AIAC COMMEMORATES THE 80TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE BATTLE OF THE BULGE AT LUXEMBOURG HOUSE
For Immediate Release
New York, NY - January 28, 2025 American Industrial Acquisition Corporation (AIAC) sponsored a reception, program, and luncheon at the Maison du Luxembourg in New York to commemorate the 80th Anniversary of the Battle of the Bulge. The event honored the American Veterans who played a key role in this pivotal World War II battle.
The program featured addresses by the Honorable Luc Decker, Consul General of Luxembourg, and the Honorable Filip Vanden Bulcke, Consul General of Belgium. They noted that the very sovereignty and democracy of both Belgium and Luxembourg was the direct result of the bravery of American soldiers at the Battle of the Bulge. The consuls conferred gifts of gratitude to each of the American Veterans of the conflict who were present for the ceremony, Benjamin Berry, Jacob Ruser, Anthanace J. Landry, and Ted Novak.
Following the addresses by the Consuls General, AIAC Chairman L. M. Levie recited “In the Shadow of Their Sacrifice,” a poetic tribute which he composed in honor of the American Veterans of the Battle of the Bulge. This poem is found below:
Earlier in the day, a wreath-laying ceremony was held at the Battle of the Bulge Memorial in Staten Island’s Wolfe’s Pond Park, organized by the Consulate General of Belgium.
Mr. Levie greeted Consul Generals Decker and Vanden Bulcke, each of the American Veterans and their families, and the following dignitaries present at the ceremony:
Benjamin Patton, grandson of General George S. Patton, Jr., US Commander of the Third Army in France and Germany during the Battle of the Bulge
Frank Vaccaro, son of celebrated WWII photographer Tony Vaccaro
Barbara Mooneyhan, representative of the Battle of the Bulge Association
Mark Otto, Executive Director of United War Veterans
Kit Callahan, granddaughter of James Forestall, US Secretary of the Navy and US Secretary of Defense under Presidents Roosevelt and Truman
Martin Kraus, Director of the Explorers Club, Photographer, United Nations Economic Development Officer
Michel Frank, Luxembourg American Chamber of Commerce President Michel Frank
Toni Dutsak, Executive Director of the Luxembourg American Chamber of Commerce
AIAC and its affiliates are active members of the business community of Luxembourg, and are members of the Luxembourg-American Chamber of Commerce. Mr. Levie is also a donor and member of the Battle of the Bulge Association.
Mr. Levie commented, “I was privileged to participate in this solemn ceremony, reception, and luncheon honoring our American Veterans’ courage at the Battle of the Bulge. In their addresses, Consul Generals Decker and Vanden Bulcke poignantly captured the profound significance of this battle for the nations of Belgium and Luxembourg. Like the Battle of Gettysburg during the Civil War, the Battle of the Bulge was a tragic battle of horrific casualties that served as a critical turning point in the war, paving the path for the ultimate Allied victory in Europe. We must never forget the sacrifice of our brave soldiers in this consequential conflict.”
For further information, please see:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_the_Bulge
About the Battle of the Bulge
The Battle of the Bulge was one of the most significant and brutal battles of World War II. Fought between December 16, 1944, and January 25, 1945, it was Adolf Hitler’s last major offensive against the Allied forces on the Western Front. The battle took place in the dense Ardennes Forest of Belgium and Luxembourg, where the Germans aimed to break through Allied lines, capture the vital port of Antwerp, and force a negotiated peace.
The German attack achieved initial success, creating a bulge in the Allied frontlines—hence the battle's name. Utilizing a combination of surprise, bad weather that grounded Allied air support, and experienced Panzer divisions, German forces pushed deep into Allied-held territory. However, despite these early gains, the Allies, led by American forces, mounted a fierce resistance. Units such as the 101st Airborne Division’s stand at Bastogne became legendary.
As the weather improved, Allied air superiority played a crucial role in crippling German supply lines and halting their advance. Reinforcements, including General George S. Patton’s Third Army, arrived to relieve besieged troops and counterattack. By late January 1945, the Germans had been forced to retreat, suffering heavy casualties and depleting resources they could not replace.
The Battle of the Bulge was the largest and bloodiest battle fought by American forces during the war, with over 80,000 U.S. casualties. German losses were similarly devastating. The failed offensive severely weakened the German military, hastening the fall of the Third Reich. This battle demonstrated the resilience of the Allied forces and played a crucial role in securing ultimate victory in Europe.
