December 22, 1944: General McAuliffe Says, "Nuts!"

December 22, 1944: Seven days after beginning their last stand on the Western Front, and sensing victory, Nazi Germany sends a surrender demand to the American commander. They got a response they did not expect.

With the Allies having liberated France, and marching toward Germany itself from the West, and the Soviet Union's Red Army marching from the East, the Nazis needed a win, somewhere. On December 15, they attacked in the Ardennes Forest, which stretches over France, Belgium, Luxembourg, and even part of Germany.

They pushed forward, and formed a "bulge" in the American line, leading to the conflict being known as "The Battle of the Bulge." By the 22nd, they had the U.S. Army's 101st Airborne Division, then stationed in Bastogne, Belgium, virtually surrounded.

One of the reasons the attack was launched when it was is that the 101st's commanding officer, Major General Maxwell D. Taylor, was away, attending a staff conference. In temporary command was Brigadier General Anthony C. McAuliffe.

(In the Army, the Marine Corps, and, since its separation from the Army in 1947, the Air Force, A Brigadier General wears one star, a Major General two, a Lieutenant General three, a full General four, and a General of the Army five. In the Navy, the equivalent ranks are, respectively: Commodore, Rear Admiral, Vice Admiral, Admiral, and Admiral of the Fleet. However, the Navy discontinued the rank of Commodore in 1985.)

On December 22, the Nazi commander, General der Panzertruppe Heinrich Diepold Georg Freiherr von Lüttwitz, sent a major under a flag of truce, and delivered this message to McAuliffe:

To the U.S.A. Commander of the encircled town of Bastogne.

The fortune of war is changing. This time the U.S.A. forces in and near Bastogne have been encircled by strong German armored units. More German armored units have crossed the river Ourthe near Ortheuville, have taken Marche and reached St. Hubert by passing through Hompre-Sibret-Tillet. Libramont is in German hands.

There is only one possibility to save the encircled U.S.A. troops from total annihilation: that is the honorable surrender of the encircled town. In order to think it over a term of two hours will be granted beginning with the presentation of this note.

If this proposal should be rejected one German Artillery Corps and six heavy A. A. Battalions are ready to annihilate the U.S.A. troops in and near Bastogne. The order for firing will be given immediately after this two hours term.

All the serious civilian losses caused by this artillery fire would not correspond with the well-known American humanity.

The German Commander. 

According to those present when McAuliffe received the German message, he read it, crumpled it into a ball, threw it in a wastepaper basket, and muttered, "Aw, nuts." The officers in McAuliffe's command post were trying to find suitable language for an official reply when Lieutenant Colonel Harry Kinnard suggested that McAuliffe's first response summed up the situation pretty well, and the others agreed. The official reply was typed and delivered by Colonel Joseph Harper. It read as follows:

To the German Commander.
NUTS!
The American Commander.

The German major appeared confused, and asked Harper what the message meant. Harper said, "In plain English? 'Go to Hell.'"

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 December 26 to provide reinforcement.

The Battle of the Bulge was the largest battle ever to involve American troops, with 705,000 men eventually taking on a peak of 449,000 Germans. Losses: 75,000 Americans, 104,000 Germans. Among the Americans serving, and earning a Bronze Star and a Purple Heart, was Warren Spahn, who would survive the war and pitch his way into the Baseball Hall of Fame.

Once the American reinforcements arrived, the Nazis were doomed, both on the Western Front and overall. By January 28, 1945, they were in retreat.

A 1919 West Point graduate, McAuliffe would be awarded a Distinguished Service Cross, a Silver Star and 2 Bronze Stars over the course of his career. After General Taylor returned, McAuliffe was given command of the 103rd Infantry Division, which liberated the Kaufering concentration camp and the Austrian city of Innsbruck. He was named Commander of the Seventh Army in 1953. In 1955, he was promoted to a full General, and appointed Commander-in-Chief of the U.S. Army Europe. He retired in 1956, and lived until 1975.

Harry Kinnard, who recommended the response of "Nuts!", had already received the Distinguished Service Cross for his service in Operation Market Garden earlier in the year. He remained in the Army. During the Vietnam War, he came up with the "airmobile" concept: Using helicopters to send troops into battle and then get them out. He retired as a Lieutenant General, and lived until 2009.

