American soccer star Folarin Balogun has been cleared once again to suit up on Monday night against Belgium as the European country&#8217;s effort to keep the U.S. striker sidelined was shot down by the FIFA Appeal Committee.
The FIFA committee ruled that Belgium&#8217;s appeal of the decision to overturn Balogun&#8217;s one-game suspension was &#8220;inadmissible&#8221; since Belgium was &#8220;not a party to the proceedings and, as such, has no standing to appeal the decision,&#8221; The Athletic <a href="https://x.com/AdamCrafton_/status/2074172435750850880">reported</a>. Belgium said it could still pursue other actions to contest Balogun&#8217;s eligibility for Monday night&#8217;s round of 16 showdown, but for now, the Belgians will have to accept the reality they&#8217;ll likely be facing America at full strength.
“The [Royal Belgian Football Association] has informed the United States Soccer Federation that it contests the eligibility of the player, should the player be listed on the referee’s team sheet. This leaves all further actions open,&#8221; Belgium&#8217;s soccer bosses wrote after the appeal was rejected.
The Royal Belgian Football Association also complained that it &#8220;has still not received any grounds for&#8221; FIFA&#8217;s decision to overturn Balogun&#8217;s one-game suspension. The U.S. star was given a red card during Team USA&#8217;s round of 32 game against Bosnia and Herzegovina when he collided with an opposing defender and his cleats caught the back of the defender&#8217;s ankle. The referee did not dish out the red card until after he used replay assist to revisit the incident. With a red card, Balogun was also ruled ineligible to play in America&#8217;s round of 16 game, according to FIFA rules.
Shortly after a phone call between President Donald Trump and FIFA President Gianni Infantino, however, FIFA overturned Balogun&#8217;s suspension on Sunday, sparking outrage among European soccer elites.
“I didn’t tell [Infantino] what to do,” Trump <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-describes-his-call-with-fifa-president-before-last-minute-decision-on-u-s-suspension?topStoryPosition=undefined&amp;author=Zach+Jewell&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=1&amp;row=1&amp;rowHeadline=Top+Stories&amp;rowType=Top+Stories&amp;title=Trump+Describes+His+Call+With+FIFA+President+Before+Last-Minute+Decision+On+U.S.+Suspension">said</a> on Monday. “I can’t tell him what to do, and I don’t believe he made the decision. I believe it was a committee that made the decision, and they made the right decision.”
The referee who gave Balogun a red card is suspected of using replay assist improperly and slowing down the speed of the video that showed the collision between the U.S. star and the player from Bosnia and Herzegovina. The White House put together a team of elite lawyers to look into challenging soccer officials’ use of replay review, OutKick founder Clay Travis reported.
European soccer leaders blasted FIFA after the suspension reversal, claiming the decision hurts the &#8220;integrity&#8221; of the game.
“When the certainty of rules is no longer guaranteed by its guardians, the integrity of the game is at stake and the credibility of a competition is undermined,&#8221; the Union of European Football Associations wrote. &#8220;Equally, such decision creates a precedent in the ongoing tournament, where similar situations will now require an equal treatment, to the detriment of the competition.”
The United States takes on Belgium at 8:00 p.m. ET on Monday.

USA v Bosnia and Herzegovina: Round Of 32 – FIFA World Cup 2026

Belgium Shot Down On Appeal To Keep U.S. Star Sidelined As Europe’s Tantrum Falls Short

Belgium

Soccer

U.S.

