On December 16, 1944, as dawn broke over the Ardennes forest, 20-year-old Lieutenant Lyle Bouck and his 18-man Intelligence and Reconnaissance Platoon of the 394th Infantry Regiment faced an overwhelming threat.

For weeks, they had intercepted German communications, uncovering Hitler's plans to amass veteran soldiers along the Belgium-Germany border.

Now, Bouck's platoon faced the German Sixth Panzer Army near the Belgian town of Lanzerath. They were outnumbered and outgunned. Over the radio, they received chilling news: there would be no anti-tank weapons, artillery support, or any other help coming their way. Despite this, the men prepared to defend a crucial road.

At 5:30am, the Germans unleashed a devastating 90-minute artillery barrage.

For the next 20 hours, 18 men and their 20-year-old would be all that stood between 700 German Paratroopers and a German victory at the Battle of The Bulge.


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