Medics of the 17th Airborne Division get ready in an area west of Bastogne where there is too much work to handle. Some of the battle’s fiercest fighting took place here when at the start of January 1945 these green paratroopers clashed head-on with German troops and armor desperate to attempt one last time to cut off Bastogne. Lacking armor and heavy artillery of their own, the division’s men fought valiantly but suffered a high rate of casualties. (Courtesy US Army war artist Olin Dows)