World Cup

President Donald Trump said on Monday that he &#8220;relayed&#8221; to FIFA President Gianni Infantino that there would have been &#8220;a big stain&#8221; on the World Cup if U.S. soccer star Folarin Balogun was forced to sit out of the team&#8217;s game on Monday.
During a gaggle with reporters in the Oval Office, Trump went into more detail about his <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-thanks-fifa-for-reversing-great-injustice-as-european-rivals-rage-at-world-cup?author=Virginia+Kruta&amp;category=undefined&amp;elementPosition=5&amp;row=3&amp;rowHeadline=Latest+News&amp;rowType=Vertical+Carousel&amp;title=Trump+Thanks+FIFA+For+Reversing+%E2%80%99Great+Injustice%E2%80%99+As+European+Rivals+Rage+At+World+Cup">phone call</a> with Infantino, which took place just before FIFA announced that Balogun could suit up for Team USA&#8217;s Monday night round of 16 match against Belgium.
&#8220;I didn&#8217;t tell [Infantino] what to do,&#8221; Trump said. &#8220;I can&#8217;t tell him what to do, and I don&#8217;t believe he made the decision. I believe it was a committee that made the decision, and they made the right decision.&#8221;
&#8220;I didn&#8217;t think it was a foul. I thought it was two great athletes that crashed into each other and got entangled,&#8221; Trump said of the on-field incident last week that resulted in Balogun&#8217;s red card, which was only handed out after a video review.
Balogun was handed a red card and one-game suspension after he made contact with a defender for Bosnia and Herzegovina, and the U.S. star’s cleat scraped the back of the defender’s ankle. &#8220;That was not a guy punching somebody in the face or anything that would be different,&#8221; Trump added.
&#8220;I think the referee&#8217;s call was horrible,&#8221; the president continued. &#8220;Nobody talks about that. They talk about the red card like it&#8217;s fine. The referee&#8217;s decision to red card — I didn&#8217;t know what the hell a red card was — when I found out I said you&#8217;ve gotta be kidding. &#8230; Okay, your best player is not going to play next game. I said, wow that&#8217;s a lot of power. That&#8217;s terrible.&#8221;
FIFA&#8217;s decision on Sunday to overturn Balogun&#8217;s suspension caused outrage among European soccer elites, including from Belgium. The country&#8217;s soccer officials said they were &#8220;astonished&#8221; by the reversal, and Belgium&#8217;s coach Rudi Garcia blasted FIFA. Belgium also <a href="https://x.com/BrentScher/status/2073898775257530664" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reportedly</a> “lawyered up” to fight FIFA’s decision to overturn Balogun’s suspension, and on Monday, Belgium was <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/seeing-red-belgium-granted-appeal-after-europe-cries-over-american-suspension-reversal">granted</a> the right to appeal FIFA&#8217;s decision to allow the U.S. star to play.
A decision on Belgium’s appeal could be handed down before the game between the United States and Belgium starts at 8:00 p.m. ET, but Belgium was not guaranteed that a ruling would come from FIFA before the game, The Athletic reported.
FIFA reversed Balogun’s suspension after the White House put together a team of elite lawyers to look into challenging soccer officials’ use of replay review in determining Balogun’s red card last week, Outkick founder Clay Travis reported.
The United States is looking for just its second berth into the World Cup quarterfinals in its history with a win against Belgium.

Donald Trump/U.S. Soccer

Trump Describes His Call With FIFA President Before Last-Minute Decision On U.S. Suspension

