Wednesday, August 17, 2011

Col. Allen West Has Them

LTC (ret.) Allen West represents Florida’s 22nd District in Congress. He is one of a handful of congressmen — there may be no senators whatsoever — who recognize the danger that Islam poses to this country.

Needless to say, the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) is not happy with Col. West. When it demanded that he repudiate any ties with “anti-Islamic” people and groups, his one-word reply defiantly echoed one of the finest moments in American military history.

A notable (and dismaying) aspect of the following news video is that neither the news presenters nor the people interviewed on the street seem to have any familiarity with the single-word quote, much less understand its significance.

As Mark Steyn said, “When a society loses its memory, it descends inevitably into dementia.”

Here’s the story, as reported on the Florida TV news. Many thanks to Vlad Tepes for uploading this clip:


For those who are interested, a brief history of “NUTS!” is below the jump.

On December 22, 1944, the division commanded by General Anthony McAuliffe was surrounded at Bastogne during the Battle of the Bulge. According to the recollections of Col. H.W.O. Kinnard of the 101st Airborne, this is the story behind Gen. McAuliffe’s immortal reply to the Germans’ demand for surrender:

… [General] McAuliffe had first thought that the Germans were trying to surrender to us. But, we told him no, not so. That they want us to surrender to them, and they go on to say all the bad things that they’re going to do if we don’t do this.

And he said, Tony McAuliffe then said, “I surrender, ah nuts!” And then he sort of pondered about whether he should answer or should it be in writing, and so forth. And everybody agreed that there should be a written answer. And Tony McAuliffe then said, “Well, I don’t know what to tell them.”

And I spoke up and said, “Well, what you first said would be hard to beat.” And Tony said, “What do you mean?” And I said, “You said nuts!” And all of us in the room sort of thought that was a good answer. So Tony sat down and wrote out with a pencil, “To the German Commander, Nuts! A.C. McAuliffe, Commanding.” Had his secretary type it out. Gave the message to Colonel Harper, who took it back to his headquarters and gave it to the German Armistice party.

The Germans were allowed to take off their blindfold and read the message, and they were puzzled by it. And they were trying to translate nuts. And they said, “Nuets, Nuets, Nuts... Vas Is Das?” They didn’t get it at all. And Colonel Harper said, “If you don’t understand it, it means go to hell!”

When I was a kid, the war was still less than fifteen years in the past, and most of our fathers had fought in it. Everyone knew what “NUTS!” meant. When we bought our plastic figurines of World War Two heroes, General McAuliffe was right there in the set, along with Eisenhower, Bradley, MacArthur, Patton, and all the rest.

How times have changed. Be prepared for the onset of cultural dementia.

27 comments:

Jewel said...

What a pack of snivelling wankers. I liked it. Succinct and right to the point. Isn't it sad that the men of our culture have become so sissified? NUTS!

Anonymous said...

Maybe CAIR and the local tea party chapter will combine forces to defeat Congressman West. The latter are unhappy because he voted to avoid default of the U.S. government on its obligations.

Tommie said...

I'm 68 and Dutch and even I knew this story and the meaning of NUTS.

Jedilson Bonfim said...

I'm glad West has regrown his backbone. And that the news report included a hint of where NUTS came from.

retch said...

Learned about this in William Wellman's 1949 movie Battleground. Was surprised so many people did NOT immediately recognize it as a quote! More power to West.

nuum said...

I'm brazilian and I know the 'NUTS' story as well.
I would like to know what is being taught to children in America.

Independent Accountant said...

I was born in 1951 and I knew this story. It's a WWII classic.

Zenster said...

When I was a kid, the war was still less than fifteen years in the past, and most of our fathers had fought in it. Everyone knew what “NUTS!” meant.

I fall into a similar time frame and have know the back-story of this historic item for most of my life.

Few other military incidents deserve such notoriety save for Lieutenant General Lewis "Chesty" Puller's famous retort:

"All right, they're on our left, they're on our right, they're in front of us, they're behind us...they can't get away this time." *

Nezar Hamze ― Executive Director of CAIR Florida:
(video time point ― 00:48)

"I was shocked at first. I didn't expect this from a Congressman.

Perhaps Nezar Hamze is far more accustomed to the usual infidel doormats that parade as American politicians. If so, maybe he was not prepared for someone, like Senator West, who has had an opportunity to experience up close and personal the unrelenting perfidy of most Muslims.

For someone like Hamze whose entire professional avocation is dedicated to overt or covert warfare and sedition aimed at America and its Constitution, it is disingenuous in the extreme for him to feign ignorance over West's supremely succinct reply.

West's sense of history and willingness to render it in no uncertain terms as it applies to America's current circumstances convinces me, more than ever, that the wrong man of color is in the White House.

(As if, which Senator West so amply proves, color has anything to do with it; save for Obama et al and their constant sniveling about race.)

* It is difficult to exclude Puller's other famous riposte:

"We’re surrounded. That simplifies our problem of getting to these people and killing them."

A soldier's soldier, indeed!

Dymphna said...

@nuum

I would like to know what is being taught to children in America.

You probably wouldn't REALLY want to know. It's pretty sad. I've seen some of the "history" books and they're pathetic.

