NUTS weekend @ Bastogne Barracks

Once again this year, Bastogne Barracks (and the rest of the town) are celebrating history! To mark the 80th anniversary of the Battle of the Bulge, the public will have the chance to discover the former barracks through a wide range of activities.  But why "NUTS"? Bastogne is a watershed in the Battle of the Bulge, and the Bastogne Barracks site in particular is a historic landmark not to be missed.

When Hitler launches his last major offensive of the Second World War — the Battle of the Bulge —,  Bastogne is a major objective that the Americans must defend whatever the cost. And when an ultimatum is sent to the American headquarters in December 1944, it was Brigadier General McAuliffe, Commander ad interim of the 101st Airborne Division, who made history with his famous and brief reply:

“To the attention of the German commander. NUTS! The American commander”

This both negative and concise response to the German demand for surrender profoundly influences the course of the Battle of the Bulge. The next few days indeed see fierce fighting, but General McAuliffe and his men hold out, before being liberated on 26 December. The Sherman Jumbo Cobra King, known as the First in Bastogne is the first to bring salvation.
 

TICKETS AVAILABLE ONLINE

Find out more about the full NUTS weekend programme in the coming weeks on www.bastognebarracks.be!