In December 1944, Gen. George Patton turned Third Army north, taking two of his army's three corps and all of his armor to strike the massive Nazi attack through the Ardennes that became known as the Battle of the Bulge. The single corps left behind was XX Corps, the "Ghost Corps." It was immediately faced with the daunting task of defending what had been the entire Third Army front. And, as if that had not been enough, what followed were orders to attack and break through the Siegfried Line.

Originally published: 1998.