For further information, please see:
https://www.arlingtoncemetery.mil/Explore/Monuments-and-Memorials/Battle-of-the-Bulge
About American Industrial Acquisition Corporation
American Industrial Acquisition Corporation (AIAC) is a diversified industrial group with manufacturing and distribution sites in 24 countries in North America, Europe, and Asia. AIAC has acquired and grown non-core subsidiaries and divisions of Boeing, Siemens, Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, Raytheon, Johnson Controls, Merck, Pfizer, Astellas, Visteon, Carlyle, Ahlstrom, Tolko, Groupe Suez, Groupe Rexel, and many other leading multinational corporations.
AIAC companies serve companies and governmental entities worldwide in all major sectors, including aviation, space, defense, automotive, truck, rail, marine, petrochemical, solar, nuclear, food, confectionary, beverage, civil engineering and infrastructure, commercial construction, mining, dredging, disaster relief, education, medical devices, and pharmaceuticals. AIAC companies manufacture materials, components, assemblies, packaging, equipment, and finished products. In addition, AIAC companies are exclusive, authorized distributors of leading branded industrial and consumer products and serve as critical suppliers for major airports, schools, hospitals, performing art and sports centers, offices and hotels throughout Southeast Asia, Australia, and New Zealand. AIAC is a leading manufacturer of building, street, and highway signage in Europe, signage and illumination structures in North America, and a distributor of electrical products throughout France.
Of note, AIAC purchased Boeing Canada in 2005 and has produced over 10,000 unique components for every Boeing jet plane ever since, reliably serving Boeing from manufacturing facilities in North America. A leader in ultra-high precision jet engine component manufacturing, AIAC companies produce 2,200 fan blades and blisks for each jet engine produced by GE, Pratt & Whitney, Rolls Royce, and Honeywell. AIAC companies produce the critical automotive wire and cable for Tesla, GM, Ford, Chrysler- Fiat, Toyota, and Nissan. In connection with its kraft paper manufacturing interests in Canada and the US, AIAC controls and sustainably manages 22 million acres of Manitoba, Canada forestland, an area equivalent in size to the nation of Hungary.
AIAC companies actively support exploration into outer space, manufacturing critical components for launching and propelling spacecraft and satellites. AIAC customers in this sector include NASA, the European Space Agency, SpaceX, Blue Origin, and Boeing. AIAC companies also lead in the design and manufacture of undersea umbilical cables for worldwide oceanographic research.
Another AIAC affiliate, located in Germany, designs, manufactures and distributes high performance emergency portable power generators required during natural disasters, including extreme climate events worldwide. Clients include government agencies and the International Red Cross.
For further information, please see:
About AIAC Philanthropy
AIAC and the AIAC Foundation support a wide range of nonprofit, nonsectarian, bipartisan organizations which promote international conflict resolution, disaster relief, economic development, environmental sustainability, and exploration. The exploration-focused nonprofit organizations which they actively support include the National Geographic Society, the Royal Geographical Society, the American Museum of Natural History and the Hayden Planetarium, the Victoria & Albert Museum, the National Air and Space Museum, the National Space Society, and the United States Space Foundation.
AIAC Chairman L. M. Levie is a Member of the Board of Trustees of the Explorers Club, a 120-year-old organization whose members have pioneered the exploration of the earth, the oceans, an outer space. AIAC and its affiliates, Bradford Space, Canadian Kraft Paper Industries, Super Alloy Manufacturing Solutions, and Champlain Cable are Partners of The Explorers Club. In 2024, AIAC Companies proudly served as a corporate sponsor of Hubert Sagniere’s historic circumnavigation of the earth in a single-engine plane (www.flightaroundtheglobe.com).
AIAC’s other beneficiaries include the Appeal of the Nobel Peace Laureates Foundation Inc., the Asia Society, the Atlantic Council, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation - Gates Philanthropy Partners, the Bretton Woods Committee, the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, the Carter Center, the Council on Foreign Relations, the Economic Club of New York, the Foreign Policy Association, the Institut Française des Relations Internationales, the International Committee of the Red Cross, the International Crisis Group, the International Rescue Committee, the Japan Society, the JFK School of Government of Harvard University, the Peterson Institute for International Economics, the Richardson Center for Global Engagement, the Royal Institute of International Affairs (Chatham House), the Sierra Club, and the Trilateral Commission.
For further information, see:
https://www.aiac.com/our-values
Media Contact:
Isabel Carro-Toro, Vice President
American Industrial Acquisition Corporation
+34 689 295 827 (Spain)
+ 1 787 244 3175 (USA)
icarro-toro@aiac.com
