“They would have never been encircled if they had more openly gay troops.”
-Barney Fwrank.
Great post!
Yes, Merry Christmas to all of them. They are the best in the world.
Small nit: The G3 is not third in command, he is the operations officer.
Let me add that if our military had a CIC that was worth his salt, our military would be home for Christmas. If you can’t win a war within 10 years, you don’t belong in the war.
God Bless the Battling Bastards of Bastogne!
Sadly, “nuts” may have a new meaning in today’s “army of one”.
Thank you for the thread very good reading,American Heroes that gave us freedom.
Is this why we eat a lot of nuts during Christmas time?
God bless the greatest generation. They truly were.
The land of the Free because of the Brave.
I once saw an interview with the German officer who received the reply. It differs a little bit in that he said they did not understand what the reply meant and did not for some time but did know it was negative. He thought they were calling them idiots.
He also said that although Bastogne had some strategic importance, they had decided to just bypass it but Hitler ordered them to take it, apparently because of all the news.
His question to his adjutant after reading the note is; "'Nuts'!? Vas ist 'Nuts'?"
That always cracks me up when I watch it.
A very merry and safe Christmas to all our fighting troops. At home and abroad.
0bama in the same situation would wait for a poll...consult his Commie staff...get (half-assed) permission from the UN...then wait...and wait...and wait...then court-martial a Major Anthony McAullife for insubordination and allow whatever American forces were left to starve and get butchered.
Today's sock-puppet Generals, AA Brass would all nod and cave to 0bama like the feckless career garbage they are.
Gee...Sorry I've taken this thread on a bad turn here. YES - WWII vets were magnificent, as were the those who battle tooth & nail to hold the line at the Bulge. We shall never forget their courage and sacrifice.
This was the delaying action fought by a handful of US divisions spread thinly along the "Western Wall", and the massed formations of krau - uh, German armor and infantry at the soft spot of their choosing - a place on the map where France, Belgium, and Luxembourg meet just to the east of Bastogne.
These guys suffered and witnessed horrible casualties, but they delayed the k-k-German advance long enough that Bastogne could be occupied by the 101st Airborne and elements of (I believe) the 10th Armored division.
In particular, the commanding General of the 110th Regiment / 28th Division (Pennsylvania National Guard), received orders from higher up that "No one comes back." And in fact the entire 28th Division was written off as "destroyed in action" before the Christmas day this story refers to.
Other US divisions fared little better under the concentrated attack in the first 3 days. Ordinary American soldiers, most of them conscripts and every one of whom had been minding their own business on the day the war started, held the (*ahem*) enemy up for three days.
To paraphrase Bob Dole, far too many of them died within the first 3 days, and not enough of them who came home were willing to talk about it.
This is what caused the crossroads at Bastogne to not be occupied by the enemy when the 101st arrived and began setting up position. Same for St. Vith to the north, which some say was equally important.
Recommended reading:
To Save Bastogne, by Robert Phillips
http://www.amazon.com/save-Bastogne-Robert-H-Phillips/dp/B001KUV06W/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1293219599&sr=1-2
Alamo in the Ardennes, subtitled "The Untold Story of the American Soldiers Who Made the Defense of Bastogne Possible", By John C. McManus:
http://www.amazon.com/Alamo-Ardennes-American-Soldiers-Bastogne/dp/0451225589/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1293219599&sr=1-3
Well done, dad.
Merry Christmas Troops! General George Patton and the Third Army with the relief of Bastogne on the day after Christmas 1944!
“Merry Christmas to all our military’’. Yes indeed. And to my Uncle Fred,335th. Infantry Regiment; 84th. Infantry Division; 3rd. Battalion,I Company(Marche-Soy, Belgium, Dec.’44/Jan.’45) Thanks Unc!
I was privileged to tour the military compound in Bastogne where General McAuliffe penned those famous words. In his office, Pvt. Ed Mauser, a “Toccoa Man,” an original member of Easy Company (”Band of Brothers”) received a medal from the citizens of Bastogne.
Afterward, the Mayor’s representative told me that the ultimatum by the German general was written on a farm owned by the Kessler family.
No relation of which I am aware...
There was a moment in the Battle of the Bulge that would be of interest to fans of Murphy. A decision was made to widen out the flanks of one ten mile (or so) section of the line by moving the unit on the far left 100 yards to its left, and moving the unit on the other end a similalr distance to the right. When the coordinates were sent out, they got reversed, resulting in both units pulling out of the line and passing each other going in opposite directions down a road behind the lines . Fortunately, the Germans didn’t notice.
My cousin was there, with Patton, he’s taps was about 60 days ago!!!
I read something a few years ago which seems so unlikely that I am not sure if it is true.
Anyway it said we suffered more casualties in the “Battle of the Bulge” than we did in the entire Pacific Theater from Pearl Harbor to VJ Day.
Does anyone know if that is true?