General anthony mcauliffe biography

United States Army general (1898–1975)

"Nuts!" redirects here. For the book about Southwest Airlines, see Nuts! (book).

Mcauliffe pronunciation

For other uses, see Nut.

General Anthony Clement "Nuts" McAuliffe (2 July 1898 – 10 August 1975) was a senior United States Armyofficer who earned fame as the acting commander of the 101st Airborne Division defending Bastogne, Belgium, during the Battle of the Bulge in World War II.

He is celebrated for his one-word reply to a German surrender ultimatum: "Nuts!"

After the battle, McAuliffe was promoted and given command of the 103rd Infantry Division, which he led from January 1945 to July 1945. In the post-war era, he was commander of United States Army Europe.

Early life and military career

McAuliffe was born in Washington, D.C., on 2 July 1898, to a family of Irish heritage.^[2] He attended West Virginia University from 1916 to 1917.

He was a member of the West Virginia Beta chapter of Sigma Phi Epsilon frater