Christmas, 1944

December, 1944. In the city of Bastogne, Belgium, during the Battle of the Bulge, American soldiers primarily from the 101st Airborne Division, but also from the 969th Artillery Battalion, and Combat Command B of the 10th Armored Division, were surrounded by Germans. Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/jocko-podcast/exclusive-content

Speaker names marked ? are inferred from speaking time and the show’s known hosts — they are not voice-verified.

• 0:03Jocko Willink?

  Dezember 1944. In the city of Bastogne, Belgium, during the Battle of the Bulge, American soldiers, primarily from the 101st Airborne Division, but also from the 969th Artillery Battalion and Combat Command B of the 10th Armored Division, were surrounded by Germans.

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  They were outnumbered by approximately 5 to 1.

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  They were lacking in cold-weather gear.

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  They were short on ammunition and low on food and medical supplies.

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  The weather was horrible.

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  Due to heavy cloud cover, resupply from the air was not possible.

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  They appeared to be doomed.

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  That is certainly what the Germans thought.

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  So, on the 22nd of December, the Germans sent a message with two young German officers, offering an opportunity for the Americans to surrender.

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  The message read:

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  "To the USA commander of the encircled town of Bastogne:

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  "The fortune of war is changing. This time, the USA forces in and near Bastogne have been encircled by strong German armored units.

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  More German armored units have crossed the river Orthu, near Orthuville, have taken Marsh, have reached Saint-Hubert by passing through Ombré, Cibre, Teles.

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  Libra-Mont is in German hands. There is only one possibility to save the encircled USA troops from total annihilation: that is, honorable surrender of the encircled town."

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  In order to think it over, a term of two hours will be granted, beginning with the presentation of this note.

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  If this proposal should be rejected, one German artillery corps and six heavy AA battalions are ready to annihilate the USA troops in and near Bastogne.

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  The order for firing will be given immediately after this two hours' term.

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

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  Signed, the German commander.

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  The American commander, General Anthony McAuliffe, upon hearing this offer, didn't like the idea at all. In fact, his initial response was simply "nuts."

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  After a little discussion with his staff on what the proper written response would be, they decided that was the proper response.

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  So, they put together a formal note on letterhead to return to the German commander. It read:

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  22 December 1944. To the German commander. "Nuts." Signed, the American commander.

• 3:55Jocko Willink?

  On Christmas Eve, General McAuliffe sent out a message to his troops in the besieged city.

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  It read: Headquarters. 101st Airborne Division.

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  Office of the Division Commander.

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  24 December 1944.

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  What's merry about all this, you ask? We're fighting. It's cold. We aren't home. All true.

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  But what has the proud Eagle Division accomplished with its worthy comrades of the 10th Armored Division, the 705th Tank Destroyer Battalion and all the rest? Just this. We have stopped cold everything that has been thrown at us from the north, east, south and west. We have identifications from four German Panzer Divisions, two German Infantry Divisions, and one German parachute division. These units spearheading the last desperate German lunge were headed straight west for key points when the Eagle Division was hurriedly ordered to stem the advance.

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  How effectively this was done will be written in history. Not alone in our division's glorious history, but in world history.

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  The Germans actually did surround us. Their radios blared our doom.

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  Their commander demanded our surrender in the following impudent arrogance.

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  And that's when the general added in the note of the German surrender demand, and he gave his response, the simple response of nuts.

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  He wanted all the troops to know.

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  And then he closed out the memo explaining their current situation on the ground. The message continued, "Allied troops are counterattacking in force. We continue to hold Bastogne.

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  By holding Bastogne, we assure the success of the Allied armies.

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  We know that our division commander, General Taylor, will say, 'Well done.'

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  We are giving our country and our loved ones at home a worthy Christmas present. And being privileged to take part in this gallant feat of arms are truly making for ourselves a Merry Christmas."

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  A.C. McCullough.

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  Well, the Germans did attack Bastogne on Christmas Day. And they did initially break through the American perimeter. But the American soldiers stood their ground and defeated the attack, eventually destroying all the German tanks. And the next day, the 26th of December, General Patton's 4th Armored Division, along with the 26th Infantry Division, broke through to Bastogne and opened up a corridor to relieve the embattled but victorious troops.

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  It was a glorious example of will and defiance and undaunted courage in the face of seemingly insurmountable odds. And it was an example of the victory of light over darkness. But let us never forget that for every victory, there is a cost. There is sacrifice.

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  And one letter home, also written on Christmas Eve, December 24th, 1944, from the Battle of the Bulge by Lieutenant Colonel Arthur Blair. The commanding officer of the 268th Field Artillery Battalion, who was born in New Orleans and raised in Mississippi. This letter shows some of that sacrifice. The letter was written to Colonel Blair's parents.

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  But in the letter, he also speaks of his young wife, Mary, and their three-year-old daughter, Susan. This is what he wrote.

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  Dear folks.

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  Well.

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  So this is Christmas Eve.

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  I've spent a lot of lonely ones, those when I've been away from you and Mary. But I've never spent one quite this lonely. And one in which the Christmas spirit seems so lacking in the surroundings.

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  Even the first one of the war with Mary leaving the next day was not so bad as this one.

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  Then I had things to worry about and lots of work to do, but here, everything is as it has been.

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  The same day in, day out routine, and all I have to think of is how much I miss you and Mary and Suzie and what fun and how comfortable and right it would be if we were all spending Christmas Eve and Christmas together.

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  We will have turkey tomorrow. And some of the men will have received Christmas packages and that will be the extent of our Christmas.

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  There is no peace around us.

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  No peace in our hearts.

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  The Christmas star is an airplane flare.

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  The three wise men, where are they now?

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  There's nothing here but anger in men's hearts.

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  The wisest men are those who do the best job of killing the enemy while avoiding death themselves.

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  The mangers are corrupt with dead and rotting cattle and the village inns gape at the night through the glassless windows and tileless roofs.

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  The gifts of the Magi

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  are steel and flame

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  and high explosives.

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  But deep in my heart,

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  I know that peace will come again and families will again be together.

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  For God and His Son are watching over us and protecting us all as well as we will let them.

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  So,

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  in the hope of tomorrow,

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  in the peace to come, dear Dad and Mom, Merry Christmas to you

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  and a happy and peaceful new year.

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  All my love,

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  your son,

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  Arthur.

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  Well,

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  Arthur did not make it home to be with his family again.

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  The next day,

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  Christmas, 1944, as he was wishing the officers and men of his battalion a Merry Christmas, a German shell hit, wounding several of the men

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  and killing Colonel Arthur W. Blair.

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  He was one of the 19,000 Americans killed in the Battle of the Bulge.

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  In one of the thousands upon thousands upon thousands

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  that have died for our flag

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  and the ideals of freedom

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  that it represents.

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  Colonel Blair's executive officer wrote a letter to the family.

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  And said, "The memory of the Colonel is one that will always be kept green by those who knew him and served with him.

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  He was an outstandingly gallant officer, a fine leader, and above all else, a true gentleman.

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  On the field of battle, where there can be no sham, he proved it beyond a question of a doubt."

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  And the executive officer signed off the letter quoting Shakespeare. "When Horatio bid a final farewell to his friend Hamlet,

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  now cracks a noble heart.

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  Good night, sweet prince, and flights of angels sing thee to thy rest."

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  To all those noble souls that left us too young

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  and cracked our hearts,

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  we bid you the same goodbye.

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  May flights of angels

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  sing you to your rest.

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  We will remember you always.

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  And we are thinking of you

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  this holiday season.

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  Merry Christmas

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  and a Happy New Year to all.

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  And may there be peace on earth.