Donald Trump

The Belgian national team on Monday morning was granted the right to appeal FIFA&#8217;s last-minute decision to reverse a one-game suspension that had been imposed on U.S. soccer star Folarin Balogun after he received a phantom red card in America&#8217;s round of 32 victory.
FIFA&#8217;s decision to overturn Balogun&#8217;s suspension on Sunday, which came after a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-thanks-fifa-for-reversing-great-injustice-as-european-rivals-rage-at-world-cup?author=Virginia+Kruta&amp;category=undefined&amp;elementPosition=3&amp;row=3&amp;rowHeadline=Latest+News&amp;rowType=Vertical+Carousel&amp;title=Trump+Thanks+FIFA+For+Reversing+%E2%80%99Great+Injustice%E2%80%99+As+European+Rivals+Rage+At+World+Cup">phone call</a> between President Donald Trump and FIFA President Gianni Infantino, outraged the soccer elites of Belgium and other European nations. Belgium&#8217;s soccer officials <a href="https://www.foxsports.com/stories/soccer/belgium-astonished-folarin-balogun-ruling-investigating-potential-options">said</a> they were &#8220;astonished.&#8221; Belgium soccer coach Rudi Garcia also took a shot at FIFA after the reversal.
&#8220;I didn&#8217;t know that in the FIFA offices the 5th of July corresponded to the 1st of April &#8230; it was a discovery for me,&#8221; Garcia <a href="https://www.foxsports.com/watch-vertical/fmc-8t88x881kprva0ge">said</a>.
Belgium also <a href="https://x.com/BrentScher/status/2073898775257530664">reportedly</a> &#8220;lawyered up&#8221; to fight FIFA&#8217;s decision to overturn Balogun&#8217;s suspension. After the outrage, Belgium was granted an appeal, which will ultimately leave it up to one member of the FIFA appeals committee to decide whether Balogun&#8217;s suspension should be upheld. A decision on Belgium&#8217;s appeal could be handed down before the game between the United States and Belgium starts at 7:00 p.m. ET, but Belgium was not guaranteed that a ruling would come from FIFA before the game, The Athletic reported.
The appeals committee member selected to hear the appeal is not a member of the European soccer association, UEFA, or of the Confederation of North, Central America and Caribbean Association Football to ensure the appeals process is unbiased. The UEFA released a statement Monday morning, siding with Belgium, and blasting FIFA&#8217;s decision to allow Balogun to play Monday night.
&#8220;Yesterday’s decision to suspend for a probationary period of a year the implementation of the one-match automatic suspension following the red card issued to the player Folarin Balogun crossed a red line,&#8221; UEFA wrote in a statement, adding, &#8220;When the certainty of rules is no longer guaranteed by its guardians, the integrity of the game is at stake and the credibility of a competition is undermined. Equally, such decision creates a precedent in the ongoing tournament, where similar situations will now require an equal treatment, to the detriment of the competition.&#8221;
Norway&#8217;s coach Ståle Solbakken, whose team advanced to the quarterfinals on Sunday, also <a href="https://nypost.com/2026/07/05/sports/norway-coach-blasts-fifas-really-bad-folarin-balogun-decision/">ripped</a> FIFA over the decision.
“I think it is not a great conclusion. [Balogun] got a red card and the VAR concluded that it was a red card. He was sent off. That means you are suspended for one game,&#8221; Solbakken said. “I think what is really bad about that situation is it will be [hanging] over the United States now. Because if they beat Belgium, it will always have that extra thing about it. Maybe he scores a goal, maybe he plays a good game, and the Belgians will be furious.”
FIFA reversed Balogun&#8217;s suspension after the White House put together a team of elite lawyers to challenge soccer officials&#8217; use of replay review in determining Balogun&#8217;s red card last week, Outkick founder Clay Travis reported. Balogun was given a red card for his contact with a defender for Bosnia and Herzegovina after the referee used video replay to determine that the U.S. star&#8217;s cleat scraped the back of the defender&#8217;s ankle.
Trump also called FIFA&#8217;s president to better understand why a red card had been issued, but Trump did not push FIFA to overturn the suspension, according to Axios. During that phone call, Infantino informed Trump that a review of the red card had already begun.
America&#8217;s star player, who leads the team with three goals so far in the tournament, is preparing to play Monday night as the United States looks to advance to its second-ever quarterfinals. Team USA was <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/u-s-team-lit-after-red-card-reversal-news-thought-it-was-ai-at-first?author=Virginia+Kruta&amp;category=undefined&amp;elementPosition=1&amp;row=3&amp;rowHeadline=Latest+News&amp;rowType=Vertical+Carousel&amp;title=U.S.+Team+%E2%80%98Lit%E2%80%99+After+Red+Card+Reversal+News%3A+%E2%80%98Thought+It+Was+AI+At+First%E2%80%99">ecstatic</a> on Sunday after hearing the news that Balogun could play.

