“NUTS!” — McAuliffe’s 1944 Christmas Letter

This content reproduces Brig. Gen. Anthony McAuliffe’s 1944 Christmas letter to the U.S. 101st Airborne Division while they were surrounded at Bastogne during World War II. The letter details the German commander's demand for the American forces to surrender or face annihilation. In response, McAuliffe famously replied with a single word: "NUTS!". The message concludes by framing the division's stalwart defense as a gallant feat of arms and a worthy Christmas present to their country.