As the war in Europe ended, General Eisenhower honored the 82nd Airborne Division with occupation duty in Berlin, while the 508th PIR was detached from the division and sent to Frankfurt for occupation and honor guard duty at SHAEF. In the summer of 1945, the division served as the honor guard during the famous Potsdam Conference, where the “Big Three”—Soviet leader Joseph Stalin, British Prime Minister Winston Churchill, and U.S. President Harry Truman—negotiated the terms for the end of World

On December 17, 1944, the 82nd and 101st Airborne Divisions were ordered to move toward Bastogne the following day, where they were to await further instructions. To make this rapid deployment possible, the Oise Base Section pulled every available vehicle off the roads to support both divisions. As reports of German activity near Stavelot intensified, the Commanding General of First U.S. Army redirected the 82nd Airborne Division to secure the area around Werbomont, while the 101st Airborne Divi