In two days, fifty-nine years will have passed since General Anthony McAuliffe sent this letter of Christmas tidings to the hungry, freezing, poorly supplied men of the 101st Airborne Division who stopped the December 16, 1944 surprise German armored advance dead in its tracks. A city by the name of Bastogne was a vertiable nexus of Belgium's roads; the Germans needed it, and the Allies couldn't let them have it. So the Americans dug in around the city, encircled by German units that had artillery zeroed in on their positions. Dense fog made resupply by air nearly impossible. The Germans had ammunition, artillery, armor, winter clothing and hot meals; the Americans had few of these things. But they were fighting for something the Germans as a people would only conceive of years later:
HEADQUARTERS 101ST AIRBORNE DIVISION
OFFICE OF THE DIVISION COMMANDER - 24 DECEMBER 1944What's Merry about all this, you ask? We are fighting - it's cold, we are not home. All true but what has the proud Eagle Division accomplished with its worthy comrades of the 10th Armored Division, the 705th Destroyer Battalion and all the rest? Just this: We have stopped cold everything that has been thrown at us from the North, East, South and West. We have indentifications from four German Panzer Divisions, two German Infantry Divisions and one German Parachute Division. These units spearheading the last desperate German lunge, were headed straight West for key points when the Eagle Division was hurriedly ordered to stem the advance. How effectively this was done will be written in History; not alone in our Division's glorious History but in World History. The Germans actually did surround us, their radios blared our doom. Their Commander demanded our surrender in the following impudent arrogance.
December 22nd 1944To 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 Ourthe near Ortheuville, have taken Marche and reached St. Hubert by passing through HombresSibret-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
The German Commander received the following reply:22 December 1944To the German Commander:
N U T S !
The American Commander
Allied Troops are counterattacking in Force. We continue to hold Bastogne. By holding Bastogne, we assure the success of the Allied Armies. We know that our Division Commander, General Taylor, will say: " Well done!" We are giving our Country and our loved ones at home a worthy Christmas present and being privileged to take part in this gallant feat of arms are truly making for ourselves a Merry Christmas.
(signed)
McAuliffe,
Commanding.
Two days later, General George S. Patton's 3rd Army broke through the Germans, breaking their siege of Bastogne. Patton helped to shift the Allies back onto an offensive footing, as sorties into the German line began immediately after. No man in the 101st Airborne Division, however, will agree with the proposition that they were "rescued" - by General Patton, anyway.