HISTORICAL REVIEW

"NUTS" is a single word that US Army Brigadier General Anthony McAuliffe (1898 – 1975) uttered when he was told on December 22nd 1944 a message was brought by German delegation to his command post calling for the surrender of all American units which defended the encircled Belgian town of Bastogne during the last German offensive in World War II ― the winter offensive in the Belgian Ardennes that began on December 16th 1944. Revolted, shouting it in front of his headquarters staff, he confused his officers as to how to inform the four German soldiers, members of the German delegation, about the their supperior officer’s attitude. As expected, the paper which contained that written word, which was handed over to the Germans, caused their doubt, so that when asked by the German major for word’s clarification, a certain American colonel, otherwise the commander of one of the units in the German encirclement, had to give him a literal answer in comprehensible American English: "Go to hell!"

Although good connoisseurs of American slang could interpret the meaning of that word as "Nonsense!", one thing is certain: such stubbornness and self-confidence of the American general spread like a lightning bolt through the defensive positions of several different American units that were in town’s defending line, the town who represented the main junction of several roads and railway-lines amidst the hilly and mountainous countryside of southeastern Belgium, which before the war had around 4.000 inhabitants. By that deed, he gained the immense respect of his subordinates, placed himself into the historical books and gained eternal fame. Although the 101st Airborne Division (of which General McAuliffe was then interim commander due to the circumstances of the absence of the then divisional commander, Major General Maxwell Taylor) was not alone in defending the town, his attitude sublimated the determination of the vast majority of American soldiers to oppose the German attacking forces for as long as necessary. About 11.800 members of the 101st division, along with about 10.000 other members of a dozen different American units (from battalion to division level) at the town perimeter, were surrounded by about 54.000 elite German soldiers of General von Manteuffel's 5th Panzer Army. The immediate task of capturing the town of Bastogne was assigned to General von Lüttwitz, commander of the Wehrmacht's 47th Panzer Corps.

The breakthrough of the German siege of Bastogne, which was previously established on December 20th, was carried out by the 3rd American Army of General Patton on December 26th and this legendary one-word speech with which General McAuliffe snapped at the German offer of surrender became a symbol of fearlessness for the members of the 101st Airborne Division not only until the end of that war, but for decades afterwards. That message given to the enemy in a unfavourable tactical position is an inspiration to every member of this American unit to this day.

In memory of this war event in the merciless conflict between German and American soldiers in extremely unfavorable winter conditions and in the circumstances of the lack of ammunition, food, winter uniforms, appropriate footwear, medicine and other necessities of the American defense units, our Association dedicates this unique men’s T-shirt of the "Mark IX" Brand aiming to remind one word of American slang that has become a symbol of defiance and sacrifice with the highest stakes.