Lakewood resident Mike Looney never fought in a war, but his father, George Washington Looney, did.

In fact, the elder Looney played a key role in one of the biggest battles in World War II – something Mike didn’t realize until many years after his dad died in 1996.

Lt. Looney served in the 196th Field Artillery Battalion in World War II. Throughout his life after battle, Mike’s father only briefly touched on his experience as a war veteran. According to Mike, Lt. Looney only spoke of war stories with happy endings.

The story that went untold, though, was about the battle at Höfen, Germany, otherwise known as the Battle of the Bulge.

Dec. 16, 1944, marked the beginning of the Höfen attacks, when the German army launched a massive counteroffensive against Allied forces. The battle was fought over several weeks across a 2,500 square-mile region of the Ardennes forest. The Americans suffered more than 80,000 casualties, including 19,000 deaths.

“Hofen, Germany. My brightest star. I helped save the day.”

These words were among many discovered by Mike in his childhood room after his father’s death in well-preserved journal entries, notes, letters and pictures that had been hidden away for six decades.

Among them was a copy of the history of the 196th, and printed on the inside read, “Lt. George W. Looney, Reconnaissance Officer and Forward Officer. Discharged at Rank of Captain.” In Lt. Looney’s handwriting was this:

“First night hell – several nights of torment in Höfen … my brightest star by me. I helped save the day. Lt. Starter (name has been changed) first night cracked up. Lt. George Looney – 2nd night, Peiper was ordered to run over us. He did not…I helped stop the Germans there on their second night trying to run over us. We had too much artillery. They could not get over us. Had done so, it would have opened up all Elsinborn Ridge to Germans and possible disaster for all. Fact by historians.”

As an artillery observer, Lt. Looney was responsible for directing artillery fire from the highest point while he observed battle. Lt. Looney’s orchestrated direction ultimately helped turn back German soldiers and get them off of Höfen.

“At times, American artillery rounds would land within a few feet of our positions, decimating the attacking enemy, but not touching us … George Looney was the forward observer directing these guns and assigning targets up and down our lines. He played it like a concert organist. I am here today because of his expertise … Men like him won World War II.” – Thor Ronningen, an infantryman at the battle of Höfen.

Mike recalls immediately knowing the magnitude of his dad’s accomplishment. Mike believes these comments were recorded later in Lt. Looney’s life after he revisited the battle site in 1990 and realized the significance of the battle.  

Mike believes that his dad never spoke of the battle because he didn’t want to discredit another officer, and he knew that his family wouldn’t have understood the battle’s significance.

“We wouldn’t have given the response it deserved because we were virgins to combat,” Mike said. “We couldn’t give it the respect it deserved.”

In addition to being a hero that helped win the war, Lt. Looney was awarded one bronze star, two oak leaf clusters (all with a ‘V’ for valor) and five bronze service stars, meaning he served in five major campaigns including Normandy, Hurtgen and Ardennes.

According to Mike, in the battle of Hurtgen, the odds of surviving were almost non-existent. Lt. Looney not only survived, but rescued 10 other men along with him.

Bringing light to Höfen

Mike, who caught the writing bug after the completion of his first book, Heroes Are Hard To Find, put his second work on hold. He knew that the story of this pivotal battle needed to be told, especially for the few men who are still living that fought in World War II.

“All these guys are dying, and they are gonna want to read this,” Mike recalled.

He immediately started to research – he traveled back to Europe with a friend to follow in his dad’s trail.

He used photos taken from his father and tracked down the very sights seen in the old images. He even visited the same home Lt. Looney rested in for several days after the Bulge ended.

After more than 10 years of research, The Battle of The Bulge: The Untold Story of Höfen is almost ready. Mike is shooting for a January 2010 publication date.

Throughout all the stories of heroism and sufferings of war that he uncovered, Mike also found that he had one regret.

“It took my father dying to realize he was really my hero,” Mike said. “He never put himself before his family.”

He added that the history recorded in the book can help teach today’s youth about the sacrifices that previous generations made for this country.

“It’s a history lesson for kids who don’t understand,” Mike said. “It gives a glimpse of the way the world was during that time.”

Throughout his long journey of following his father’s footsteps, Mike’s goal is simple:

 “To give my dad his due, to record history accurately and to bring light to people who fought Höfen.”

For more information about The Battle of the Bulge: The Untold Story of Höfen or to contact Mike directly, visit Mike’s Web site at mikelooney.com.