The comic above refers to an incident that happened during the Battle of the Bulge. Sixty-seven years ago today Allied soldiers were fighting a desperate battle to stop the Nazi attempt to break the encircling Allied Armies. It was an attempt that came too close to success for comfort. This battle was the largest and bloodiest battle fought. 89,000 soldiers were killed or wounded (19,000 dead).
In the middle of the worst part of the attack, that Nazis had encircled the 101st Airborne and Combat Command B of the 10th Armored Division in the town of Bastogne and ordered the general in charge to surrender. His answer became famous:
By 21 December the Germans had surrounded Bastogne, which was defended by the 101st Airborne Division and Combat Command B of the 10th Armored Division. Conditions inside the perimeter were tough—most of the medical supplies and medical personnel had been captured. Food was scarce, and by 22 December artillery ammunition was restricted to 10 rounds per gun per day. The weather cleared the next day, however, and supplies (primarily ammunition) were dropped over four of the next five days.
Despite determined German attacks, however, the perimeter held. The German commander, Lt. Gen. Heinrich Freiherr von Lüttwitz, requested Bastogne’s surrender. When Brig. Gen. Anthony McAuliffe, acting commander of the 101st, was told of the Nazi demand to surrender, in frustration he responded, “Nuts!” After turning to other pressing issues, his staff reminded him that they should reply to the German demand. One officer, Lt. Col. Harry Kinnard, noted that McAuliffe’s initial reply would be “tough to beat.” Thus McAuliffe wrote on the paper, which was typed up and delivered to the Germans, the line he made famous and a morale booster to his troops: “NUTS!” That reply had to be explained, both to the Germans and to non-American Allies.
On Christmas Day 1944 the German divisions surrounding Bastogne attacked but were repulsed. But, while the Germans had surrounded Bastogne, General George Patton’s Third Army had started a difficult winter march to the rescue. On Christmas Day the 101st and the 10th repulsed the Germans. On St. Stephen’s Day Patton and the Third Army arrived and Bastogne was relieved.
Many years later, I was to serve as a medical laboratory specialist in the reference laboratories of the Third Army. At that time the Third Army Medical Laboratories were at Fort McPherson in East Pointe, Georgia.
My father, Nicholas Gall, was there, heading up transportation for a medical unit. May the Lord remember him in His KIngdom.
In a writing class in college we were given this as an example of the power of simplicity. The one-word message “NUTS!” works even better when contrasted with General von Lüttwitz’s message in his lofty and eloquent (though non-native) English. I got this from Wikipedia and it seems consistent with what I remember from the textbook:
To the U.S.A. Commander of the encircled town of Bastogne.
The fortune of war is changing. This time the U.S.A. forces in and near Bastogne have been encircled by strong German armored units. More German armored units have crossed the river Our near Ortheuville, have taken Marche and reached St. Hubert by passing through Hompre-Sibret-Tillet. Libramont is in German hands.
There is only one possibility to save the encircled U.S.A. troops from total annihilation: that is the honorable surrender of the encircled town. In order to think it over a term of two hours will be granted beginning with the presentation of this note.
If this proposal should be rejected one German Artillery Corps and six heavy A. A. Battalions are ready to annihilate the U.S.A. troops in and near Bastogne. The order for firing will be given immediately after this two hours term.
All the serious civilian losses caused by this artillery fire would not correspond with the well-known American humanity.
The German Commander.
He received the following reply from McAuliffe:
To the German Commander.
NUTS!
The American Commander