Anthony McAuliffeDecember 1944
World War Two was in overdrive. The major powers were slugging it out about the world – in Europe, Africa, and in the Pacific for 5 long years already- since 1939.
The United States had entered the fray when the US Congress had declared war on Japan (December 8, 1941) for attacking Pearl Harbor (December 7, 1941).
Then on December 11, 1941, Germany and Italy had declared war on the United States. We were in the war for the long haul.
Early December 1944, we had thought the war, at least in Europe, would be over in a few weeks and we’d be home for Christmas.
But Adolf Hitler had other plans and fought back with everything he got.
The European Theater – the Battle of the Bulge
Starting in December 16, 1944, Hitler had launched a surprise counter-offensive, the largest one in the war, against the Western Front. Its purpose was to drive a wedge between British and American armies and capture the Port of Antwerp to get the Allies to negotiate a peace.
The German offensive, December 16-25, 1944It would be known as the Battle of the Bulge (December 16, 1944 – January 25, 1945). And the legendary General George S. Patton was key to frustrate the Germans in this offensive.
(For an interesting analysis of the the Battle of Bulge, check out:  HOW HITLER CAUGHT US NAPPING – DICK MORRIS TV: HISTORY VIDEO! )
In December, 1944, Major General Maxwell D. Taylor, commander of the 101th Airborne, was attending a conference in the United States when the German army attacked. Acting in command was Brigadier General McAuliffe – who had showed his mettle when he parachuted in Normandy on D-Day.
During the German counter-attack, the 101th Airborne was called to defend the critical road junction at Bastogne, Belgium at all costs. Here the Germans surrounded the 101th in what would be known as the Seige of Bastogne.
This scene from Band of Brothers (2001) in the forest nearFoy, a village near Bastogne, gives a glimpse of what the Allies were up against:
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QzY6ON0QGb8[/youtube]
On December 22, 1944, the German commander, General Heinrich Freiherr von Lüttwitz sent the following ultimatum for immediate surrender to General McAuliffe at Bastogne.
That morning, General McAuliffe delivered his written answer –
To the German Commander,
Nuts!
The American Commander.
The verbal exchange is shown in the clip below from Battleground (1949) :
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5LXCnsBo8Vs[/youtube]
(For a longer clip – I could not embed this one – check out: The Siege of Bastogne. And for the text of the German ultimatum and American response: “NUTS!” Revisited)