Nuts!

General Tony McAuliffe was a very reserved and religious man. On December 22, 1944 a four man German detachment under a white flag approached the Western sector held by the 327th/401st Glider Infantry Regiment. They were demanding to see the commander of American forces in Bastogne and ask for his surrender. When the German group met General McAuliffe the General believed they were there to surrender since the 101st was putting up a wall of resistence. McAuliffe was told that's not why they were there and they said the Germans want the Americans to surrender. McAuliffe answered "What us surrender? Aw nuts!". "What should I say?" asked the General to his aid Colonel Kinnard? "Why not what you said?" answered Kinnard. "What was that?" replied the General. "Nuts!" answered the Colonel. And that is what the General McAuliffe wrote "To the German Commander, NUTS!" The Germans were confused by the reply and asked what does it mean. "In plain English, it means to go to Hell!"answered one of the officers. The men of the 101st loved it because that is what they were "a bunch of nuts". You had to be nuts and have some nuts to be in the 101st Airborne Division.