Seeing Red: Belgium Granted Appeal After Europe Cries Over American Suspension Reversal

Europe

Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) underwent surgery on Saturday in Europe after she fell and broke her hip while traveling in Luxembourg.
Pelosi&#8217;s office said that it was a &#8220;successful hip replacement&#8221; and that she was already &#8220;well on the mend.&#8221;
&#8220;Pelosi is grateful to U.S. military staff at Landstuhl Regional Medical Center at Landstuhl Army Base and medical staff at Hospital Kirchberg in Luxembourg for their excellent care and kindness,&#8221; her office said in a statement. &#8220;Pelosi is enjoying the overwhelming outpouring of prayers and well wishes and is ever determined to ensure access to quality health care for all Americans.&#8221;
The octogenarian was wearing high heels when she fell down the stairs and broke her hip at the Grand Ducal Palace.
The former Speaker of the House of Representatives was in Luxembourg with a bipartisan Congressional delegation to mark the 80th anniversary of the Battle of the Bulge.
The Wall Street Journal <a href="https://www.wsj.com/politics/policy/nancy-pelosi-injury-luxembourg-hospital-5f3c3514" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a> that Pelosi was admitted into the hospital after she tripped and fell following a group photo with other lawmakers and officials who were on the trip.
A photo posted by the U.S. Embassy in Luxembourg appeared to show the group photo that Pelosi was posing for before she fell.
<a href="https://get.dailywire.com/gift-guide/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://get.dailywire.com/gift-guide/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1733885540339000&amp;usg=AOvVaw3AN1vxuvN8UmdriyXYDBvs">CHECK OUT THE DAILY WIRE HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDE</a>
She can be seen wearing high heels in the photo as she clutched the hand of House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Michael McCaul (R-TX).
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
We welcome <a href="https://twitter.com/NASA?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@nasa</a> Bill Nelson and Members of Congress to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the Battle of the Bulge in Luxembourg and Belgium. The sacrifices of brave <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WWII?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WWII</a> soldiers echo from the past, reminding us that each generation must continue the fight for freedom and… <a href="https://t.co/ae50RVceWL">pic.twitter.com/ae50RVceWL</a>
— U.S. Embassy Luxembourg (@USEmbLuxembourg) <a href="https://twitter.com/USEmbLuxembourg/status/1867570544675090828?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 13, 2024</a></blockquote>
&#8220;She continues to work and regrets that she is unable to attend the remainder of the CODEL engagements to honor the courage of our service members during one of the greatest acts of American heroism in our nation’s history,&#8221; the statement said. &#8220;Speaker Emerita Pelosi conveys her thanks and praise to our veterans and gratitude to people of Luxembourg and Bastogne for their service in World War II and their role in bringing peace to Europe.&#8221;
The statement added that she was &#8220;personally and officially honored&#8221; to travel with the distinguished delegation, many of whom had family members who fought in WWII.

