re: December 23, 1944 - The Siege of Bastogne Begins

My grandfather nearly froze to death in the Bulge. Both of his hands and feet were permanently disfigured from the frostbite they sustained, he could still hold a saw and hammer and worked as a carpenter for the 50+ years after returning home. He never wanted to talk much about his experiences, as a first generation immigrant from Germany I believe he thought often about how he could have been on the other side of the lines if not for a decision or two by his parents a couple decades earlier.