Freiherr von Lüttwitz was captured in the Battle of the Ruhr Pocket on April 16, 1945, and was held as a prisoner of war until July 1, 1947. He was not charges with war crimes, was permitted to retire in peace, and lived until 1969.

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December 22, 1944 was a Friday. Baseball Hall of Fame pitcher Steve Carlton was born on this day.

Baseball was in the off-season. The NFL Championship Game was played 5 days earlier, with the Green Bay Packers beating the New York Giants, 14-7 at the Polo Grounds in New York. The NBA hadn't been founded yet. And, while the NHL was in-season, no games were scheduled for that day. So there are no scores on this historic day.

May 10, 1940: "Blitzkrieg" Brings Neville Chamberlain Down

May 10, 1940: Nazi Germany invades the Low Countries: The Netherlands, Belgium and Luxembourg. The "Phony War" (or "Sitzkrieg") is over -- the "Lightning War" (or "Blitzkrieg") has begun.

Luxembourg is a tiny country, and it fell in 8 hours. The Netherlands held out for Belgium held out for 18 days.

Also on May 10, Neville Chamberlain resigns as Prime Minister of Great Britain. His policies have utterly failed, at home and abroad. None more so than the appeasement policy he used at the Munich Conference in 1938, from which he returned to London and told the people of the British Empire he had achieved "peace for our time."

He goes on radio and gives a resignation speech asking the Empire to rally around the new Prime Minister. Queen Elizabeth, the wife of King George VI, tells him that their daughter, Princess Elizabeth (the Queen Elizabeth we know), wept hearing it.

It wasn't known at the time that Chamberlain already had cancer. He would be dead in 6 months.

Winston Churchill, a man who had been politically given up for dead 3 times, becomes Prime Minister. Five years later – to the week – it will have all fallen apart for the Nazis.

The Blitzkrieg was mentioned as one of the actions claimed by the Devil, played by Mick Jagger, in The Rolling Stones' 1968 song "Sympathy for the Devil." 

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May 10, 1940 was a Friday. These baseball games were played:

* The New York Yankees lost to the Boston Red Sox, 3-2 at Yankee Stadium. In the top of the 10th inning, Doc Cramer grounded to short, and Frank Crosetti made the play at 3rd base, allowing Johnny Peacock to score what turned out to be a winning run. Joe DiMaggio went 1-for-4 with a walk. Ted Williams went 0-for-2 with 3 walks. Jimmie Foxx went 0-for-4.

* The New York Giants beat their arch-rivals, the Brooklyn Dodgers, 7-2 at Ebbets Field. Mel Ott went 1-for-5.

* The Philadelphia Athletics beat the Washington Senators, 8-7 at Shibe Park in Philadelphia.

* The Cleveland Indians beat the St. Louis Browns, 9-4 at League Park in Cleveland.

* The Detroit Tigers beat the Chicago White Sox, 3-0 at Briggs Stadium (later Tiger Stadium) in Detroit. Bobo Newsom pitched a 7-hit shutout. Hank Greenberg did not play.

* The Pittsburgh Pirates beat the Chicago Cubs, 8-3 at Wrigley Field in Chicago.

* The Cincinnati Reds and the St. Louis Cardinals agreed to move their game on this day, at Sportsman's Park in St. Louis, to May 12, for a Sunday doubleheader, meaning higher gate receipts and more money. The Reds swept, 7-1 and 13-4.

* And the Boston Bees (as the Braves were known from 1936 to 1940), the Philadelphia Phillies were not scheduled.

February 10, 1968: "Love Is Blue" Hits Number 1

It was the late 1960s. Some men wore ascots.

February 10, 1968: Paul Mauriat’s conduction of his orchestra in the instrumental "Love Is Blue" hits Number 1.

It was written, with the French title "L'amour est bleu," a melody by André Popp and French lyrics by Pierre Cour, as Luxembourg's contribution to the 1967 Eurovision song contest, sung by a singer identified only as "Vicky." She was 17-year-old Greek singer Vicky Leandros. It didn't win, but it became more famous than most of the songs that have won Eurovision.

Vicky Leandros

Leandros would later record the song in English, as would French singer Claudine Longet, her husband Andy Williams, Italian-American pop singer Al Martino, soul group The Dells, and rock guitarist Jeff Beck. Mauriat's instrumental remains the only recording by a native of France to hit Number 1 in America. (The Singing Nun sang in French, but was from Belgium.)

