WAUPACA, Wis. (WFRV) — James Gilles doesn't remember all the exact dates of his service, but he's clear on one thing: "I was 20 when I went in." He was taken as a POW during the Battle of the Bulge. Hometown Heroes: Green Bay native Milo C. Huempfner was a one man army It was the largest and bloodiest single battle in World War II and lasted 41 days. More than 19,000 Allied soldiers were killed in action. The Germans took more than 23,000 American prisoners of war. Gilles was a battery clerk with the 590th Field Artillery Battalion, 106th Division, which was encircled by Germans and forced to surrender on Dec. 19, 1944. He fought even after being hit by shrapnel in the back and leg until he ran out of ammunition. "How many battles you fought, what you did, is not as important as friends and family," Gilles told Local 5 News during his 100th birthday party with family and friends earlier in the summer. He remains guarded about his experiences during the war. After all, POWs often suffered from malnutrition, overcrowding, and a lack of medical attention. They were usually forced to constantly march to avoid Allied forces. In some cases, they were shot dead while unarmed. "I spent time in boxcars," Gilles acknowledged. "I spent time walking with a brace on my right foot. I spent time seeing my friends being killed." Hometown Heroes: Door County’s Elmer Miller made ultimate sacrifice in the Battle of the Bulge Instead of railing against the injustice he endured, James Gilles chooses to be grateful. "The most important thing to me today is to live each day as it happens and as it has happened. Family is the only thing for me."