Nancy Pelosi

Pelosi Undergoes Hip Replacement Surgery Less Than 24 Hours After Falling

World War II

One German woman found herself and her family in the middle of what could have been a deadly skirmish, but even as the Battle of the Bulge raged just a few miles away, she demanded — and got — the Christmas truce that so many others had prayed for in vain.
<a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/history/2022/12/24/christmas-eve-truce-1944/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Elisabeth Vincken</a> left her hometown of Aachen, Germany, after Allied bombs had put an end to the family&#8217;s bakery and their home in April of 1944. She and her 12-year-old son moved to a small cottage in the Hurtgen forest — which had previously been used by her husband Hubert when he went on long hunting trips. Hubert, who was drafted into the German army, was stationed nearby.
But Elisabeth and her son were alone when, on December 16th, the bloody campaign that would later be known as the Battle of the Bulge began — and it soon became clear that her husband would not be visiting for Christmas dinner as he had planned. The weather turned then as well, and brutally cold temperatures combined with low visibility resulted in a fair number of soldiers on both sides of the conflict becoming separated from their units during combat.
Still, Elisabeth and her son had saved a fat goose — nicknamed Hermann Goring because of his girth — for dinner.
The battle was close enough that the sounds of the guns could be heard even inside the cabin, so Vincken was <a href="https://battleofthebulge.org/2023/09/12/a-bulge-christmas-truce/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">immediately on her guard</a> when she heard a knock on the door on Christmas Eve.
She opened the door to find three soldiers outside — two standing and one collapsed in the snow nearby — and when they began to speak, she and Fritz realized that they were Americans. All three were armed.
&#8220;I was almost paralyzed with fear, for though I was a child, I knew that harsh law of war: Anyone giving aid and comfort to the enemy would be shot,&#8221; Fritz recalled in a later interview, noting that his mother had also been well aware of the possible consequences but had been moved to compassion when she realized the wounded American was young enough to be her son as well.
&#8220;Go get Hermann,&#8221; she told her son, and he went to fetch the goose they&#8217;d been saving to share when Hubert was able to celebrate with them, along with some potatoes.
After some trial and error, they learned that both Elisabeth and one of the American soldiers spoke French — a discovery that made communication much easier among the group. The three said their names were Jim (who spoke French), Robin, and Harry.
Elisabeth had set about tending to Harry&#8217;s wounds when another knock came — and this time, Fritz opened the door to greet four German soldiers. After exchanging greetings, the soldiers informed the Vinckens that they were lost and looking for shelter from the cold.
&#8220;Of course,&#8221; Elisabeth replied. Knowing exactly what she was risking, Elisabeth invited them in as well — but told them that they must leave their weapons outside. &#8220;You can also have a fine, warm meal and eat till the pot is empty. But we have three other guests, whom you may not consider friends.&#8221;
One of the German soldiers objected: &#8220;Who is inside? Americans?&#8221;
&#8220;Listen, you could be my sons and they in there too. One of them is wounded and is fighting for his life and his two fellows are lost and hungry like you,&#8221; Elisabeth laid down the law. &#8220;It is the Holy Night and there will be no shooting here.&#8221;
Once all of the weapons were stowed and all seven men were inside, the tension was palpable — but Elisabeth went about preparing dinner anyway. &#8220;Quick, get more potatoes and some oats,&#8221; she told Fritz. &#8220;These boys are hungry, and a starving man is an angry one.&#8221;
As they waited for their meal, one of the German soldiers noticed the wounded American — and his own prior medical training kicked in, pushing aside any thoughts he had of animosity.
While Harry slept, the remaining six pooled their resources and came up with bread and wine to go with the chicken soup that Elisabeth was preparing. By the time she prayed over their meal, Fritz later recalled, she was moved to tears by the men and their willingness to set war aside on such a holy day.
By the time morning came, all seven of the men had to return to their respective places. Elisabeth gave the Americans a tablecloth to use as a stretcher for Harry, and the German soldiers gave them directions back to where they believed their units were located. And so on Christmas morning, the two groups set off from the Vinckens&#8217; cabin in opposite directions.
&#8220;Be careful, boys. I want you to get home someday where you belong. God bless you all!&#8221; Elisabeth said as they disappeared into the forest.
Years later, Fritz set out to find the men who had shared that Christmas Eve dinner with him and his mother — and through an appearance on &#8220;Unsolved Mysteries,&#8221; he was able to track down Ralph Blank.
Blank was one of the soldiers who had spent that night with the Vinckens in the Hurtgen Forest — and he was living in a nursing home in Frederick, Maryland.
&#8220;Your mother saved my life,&#8221; Blank told Fritz when they were reunited in 1996.
For Fritz, that meeting was everything he had hoped for: &#8220;Now I can die in peace. My mother’s courage won’t be forgotten and it shows what goodwill will do.&#8221;
&#8220;The inner strength of a single woman, who, by her wits and intuition, prevented potential bloodshed, taught me the practical meaning of the words &#8216;good will toward mankind,'&#8221; Fritz said in <a href="https://www.christianfamilynashville.com/index.php/spiritual/faith/1538-the-christmas-truce#:~:text=“Now%20and%20then%2C%20on%20a,the%20Battle%20of%20the%20Bulge.”" target="_blank" rel="noopener">another interview</a>. &#8220;I remember mother and those seven young soldiers, who met as enemies and parted as friends, right in the middle of the Battle of the Bulge.&#8221;

