Anthony McAuliffe

General Anthony Clement "Nuts" McAuliffe (2 July 1898 – 10 August 1975) was a senior United States Army officer who earned fame as the acting commander of the 101st Airborne Division defending Bastogne, Belgium, during the Battle of the Bulge in World War II. He is celebrated for his one-word reply to a German surrender ultimatum: "Nuts!"

After the battle, McAuliffe was promoted and given command of the 103rd Infantry Division, which he led from January 1945 to July 1945. In the post-war era, he was commander of United States Army Europe.

Early life and military career

McAuliffe was born in Washington, D.C., on 2 July 1898, to a family of Irish heritage. He attended West Virginia University from 1916 to 1917. He was a member of the West Virginia Beta chapter of Sigma Phi Epsilon fraternity during his time at West Virginia University. He enrolled at West Point in 1917. McAuliffe was part of an accelerated program and graduated shortly after the end of World War I, in November 1918.

In December 1944, the German army launched the surprise attack that became the Battle of the Bulge. Major General Maxwell D. Taylor, commander of the 101st Airborne Division, was attending a staff conference in the United States at the time. During Taylor's absence, McAuliffe commanded the 101st and its attached troops. At Bastogne, the 101st was besieged by a far larger force of Germans under the command of General Heinrich Freiherr von Lüttwitz.

"NUTS!" On 22 December 1944, von Lüttwitz dispatched a party consisting of a major, a lieutenant, and two enlisted men under a flag of truce (in German: Parlamentärflagge, the flag of negotiations) to deliver an ultimatum. Entering the American lines southeast of Bastogne (occupied by Company F, 2nd Battalion, 327th Glider Infantry), the German party delivered the following to Gen. McAuliffe: The choice of "Nuts!" rather than something earthier was typical for McAuliffe. Captain Vincent Vicari, his personal aide at the time, recalled that "General Mac was the only general I ever knew who did not use profane language. 'Nuts' was part of his normal vocabulary."

The artillery fire did not materialize, although several infantry and tank assaults were directed at the positions of the 327th Glider Infantry. In addition, the German Luftwaffe attacked the town, bombing it nightly. The 101st held off the Germans until the 4th Armored Division arrived on 26 December to provide reinforcement.

Post-Bastogne

For his actions at Bastogne, McAuliffe was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross by Lieutenant General George S. Patton, commanding the Third Army, on 30 December 1944 with official orders processed on 14 January 1945. He later received the Army Distinguished Service Medal twice, the Silver Star and the Legion of Merit.

Immediately after Bastogne, McAuliffe was promoted to major general and given command of the 103rd Infantry Division on 15 January 1945, his first divisional command assignment, which he retained until July 1945. Under McAuliffe, the 103rd reached the Rhine Valley on 23 March, and engaged in mopping-up operations in the plain west of the Rhine River. In April 1945, the division was assigned to occupational duties until 20 April, when it resumed the offensive, pursuing a fleeing enemy through Stuttgart and taking Münsingen on 24 April. On 27 April, elements of the division entered Landsberg, where Kaufering concentration camp, a subcamp of Dachau, was liberated. The 103rd crossed the Danube River near Ulm on 26 April. On 3 May 1945, the 103rd captured Innsbruck, Austria, with little to no fighting. It then seized the Brenner Pass and met the 88th Infantry Division of the U.S. Fifth Army at Vipiteno, Italy, thereby joining the Italian and Western European fronts.

Post-war

Following the war, McAuliffe held many positions, including chief chemical officer of the Army Chemical Corps, and G-1, head of Army personnel. He returned to Europe as commander of the Seventh Army in 1953, and commander-in-chief of the United States Army Europe in 1955. He was promoted to four-star general in 1955.

While still in the service, McAuliffe attended the premier of Battleground in Washington D.C. on 9 November 1949. The film did not depict McAuliffe directly, but did show a scene of the Germans presenting their surrender demands and their confusion on receiving McAuliffe's reply.

Retirement In 1956, McAuliffe retired from the army. He worked for American Cyanamid Corporation from 1956 to 1963 as vice president for personnel. He began a program to teach employees to maintain contact with local politicians. The company subsequently required all branch managers to at least introduce themselves to local politicians. McAuliffe also served as chairman of the New York State Civil Defense Commission from 1960 to 1963.

After his retirement from American Cyanamid in 1963, McAuliffe resided in Chevy Chase, Maryland, until his death from leukemia on 10 August 1975, age 77. He is buried in Arlington National Cemetery.

Dates of rank

Awards and decorations McAuliffe's decorations include the following:

Badges

Decorations Distinguished Service CrossArmy Distinguished Service Medal with bronze oak leaf clusterSilver StarLegion of MeritBronze Star Medal with bronze oak leaf cluster

Unit award Army Presidential Unit Citation

Service medals World War I Victory MedalAmerican Defense Service MedalAmerican Campaign MedalEuropean-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal with Arrowhead device and three bronze campaign starsWorld War II Victory MedalArmy of Occupation MedalNational Defense Service Medal

Foreign awards Legion of Honour (Commandeur)French Croix de guerre with PalmBelgian Croix de guerre with PalmNetherlands Bronze Lion Medal

Distinguished Service Order with claspBelgian Order of Leopold (Commandeur)Order of the Oak Crown (Commandeur)

Memorials

The central square of Bastogne, Belgium, is named Place Général McAuliffe. A Sherman tank, pierced by a German 88 mm shell, stands in one corner.

A southern extension of Route 33 in eastern Northampton County, Pennsylvania, completed in 2002, was named the Gen. Anthony Clement McAuliffe 101st Airborne Memorial Highway.

The new headquarters building for the 101st Airborne Division, which opened in 2009 at Fort Campbell, Kentucky, is named McAuliffe Hall.

A room at the Thayer Hotel at West Point has been dedicated to General McAuliffe.