Op-Ed: America’s Game: Army Honors 101st Airborne at Bastogne

When Army takes the field against Navy on December 14, West Point players will proudly display “Bastogne” logos on their chest. The logo honors the heroics by the 101st Airborne Division, the “Screaming Eagles,” during the Battle of the Bulge in WWII.

In June 1944, Supreme Allied Commander Dwight Eisenhower issued the order to destroy the German war machine and eliminate Nazi tyranny in Europe. Eisenhower chose the 101st Airborne Division as a lead assault element and visited the 101st before they jumped into Normandy on June 6, 1944. For the next six months, the Division took part in some of the most dramatic battles of the war, and in December they were “sent to the rear” for what was supposed to be rest and recuperation (R&R).

Little did they know Hitler planned a 1000 tank blitzkrieg to cut the Allied Forces in half by a lightning strike right through the Ardennes Forest to Antwerp, Belgium. With the Division on R&R, the top leadership had returned to the States, leaving Brigadier General Anthony McAuliffe in charge. Still outfitted in summer gear, the soldiers of the 101st were ill-equipped to fight in the bitter cold of northern Europe. But, with the full force of the German Army coming straight for the key city of Bastogne, the 101st answered the call for their “Rendezvous with Destiny.” They raced to Bastogne and dug in for arguably the worst fighting of WWII.

Three days before Christmas, 1944, the Germans had the 101st surrounded. Haughtily, the Germans demanded the Division’s surrender. The Germans threatened to annihilate the U.S. forces if the Americans didn’t immediately surrender. The American situation was dire, and the Germans were confident with their five-to-one encircling force. But one leader of conviction stood in their way.

You see, Anthony McAuliffe once attended WVU and then graduated from West Point. He parachuted into Normandy and flew into Operation Market Garden in a glider. He was a fighter, and he understood the critical juncture at which he stood; seven major roads ran into and out of Bastogne, and if the Germans controlled the city, they had a clear shot to Antwerp. German control of the major port at Antwerp would halt the Allied advance across western Europe.

In one of military history’s greatest quotes, McAuliffe responded to the ultimatum with a single word, “N U T S!”

Inspired by McAuliffe’s audacity, the 101st miraculously held their ground and became known as the “Battered Bastards of Bastogne.” Against all odds, they held out until the U.S. Third Army busted through the German lines the day after Christmas to provide much-needed relief. The 101st heroic stand at Bastogne turned the tide of the war in favor of the Allies.

Oh, and the commander of the Third Army that broke the siege was none other than the famed General George S. Patton III. General Patton was the grandson of Colonel George S. Patton Sr. who hailed from what is now Charleston, West Virginia.

But the WV connections continue. The Battle of the Bulge produced another West Virginia hero, SGT Ed Kelley. Kelley gained immortality by holding the northern shoulder of “the Bulge” at the town of Kesternich. When Kelley was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor, General Eisenhower remarked that “singlehandedly, Ed Kelley shortened the war in Europe by two months.“ Eisenhower linked Kelley’s heroics to the unexpected capture of the Bridge at Remagen, allowing U.S. forces to cross the Rhine much earlier than expected. With a foothold inside Germany, the Allies wasted no time destroying the heart of the German industrial war machine in the Ruhr, thus accomplishing the mission Eisenhower had given in June 1944.

Combat historian Major Ken Hechler brought to life the amazing capture of the intact bridge. While he had chronicled the liberation of France and the Battle of the Bulge, it was his book “The Bridge at Remagen” that brought him international acclaim. Hechler took first-hand accounts from combatants on both sides. From the Germans, he learned that Hitler had ordered the bridge be held at all costs and directed his soldiers to fight to the death. One German Hechler interviewed had been sentenced to death in absentia because he allowed himself to be captured. Following the War, Hechler became a congressman from West Virginia, and concluded his public service by serving as WV Secretary of State.

Throughout our Nation’s history, West Virginia has produced warriors with grit and determination who have saved the country time and again -- from the Battle of Point Pleasant (1774) to Buena Vista, Belleau Woods, Bastogne, Busan, Baghdad, and Bagram. Mountaineers have always been there, fighting for freedom. Montani Semper Liberi!

Be sure to tune into the Army-Navy game on Saturday, December 14 at 3 p.m. In addition to the Bastogne logo, the Army helmets will display playing card suits honoring various units of the 101st. Notably, look for the Spade used to identify the 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment of the 101st featured in the “Band of Brothers.” The Arctic Frost print on the Army uniforms depicts the snow and fog giving way to darkness in the winter Ardennes Forest. Appreciate the bitter cold and harsh conditions U.S. soldiers endured to halt the German blitzkrieg at Bastogne. The A R M Y on the uniforms mimics the font McAuliffe used to respond, “N U T S.”

The Navy, with their uniforms, will honor Strike Fighter Squadron 103, nicknamed the “Jolly Rogers.”

Virtually grip hands with soldiers and sailors watching the game who are standing on the wall around the world protecting our freedom and American way of life. That is why this is known as “America’s Game.” Know that it was the tenacity of a General who attended WVU that stopped the Germans and propelled the Allies to victory. The Army team, the U.S. Military, and our entire Nation are inspired today by the gallant stand of a Mountaineer 80 years ago.

WV Secretary of State Mac Warner is a graduate of the United States Military Academy at West Point. Lt. Colonel (Ret.) Warner enjoyed a decorated 23-year military career with the United States Army, then served five years in Afghanistan with the U.S. Department of State. He is a graduate of the WVU School of Law has a Masters Degree in International Law. All four of Secretary Warner's children - two sons and two daughters - have served honorably on Active Duty in the U.S. Military.