Every kid knows who Harriet Tubman was. However, my favorite hero from then -- George Washington Carver -- has gone missing. He acted "too white", see? A truly brilliant man.

A lot of times, history becomes herstory, surely one of the most ignorant neologisms to come out of Fish-with-Bicycle fem-jargon.

Specifically, I remember reading that one of the Carolinas had decided to start teaching American history in high school beginning with the period of Reconstruction. They didn't have time for that "Founders" stuff.

Here's a report, but I don't know the bias of the foundation which published this. However, seeing some of the links to it makes me wonder about its provenance:

The State of State U.S. History Standards 2011


If parents want to spread a little light on American culture for their children, the best bet is anything by the Core Knowledge Foundation. In fact, it has a book for adults whose cultural education was ignored:

Cultural Literacy: What Every American Needs to Know

Dr. Hirsch is a deteremined man. Slowly, slowly he spreads his pedagogy. City Journal reported recently on the excellent results using his Core Curriculum with a group of NYC public school students. Sadly, they probably won't continue his program despite the credible results in what is otherwise a desert of failure and government-induced ignorance.

The irony is that using his books are cheaper than what the city pays for. It would cost the city only $300,000.00 to continue with Core Knowledge, but its success threatens the bureaucrats.

Here's his story:

E.D. Hirsch

We used his series when we homeschooled our son. in fact, the latter wore out his copy of "Cultural Literacy: What Every Child Needs to Know".

I highly recommend that every parent get a copy of the book and spend a little time each day reading it with his or her child. Definitely a return on your investment, and you'll get to fill in your own gaps.

Zenster said...

Even Porky Pig understood.

Gary Fouse said...

I wonder how long it took Gio and the media to find out the history of the expression. This shows how ignorant our media is of our history.

The McAuliffe incident is one of the great stories of WW 2. Now maybe Gio can learn what the battle of the Bulge was.

Gary Fouse

nuum said...

Dymphna,

I'm brazilian and I know General McAuliffe's story at Bastogne since I was a teen.

CAIR don't know the story because they are an alien parasite group.

But it's sad to see the american youth so far away from their wonderful past.
What we are witnessing is a massive betrayal of the country by the left.

I know George Washington Carver's wonderful story too.

Paulo
Rio - Brazil

Zenster said...

The international contingent's overwhelmingly positive response to this thread's content is more than a little satisfying.

THANK YOU ALL. Little else could be so reassuring.

mace said...

Interesting,I'd always thought "Nuts!" was the bowdlerized version.

Nullius in Verba said...

I am from India. Born 1975 and I know the story McAuliffe. It was part of world studies section of History.

heroyalwhyness said...

[video] Allen West: I'm the Modern Day Harriet Tubman

Zenster said...

Jewel: What a pack of snivelling wankers.

Well, yes. That, too. I suppose any mention of this entire affair wouldn't be complete without such an appropriately stark assessment.

Yorkshireminer said...

Who doesn't know the story of Washington Carver or should do, He was involved in nuts if I remember correctly because he is supposed to have invented peanut butter. along with I don't know how many other things that could be made from peanuts. I like this quote from him appocraphal or not. If you want to keep a Niger in a ditch you have to be prepared to jump in with him.

urah2222 said...

The only thing wrong with Cong. West's letter is its failure to attribute the quote to Gen McAuliffe, an oversight, I'm sure.

Dr. Shalit

Anonymous said...

Good God. I am a Gen- Xer and even I knew what the the term "Nuts" meant. No disrespect to Floridian readers but Florida is not known as a State famed for its intellectual prowess. If that cub reporter had bothered to interview any of the one zillion senior citizens in Florida he would have been schooled as to the meaning of "Nuts" in a hot second. That being said, Col. Wests reply is awesome and symbolic in so many ways, as is the CAIR tools utter confusion. Talk about history repeating itself.

retch said...

@Dr. Shalit/Urah2222: Looks like it never occurred to West that hardly anybody would recognize it as a straight quote. He could have figured the muslims wouldn't do so, true. Let us forgive him, he richly deserves it.
For the record, I'm from Curaçao 1940.

Michael Servetus said...

I love the story and the patriotic symbolism but I still cant help think that Congressman West got the worste of it, based on the 'snivelling wanker' way it is reported . That discourages me.

Anonymous said...

Great response, but I would have participated in the interview requested by the TV station and explain in detail why CAIR is a terrorist front organization.

Pat McKittrick said...

OoRah Col. "AMERICANS" understand AND agree.

Nicholas said...

"urah2222 said... 19
"The only thing wrong with Cong. West's letter is its failure to attribute the quote to Gen McAuliffe, an oversight, I'm sure.

"Dr. Shalit
"8/18/2011 8:40 AM"

Wrong. It was no oversight. Pedantry would have ruined it, Herr Doktor.

Nicholas Stix, Uncensored

LEL said...

The media treats radicals like CAIR as moderate and patriotic Americans like Col. West as the extremist. This is why I despise the media.

jihadforwhat said...

In addition to the historical significance of Col West's NUTS response we could also use it as an acronym.

Not Util Terrorism Stops.