Born in Marseille in 1925, Mauriat became musical director for French singing icons Charles Azvanour and Maurice Chevalier in the 1950s, before writing and conducting his own compositions. In 1961, he wrote a song titled "Chariot." It was given English lyrics, and became "I Will Follow Him," taken to Number 1 in 1963 by 15-year-old Little Peggy March. That version has also become the basis for soccer fan songs around the world.

A fair comparison of Mauriat would be to "easy listening" composers and conductors of the 1950s and 1960s, like his contemporary Henry Mancini -- who would also hit Number 1 with an instrumental in the seemingly rock-heavy year of 1968, with "Love Theme from Romeo and Juliet," Franco Zeffirelli's filmed take on Shakespeare's tale of young love gone wrong -- and to the older Percy Faith and Annunzio Mantovani. Mauriat had a few more minor hits in the U.S., but he was already a throwback, and his moment, as far as American audiences were concerned, came and went quickly.

In 1972, Popp, Cour and Leandros would combine again, and finally win Eurovision with "Après toi" (French for "After You"). Cour died in 1995, Mauriat in 2006, Popp in 2014. As of February 10, 2022, Leandros is still alive and performing. (UPDATE: In 2024, at age 72, she announced her retirement and a farewell tour. It sold out around the world.)

In 1987, the New York Yankees released the team history videotape New York Yankees: The Movie. Some of the background music they used for the highlights was off by a few years. Mauriat's recording of "Love Is Blue" was used for the 1963 and 1964 World Series, both of which the Yankees lost. However, the instrumental, especially with the harpsichord at the end, did suggest a sense of the old dynasty coming to a sad ending, so it was somewhat appropriate.

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February 10, 1968 was a Saturday. Baseball and football were out of season. There were 4 games played in the NBA:

* The New York Knicks beat the Philadelphia 76ers, 115-97. It was the last game they played at the old Madison Square Garden. Chet Walker led all scorers with 25 points. Wilt Chamberlain scored 16. Walt Bellamy led the Knicks with 24. Four days later, the Knicks played their 1st game at the new Garden, and beat the San Diego Rockets.

* The Baltimore Bullets beat the Detroit Pistons, 114-109 at Cobo Hall (now Huntington Place) in Detroit. Earl Monroe scored 37.

* The St. Louis Hawks beat the Chicago Bulls, 108-107 at the Kiel Auditorium in St. Louis. The next season, the Hawks moved to Atlanta.

* And the Cincinnati Royals beat the San Diego Rockets, 101-99 at the San Diego Sports Arena (now the Pechanga Arena).

There were 3 games in the American Basketball Association, which was in its 1st season:

* The New Jersey Americans beat the Indiana Pacers, 124-112 at the Teaneck Armory. The next season, the Americans -- the closest thing that New Jersey had to a major league sports team since the 1915 Newark Peppers of the Federal League -- moved to Long Island, and became the New York Nets, until moving back to New Jersey from 1977 to 2012, before moving to Brooklyn.

* The New Orleans Buccaneers beat the Minnesota Muskies, 126-100 at the New Orleans Municipal Auditorium. Mel Daniels had 37 points for the Bucs.

* And the Pittsburgh Pipers beat the Anaheim Amigos, 120-112 at the Anaheim Convention Center. Charlie Williams of the Pipers led all scorers on the day with 41 points.

There were 5 games in the NHL:

* The New York Rangers and the Pittsburgh Penguins played to a tie, 2-2 at the Civic Arena in Pittsburgh.

* The Montreal Canadiens beat the Chicago Black Hawks, 6-4 at the Montreal Forum.

* The Boston Bruins and the Detroit Red Wings played to a tie, 1-1 at the Olympia Stadium in Detroit.

* The Philadelphia Flyers beat the St. Louis Blues, 2-1 at the St. Louis Arena.

* The Minnesota North Stars beat the Oakland Seals, 5-2 at the Oakland Coliseum Arena.

* And the Toronto Maple Leafs and the Los Angeles Kings were not scheduled.

And in English soccer, Arsenal, the team I would one day begin following, welcomed North-East team Newcastle United to the Arsenal Stadium, a.k.a. Highbury for its North London neighborhood, and played them to a 0-0 draw.