GOP Sees Risk of Clinton High-Court Pick (Wall Street Journal, Fri., March 11)
“Republicans see risks in their plan to not consider any nominee from President Barack Obama because of the uncertainty over who will be the GOP presidential nominee and the possibility that a Democrat could remain in the White House , said Sens. Lindsey Graham… and… Orrin Hatch senior members of the Senate Judiciary committee.”
A couple of gutsy senators, right? It would be risky to fight for what we believe in because we could lose. And that would be even worse than simply capitulating now. What if their apparent attitude was existent at key times back in the day? Imagine if you will . . .
Bastogne, Belgium
December 22, 1944
Headquarters US ARMY,VIII Corps
Major Paul Ryan, G-2 Liaison, SHAEF, had just finished briefing commanders of the various units of VIII Corps. He reported that the Germans had sent a message to the American forces, greatly outnumbered and under siege for nearly a week, demanding their immediate surrender.
The message, in part, appealed to the “well known American humanity” to save the people of Bastogne from further suffering. It gave the Americans two hours in which to consider before the Germans would resume their attack.
Brigadier General Lindsey Graham, of the 101st Airborne Division and commander of US forces at Bastogne, then took over the meeting.
After brief introductory comments General Graham began by asking each of the commanders to give their suggestion as to the appropriate response to the German demand. The first to respond was Colonel “Tony’ MacAuliffe, a man highly respected by his men as well as his fellow officers. A man whom many predicted would one day be named Army Chief of staff.
Colonel MacAuliffe’s suggested response turned out to be the only suggested reply by any of the commanders present.
His response: “Nuts”! to which every officer in attendance reacted with a deafening roar of approval.
As the thunderous cheering and applause subsided, General Graham and Colonel Orrin Hatch, Graham’s Chief of Staff, exchanged extended glances.
After what seemed like an interminable pause, Graham spoke:
“Thank you, Col. MacAuliffe”, he said, “I appreciate your passion and I respect your point of view.
“I would ask, however, if you do not think such a response to be a bit harsh. The Germans have offered, I believe, in good faith a way in which to resolve the current difficult situation we all find ourselves in.
I believe we should thoughtfully consider that, not only the lives of the men under our command are at stake, but the lives of many innocent citizens of Bastogne.
“After all our forces are greatly outnumbered. We are in a minority here.
” Colonel Hatch and Major Ryan and I agree that it makes more sense that if we accept the Germans’ offer, we’re in a position to wait until the weather lifts, whenever that might be, for General Patton’s superior forces to attack and defeat the Germans. We will be in the majority then and, as your commander, I’ll be in a position to inflict very strict terms on the enemy.”
And so it passed on that day, December 22nd, 1944 that American forces at Bastogne surrendered; the German army continued its offensive, the tide of war turned dramatically, and Germany won WWII.
Happily, as we all know now, Lindsey Graham was not the commander of American forces at Bastogne…General MacAuliffe was. The response delivered to the German commander was, indeed, “NUTS!” The Americans held out, courageously and determinedly; the German offensive was halted and the Wehrmacht was defeated.
For all the American generations following Bastogne our nation can be grateful that the present leadership of the Republican Party was not in charge on that fateful day. DLH
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Excerpt from an actual history of the day:
Headquarters called the 101st Division, relaying the word that some Germans had come in with surrender terms.1 The rumor quickly spread around the front that the enemy had had enough and that a party had arrived to arrange a surrender. Quiet held the front. Many of the American defenders crawled out of their cover and spent the noon hour shaving, washing and going to the straddle trenches.
Major Alvin Jones took the terms to General McAuliffe and Lieutenant Colonel Ned D. Moore who was acting Chief of Staff.
Colonel Harper, commanding the 327th, went with Jones to Division Headquarters. The two German officers were left with Captain Adams. Members of the staff were grouped around General McAuliffe when Harper and Jones arrived. McAuliffe asked someone what the paper contained and was told that it requested a surrender.
He laughed and said, “Aw, nuts!” It really seemed funny to him at the time. He figured he was giving the Germans “one hell of a beating” and that all of his men knew it. The demand was all out of line with the existing situation.
But McAuliffe realized that some kind of reply had to be made and he sat down to think it over. Pencil in hand, he sat there pondering for a few minutes and then he remarked, “Well, I don’t know what to tell them.” He asked the staff what they thought and Colonel Kinnard, his G-3 replied, “That first remark of yours would be hard to beat.”
DLH