And finally the fourth candle came in

‘There Will Be No Shooting Here’: How One Woman Demanded — And Got — A Christmas Truce In Germany, 1944

'There Will Be No Shooting Here': How One Woman Demanded — And Got — A Christmas Truce In 1944

Americans

Military

Nazi Germany

Readers Pass

A man describing himself as a member of ISIS gunned down two Swedish nationals in Brussels on Monday night with a rifle while shouting &#8220;Allahu Akbar,&#8221; according to reports and video of the incident.
The terrorist suspect <a href="https://themessenger.com/news/brussels-terrorist-attack-illinois-stabbing-isis-manifesto">reportedly</a> ranted about a 6-year-old Muslim boy that had been killed in a stabbing in Illinois.
Alleged video of the incident showed a man wearing a bright orange jacket jumping off a motorized scooter and opening fire on random individuals walking by. The individual chased some of the people into a building and opened fire on them as well.
A second video from the alleged terror suspect showed a man speaking in Arabic claiming to be a member of ISIS.
Eric Van Der Sypt, a spokesman for the federal prosecutor’s office, <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2023/10/16/world/europe/brussels-shooting-act-of-terrorism.html">said</a> in an interview with local media that there had been &#8220;a claim via social media where someone says he is the perpetrator, that he has sympathies for IS, and what is also important, he mentions the Swedish nationality of those victims.&#8221;
He said that investigators do not believe at this point that the shooting had anything to do with the recent Islamic terrorist attacks in Israel that resulted in the deaths of more than 1,400 Israelis.
The country raised their terrorism threat level from level-2 to level-4, the highest-level, which indicates that the situation was &#8220;extremely serious.&#8221; The suspect has not been caught.
“I have just offered my sincere condolences to @swedishpm following tonight’s harrowing attack on Swedish citizens in Brussels,” said Prime Minister Alexander de Croosaid on X, referring to the Swedish prime minister. “Our thoughts are with the families and friends who lost their loved ones. As close partners the fight against terrorism is a joint one.”
The country, which is home to NATO&#8217;s headquarters, was hit hard with ISIS suicide bombing attacks in 2016 when multiple terrorists detonated bombs in Brussels&#8217; airport and a metro station in the city. Dozens of people were killed more than 300 people were injured.

TOPSHOT-BELGIUM-POLICE-CRIME

Alleged ISIS Member Kills 2 In Brussels; Belgium Raises Terror Alert Level To ‘Extremely Serious’

