And the debate still continues over what Gen McAuliffe (division commander at Bastogne) actually said to the German commander, when he was asked to surrender..
The Nuts letter is for real. I saw one of the original carbon copies (I think there were three) in a superb military museum southwest of Chicago. I wish I could remember the name of the town or the museum, but it was put together by a foundation of one of the former publishers of the Chicago Tribune . . . back in the day when that fishwrap was on the American side.
The typewriting was clear and I don't remember the full content of the entire letter. But I cannot forget the opening line: Nuts.
Gen McAuliffe was too proper of a gentleman to use the more appropriate expression "Go p*ss up a rope!"
Back in the 20th Century, Walter Cronkite (I know) hosted a show called “The Twentieth Century”. The show was about various events that had taken place in the 20th Century.
On one such show he had an ex German officer who had taken part in the events at Bastogne. I remember the officer said the Germans didn’t know what the response “Nuts” meant. They didn’t know if General McAuliffe meant the idea of surrender was “nuts” or the Germans were “nuts” or what.
I am reminded of that officer every time I see something about the Battle of the Bulge.