More than one million men participated in the Battle of the Bulge, including 600,00 Americans, 55,000 British with Canadian, Belgium and French contingents, and 500,000 Germans. The casualties were immense. The memorial project was a public and private partnership between the City of New York Parks and Recreation and the Veterans of the Battle of the Bulge Chapter 52. Veterans member Anthony Moody conceived the original design and worked with Mike Brown, NYC Parks Deputy Chief of Design, to create the memorial. ?EUR??,,????'??This was an unusual collaboration between our group, the Veterans of the Battle of the Bulge, and the City of New York Parks and Recreation Department,?EUR??,,????'?? noted Moody. The plaza is wrapped in a blanket of white phlox to represent an interpretation of snow that was falling in December 1944. A triple row of trees comprised of Norway spruce, Larch and Taxus ?EUR??,,????'??erecta?EUR??,,????'???frame the space and create a forced perspective focussed on the American flag located in the distance, a reminder of the institution and values for which the veterans?EUR??,,????'??? sacrifices were made. The memorial plaza and monument consists of two 17-foot, 8 ton black granite pylons, symbolic of the holding the battle line, with a dichroic glass star balanced between the columns that represent hope and peace. This special glass is laminated in a shattered glass to give the appearance of countless dancing diamonds. Reflecting nature the glass will change colors throughout the course of the day as the sun changes position. In the daylight, the glass glows a celestial blue ?EUR??,,????'??+ at dusk, a shimmering gold. A granite arc wall has laser-etched shoulder patches of the 45 participating units and the memorial text at its base provides a background for the slabs. There is an engraved quote by Winston Churchill, who said while addressing the house of commons following the battle, ?EUR??,,????'?? this is undoubtedly the greatest battle of the war and will, I believe, be regarded as an ever famous American victory.?EUR??,,????'?? The plaza has a 41-foot inside and 45-foot outside diameter ( symbolic of the days and year of the battle). In the center there is a ceramic tile logo of the Veterans of the Battle of the Bulge surrounded by cobblestone rings call to mind European streetscapes. Six of the rings have cobblestones imported from Luxembourg and Belgium, donated by the respective governments. Although he was unable to attend, Secretary of State Colin L. Powell sent a dedication message for the plaza. ?EUR??,,????'??It gives me great pleasure as an American to commemorate this monument to the heroes of the Battle of the Bulge ?EUR??,,????'??+ the battle that Winston Churchill called: the greatest American Battle of the Second World War and the most terrible, costly battle ever fought by Americans in any war,?EUR??,,????'?? stated Powell. Contributed by Mike Browne, New York City Parks and Recreation Department and Anthony R. Moody, AIA