United States Army general (1898–1975) who commanded the force defending Bastogne, Belgium, during the Battle of the Bulge in World War II. He was famous for his brief reply to a German surrender ultimatum: “Nuts!” At the sixtieth anniversary of the battle, a veteran claimed to the press that McAuliffe never uttered that exact word, but that the newspapers had found his actual phrasing too strong, and toned it down for their dispatches home. DS, signed “A. C. McAuliffe,” one page on imitation parchment, 11 x 8.25, no date. A souvenir facsimile copy of Eisenhower’s order of the day for December 22, 1944. In part: “I call upon every man, of all the Allies, to rise now to new heights of courage, of resolution and of effort. Let everyone hold before him a single thought—to destroy the enemy on the ground, in the air, everywhere—destroy him. United in this determination and with unshakable faith in the cause for which we fight, we will, with God’s help, go forward to our greatest victory….” The sheet also bears an Eisenhower stamp with 1969 first-day cancellation. In fine condition. RRAuction COA.
