Battle of the Bulge Survivors to be Honored in Parade

Bob Cooper

Photo by Linda Karn

(posted August 20)

Bob Cooper of the 517th Parachute Infantry will be in the Speedway Parade on September 20. His mission is to keep the memory alive so "the people will not forget about the Battle of The Bulge." The battle started December 16, 1945 with Germany's plan to divide the Americans and British lines, so they could take Belgium and Antwerp and eventually win the war. But the Allies foiled the Axis power's mission and the battle ended January 25, 1945.

Cooper said their mission was to push the Germans back and to provide relief to the 106th, who was "hit real hard." Cooper was a platoon leader in charge of 47 men. He said they arrived without winter uniforms. Cooper said 19,000 soldiers were killed and 84,000 were injured.

"It was rough. Guys were getting killed all around us. You never knew the next day if you might be it."

Cooper was employed by the Indianapolis Fire Department at the time he was drafted, so he volunteered for the paratroopers. He said the paratroopers were paid additional $50 a month because it was considered hazardous. The paratroopers trained at Decora, Georgia for thirteen weeks.

He described his first jump by saying "I was glad to get it over with."

Cooper has been successful in keeping the memory alive by telling his story on the Weather Channel's "When Weather Changed History." "I was in that two or three times." Cooper explained that every year associate members from the Veterans of the Battle of the Bulge Association put on a show at city parks, and it just happened that the producer of the program came to interview them.

Cooper said the associate members are the history buffs and not actual soldiers that fought in the battle. "We have associate members that know more about the Battle of the Bulge than we do," he quipped.