Sixty years ago, Bill Merriken was among about 120 young American soldiers captured by a fast-moving German SS Panzer unit near Malmedy, Belgium, the day after the start of the Battle of the Bulge.

The entire German 1st SS Panzer Corps, including the 2nd SS Panzer Division, notorious for the Oradour-sur-Glane massacre, attacked Rauray over the first three days of July in an attempt to cut ...