BASTOGNE, Belgium (AP) — The United States, its European allies and a dwindling number of veterans are marking the 80th anniversary of the Battle of the Bulge. It was one of the most important and deadly battles in World War II. It stopped Adolf Hitler’s last-ditch offensive and opened the way for the full Nazi defeat. At dawn on Dec. 16, 1944, over 200,000 German soldiers threw Hitler’s last hopes in an unexpected attack through the dense woods of Belgium and Luxembourg’s hilly Ardennes. The Germans pierced the front line so deeply it came to be known as the Battle of the Bulge. A man dressed in period uniform stands in a living history encampment during the 80th commemoration of the Battle of the Bulge in Bastogne, Belgium, Friday, Dec 13, 2024. (AP Photo/Virginia Mayo)People dressed in period uniform help build up a living history encampment during the 80th commemoration of the Battle of the Bulge in Bastogne, Belgium, Friday, Dec 13, 2024. (AP Photo/Virginia Mayo)A vintage American jeep is parked during the 80th commemoration of the Battle of the Bulge in Bastogne, Belgium, Friday, Dec 13, 2024. (AP Photo/Virginia Mayo)Living history enthusiasts drive their vintage vehicles during the 80th commemoration of the Battle of the Bulge in Bastogne, Belgium, Friday, Dec 13, 2024. (AP Photo/Virginia Mayo)From left, World War II and Battle of the Bulge veterans, David Marshall, US Army 84th Infantry Division, from NY, Gilbert Charleston, 101, Choctaw Nation Elder, 739th Tank Battalion, from Oklahoma, and Fred J. Nungesser Jr, 334th Infantry Regiment, 84th Infantry Division, from New Jersey attend the 80th commemoration of the Battle of the Bulge at the Mardasson Memorial in Bastogne, Belgium, Friday, Dec 13, 2024. (AP Photo/Virginia Mayo)WWII veteran David Marshall, US Army 84th Infantry Division, from NY, holds out his wallet containing a photo of himself during the Battle of the Bulge, during the 80th commemoration of the Battle of the Bulge in Bastogne, Belgium, Friday, Dec 13, 2024. (AP Photo/Virginia Mayo)WWII veterans, Gilbert Charleston, Choctaw Nation Elder, 739th Tank Battalion, from Oklahoma, right, and David Marshall, US Army 84th Infantry Division, from NY, pose for a photo during the 80th commemoration of the Battle of the Bulge in Bastogne, Belgium, Friday, Dec 13, 2024. (AP Photo/Virginia Mayo)People dressed in period uniform stand in a living history encampment during the 80th commemoration of the Battle of the Bulge in Bastogne, Belgium, Friday, Dec 13, 2024. (AP Photo/Virginia Mayo)United States Senator Susan Collins, third left, prepares to lay a wreath during the 80th commemoration of the Battle of the Bulge at the Mardasson Memorial in Bastogne, Belgium, Friday, Dec 13, 2024. (AP Photo/Virginia Mayo)