There are just a few of them left -- the local members of the group Veterans of the Battle of the Bulge.
Some of them gathered at the Port of Rochester for a Veterans Day ceremony on Tuesday.
Jack Foy was a front-line machine gunner in General George Patton's Third Army.
He says in addition to fighting the Germans, U-S troops had to battle the weather, as well.
Foy says one of the lasting memories was the extreme cold the soldiers had to endure. He said it got down to 10 below zero at times, and they didn't have winter clothes.
He says frostbite took a big toll.
Foy says the local Veterans of the Battle of the Bulge started with around 100 men. 70 have since died and most of the survivors are in their 90s.
He told the gathering that veterans come in all sizes, shapes and colors, and they don't ask for much.
But Foy says "if you see one today, a simple thank you would be nice."
The Battle of the Bulge was one of the largest and bloodiest battles, with 19-thousand killed.