On September 19th, 1944 the United States Army officially launched their longest battle in history. The Battle of the Hurtgen Forrest would be a true testament of how desperate Nazi Germany was in defending their homeland. The push into the green abyss would generate over 33,000 casualties for the Americans. In the first part of this three-part series we will be discussing the man behind the planning and the reasons that he made his decisions, General Courtny Hodges. We will also be discussing the Nazi General, Walter Model, and his anticipation of the Americans advancement through the Hurtgen.