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KENNESAW, Ga. | Nov 26, 2024

 

The Department of Museums, Archives, and Rare Books (MARB), in partnership with the office of the Consulate General of Belgium in Atlanta, is hosting The Beginning of the End: The Battle of the Bulge exhibition in the Sturgis Library on the ²ÝÁñÊÓƵ campus to commemorate the battle’s 80th anniversary.

The exhibition honors all those who served and were lost during the Battle of the Bulge, the largest and bloodiest single battle fought by the United States in World War II. The exhibit panels recount stories of the battle from the perspective of soldiers and civilians who endured brutal conditions during the deadly winter. The soldiers faced terrible odds, and civilians struggled to survive the constant artillery fire and occupation.

The Bastogne Memorial Association, in partnership with the Mons Memorial Museum and Ardennes battlefield sites, created the original exhibition in Belgium to preserve the memory of this decisive battle. Dr. Catherine Lewis, associate vice provost of MARB and the University Libraries, worked with the Bastogne War Museum in Belgium to curate this 12-panel traveling exhibition for American audiences.

The exhibition opened on Wednesday, Nov. 20, to a diverse audience of veterans; international officials and their staff; ²ÝÁñÊÓƵ faculty, staff and students; and interested community members. Dr. Lewis welcomed guests to ²ÝÁñÊÓƵ State and introduced fellow speakers Katherine Raeymaekers, Consul General of Belgium in Atlanta, and John Parkerson Jr., Honorary Consul General of Hungary in Atlanta and son of a Battle of the Bulge veteran.

In addition to the panels, our exhibition includes the actual air filter from the famous Barracuda tank that was used in the battle and is on display in Bastogne, Belgium. It also includes artifacts from John Parkerson Sr. who served in the 4th infantry. In addition, we have the Christmas Day message that came from General Anthony McAuliffe, memorabilia that show the role the battle plays in American popular culture, a montage of photographs created by the Bastogne War Museum, and two binders that showcase documents from the battle – a curated collection from the Eisenhower Presidential Library and Museum and transcribed Latino WWII veteran’s stories from the University of Texas Voces Oral History Center.

The exhibition will be on display at ²ÝÁñÊÓƵ State in the Athenaeum Gallery on the second floor of Sturgis Library through Sunday, Jan. 19, and is open to the campus community, as well as the public, during normal library operating hours.

 

 

Written by Courtney Gardner, Communications & Outreach Manager