old Army uniform, the Grand Rapids man gripped his cane with two hands as he looked around the room and recounted the events of Dec. 16-17, 1944.
American troops were caught off guard by a Nazi attack west of Germany. Nearly 19,000 American soldiers were killed, while 47,500 others were wounded and over 23,000 soldiers missing.
Shields’ voice cracked as he recalled the tragic losses of the battle.