ISIS

Terrorists

Battle of the Bulge veteran Vincent Speranza died on Wednesday, August 2, 2023. He was 98-years-old.
<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/world-war-ii-hero-famous-for-airborne-beer-dead-at-98" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Speranza</a> was just a kid from Hell&#8217;s Kitchen when he enlisted in the Army, and after attending Basic Training at Fort Benning, Georgia, he was assigned to the 501st Parachute Infantry under the 101st Airborne Division.
&#8220;We were just a bunch of kids, right out of high school, a lot of us like me, children of immigrant families,&#8221; <a href="https://www.sj-r.com/story/news/local/2023/08/03/auburn-iii-resident-vincent-speranza-fought-at-battle-of-the-bulge-dies/70519606007/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Speranza said</a> in a 2017 interview. &#8220;Our parents were so proud of this country. My father was a patriot like you wouldn&#8217;t believe. They expected their sons to defend the country, and we did.&#8221;
Speranza earned a Purple Heart and a Bronze Star for Valor, but it was a small favor he did for a wounded friend that made him famous.
In December of 1944, Speranza and the rest of the 101st Airborne Division were in the Belgian city of Bastogne when — on direct orders from Adolf Hitler — the German army turned and surrounded the city. Speranza was visiting with his wounded friend Joe Willis in the ruins of a church that was being used to house injured personnel, and Willis asked for a drink.
Speranza reminded Willis that they were surrounded, but went looking for a drink anyway — and as luck would have it, he found a tapped barrel of Belgian beer in a nearby tavern. There were no glasses, however, so Speranza resorted to delivering the beer in his helmet.
He went back to the tavern several times for more, but was met on his return from one such trip by the regimental surgeon — who scolded him, noting that drinking beer could be fatal for any soldier suffering from intestinal trauma.
Without a word, Speranza saluted and put on the helmet, which was still full of beer at the time, and made a quick exit — and thus the &#8220;Airborne Beer&#8221; was born.
&#8220;After being a machine gunner at the Battle of the Bulge, winning a Purple Heart and a Bronze Star and (spending) two decades as a public school (history) teacher, Airborne Beer is what I’m famous for,&#8221; he would joke in later years.
Speranza was one of the few American soldiers who saw the inside of Hitler&#8217;s famous &#8220;Eagle&#8217;s Nest&#8221; in Berchtesgaden, where he said he saw the German dictator&#8217;s plan to divide up the globe with the other Axis powers — Italy and Japan — when the war was over. &#8220;If anybody ever doubted why we had to fight that war, there it was on the wall,&#8221; he said.
Speranza was discharged from the Army in 1946, and became a history teacher. For decades, he returned to Bastogne for anniversaries and memorial events. He even continued to jump, celebrating his 98th birthday in March, 2023, with a tandem jump from the World War II-era &#8220;Tico Belle.&#8221;
When I met PFC Vincent Speranza, both of us had just stepped off a transatlantic flight. I was en route to Bastogne for the 75th anniversary of the Battle of the Bulge — and it soon became clear that he was as well.
I was standing near the baggage claim at the airport in Brussels, Belgium — and amid a cacophony of other languages, I could hear two men arguing in plain English.
Speranza, who would have been 94-years-old at the time, was animated — punctuating his thick New York accent with his hands in a way that made his Italian-American heritage undeniable.
Seated on a motorized cart, he was talking to a younger man who I quickly recognized as Ken McAuliffe, great-nephew of General Anthony McAuliffe — the American general who refused to surrender and held Bastogne until General George S. Patton arrived.
As the story goes, on December 22, 1944, the German commander sent a letter to McAuliffe under a white flag, informing him that the city was entirely surrounded (it was) and the Americans were grossly outnumbered (they were) and demanding that McAuliffe — and most of the 101st Airborne Division — surrender.
McAuliffe, according to the history books — and <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/whats-merry-about-all-this-read-the-letter-general-anthony-mcauliffe-sent-his-exhausted-surrounded-men-at-the-battle-of-the-bulge" target="_blank" rel="noopener">a letter he sent</a> his beleaguered troops on Christmas Eve — sent the German commander one word in response: “NUTS!”
But Speranza, who was in Bastogne at the time as a member of the 501st Parachute Infantry, told the younger McAuliffe he didn’t buy it.
“I know that’s what they had to say to print it in the papers,” he said with a wink. “But I always thought that maybe, in private, he said something with a little more teeth.”
McAuliffe said no, explaining that wasn’t the general’s style. “When my great-grandmother — the general’s mother — got word of what had happened and heard that ‘NUTS!’ hade been his reply, she just laughed and threw up her hands. ‘That’s our Tony,’ she said.&#8221;
And so I watched, in awe, as a veteran of one of the bloodiest campaigns of World War II argued — three-quarters of a century later — with the great-nephew of his own commanding general about what that general did or did not say while in the grips of one of the most desperate moments in history.
RIP Vincent Speranza, 1925-2023

Parachuting-in of soldiers in Carentan.

