Original Item: Only One Available. This is a fascinating original WWII commemorative brass plaque associated with the 101st Airborne Division and the Siege of Bastogne during the Battle of the Bulge. The plaque was most likely produced in Belgium, possibly by a foundry in Couvin, although the exact maker has not been confirmed. It measures approximately 5 ⅜ x 5 ⅜ inches and remains in very good overall condition with only minor surface scratches. This example is stamped AIRBORN at the top, something we don’t see often.

The design centers on the famous German surrender demand delivered to the American defenders at Bastogne on December 22, 1944. Two military figures stand above a view of the town, with a German soldier presenting terms to Brigadier General Anthony C. McAuliffe, who is depicted in a relaxed pose with his hands in his pockets. Between the figures appears the word NUTS!, beneath the familiar 101st Airborne Division “Screaming Eagle” insignia. Parachutes are shown in the background as a symbolic reference to the airborne division, although the 101st had been rushed into the Bastogne area by truck rather than making a combat parachute jump into the town.

The exact origin of these plaques remains uncertain. One longstanding account holds that examples were cast from spent brass shell casings recovered after the fighting around Bastogne, while another tradition states that plaques were presented to veterans by grateful Belgian civilians or local officials in recognition of their role in the defense of the town. We have not been able to confirm either story conclusively, but both have long been associated with surviving examples.

The famous “NUTS!” response originated after German officers approached the American lines under white flags on December 22 with a formal written demand for surrender. The message was passed through the positions of F Company, 327th Glider Infantry Regiment, and eventually reached the headquarters of the 101st Airborne Division. When McAuliffe was told that the Germans wanted the Americans to surrender, his immediate reaction was reportedly “Nuts!” His staff later suggested using that spontaneous response as the formal answer.

The typed reply ultimately sent back to the German command was strikingly brief: “NUTS!” The German officers did not initially understand the American slang, and Colonel Joseph H. Harper of the 327th Glider Infantry Regiment had to explain that the response was decidedly negative. The exchange quickly became one of the most famous episodes of the Battle of the Bulge and a lasting symbol of the defense of Bastogne.

German forces had surrounded Bastogne during their December 1944 Ardennes offensive, hoping to seize key road junctions and continue their advance toward Antwerp. The 101st Airborne Division, supported by elements of the 10th Armored Division and other American units, held the town through intense artillery fire, infantry attacks, severe winter weather, and shortages of supplies. The situation improved as the weather cleared and aerial resupply resumed, while ground forces eventually broke through to the defenders.

This plaque preserves one of the defining episodes of the American defense of Bastogne in a compact commemorative form. Its NUTS! inscription, 101st Airborne insignia, Belgian battlefield imagery, and possible local post-battle production make it an especially interesting artifact connected with the memory and commemoration of the Battle of the Bulge.