Vincent Speranza, World War II Veteran Who Saw The Inside Of Hitler’s Eagle’s Nest, Dead At 98

Vincent Speranza, World War II Veteran Who Saw The Inside Of Hitler's Eagle's Nest, Dead At 98

Veterans

An American paratrooper — who once famously delivered beer to a wounded soldier in his helmet — died on Wednesday at the age of 98.
<a href="https://www.stripes.com/veterans/2023-08-03/veteran-wwii-paratrooper-10925829.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Vincent Speranza</a>, a kid from Hell&#8217;s Kitchen who served with the 101st Airborne Division in Bastogne, Belgium, returned to the United States after World War II and spent twenty years teaching history.
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Rest in Peace, Vince Speranza
23 March 1925-2 August 2023
Thanks for the memories<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WWII?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WWII</a> <a href="https://t.co/vbIGSBNs5M">pic.twitter.com/vbIGSBNs5M</a>
&mdash; XVIII Airborne Corps &amp; Fort Liberty (@18airbornecorps) <a href="https://twitter.com/18airbornecorps/status/1686884938262487041?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 2, 2023</a></blockquote>
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But Speranza truly became a legend amongst the locals during the Battle of the Bulge in December of 1944 — when, at the behest of another wounded soldier, he went looking for something to drink.
As Speranza explained it, his good friend Joe Willis had been wounded in battle and was among the casualties waiting for aid in the ruins of an old church building. When Willis asked for something to drink, Speranza&#8217;s initial response was to remind him that they were surrounded — but then he went looking anyway.
After a time, Speranza discovered a tapped barrel of Belgian beer in the ruins of a nearby tavern — but because all of the glasses had been destroyed in the bombings, he had no way to deliver the beer to his friend. Off came the helmet, then, and he filled it to the brim. He made several trips from the barrel to the wounded after that, delivering the drinks in his helmet.
<a href="https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/absolutely-true-legend-vincent-speranza-his-epic-beer-john-fenzel/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">After one such trip</a>, he was cornered by the regimental surgeon, who asked what he was doing.
&#8220;Giving aid and comfort to the wounded,&#8221; Speranza replied.
&#8220;You stupid b*****d, don’t you know I have chest cases and stomach cases in there? You give them beer you’ll kill them,&#8221; he yelled.
Without another word, Speranza saluted and put on his helmet, which was still full of beer, and beat a hasty retreat — but &#8220;Airborne Beer&#8221; had already become legend.
Speranza only learned of his &#8220;fame&#8221; years later, telling a group at Northern Arizona University in 2021, &#8220;After being a machine gunner at the Battle of the Bulge, winning a Purple Heart and a Bronze Star and (spending) two decades as a public school teacher, Airborne Beer is what I’m famous for.&#8221;
Speranza was one of the few American soldiers to <a href="https://timesofsandiego.com/military/2022/09/24/you-could-see-forever-wwii-veterans-parachute-to-coronado-during-force-con/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">see the inside</a> of Hitler&#8217;s &#8220;Eagle&#8217;s Nest&#8221; at Berchtesgaden, where he saw a color-coded map of the world showing how the Germans, Japanese, and Italians had planned to divide power after the war. &#8220;If anybody ever doubted why we had to fight that war, there it was on the wall,&#8221; he said of the experience.
Speranza also worked closely with the 101st Airborne Museum in Bastogne, Belgium, attending ceremonies and reunions over the years. He also <a href="https://www.news4jax.com/positively-jax/2023/03/27/world-war-ii-veteran-jumps-out-of-plane-to-celebrate-98th-birthday/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">continued to jump</a>, celebrating his 98th birthday in March of 2023 with a jump from the World War II-era &#8220;Tico Belle.&#8221;
The U.S. Embassy in Brussels, Belgium, recognized Speranza&#8217;s passing, saying, &#8220;RIP WWII Veteran Vincent Speranza&#8230; The U.S Embassy to the Kingdom of Belgium is heartbroken to share news of the passing of U.S. Army veteran Vincent Speranza. The entire U.S. Embassy community sends their deepest heartfelt condolences to Mr. Speranza’s family and friends. Mr. Speranza was a true inspiration to all of us and to many people across the United States and Belgium. A true force of nature, he was always present at every major ceremony commemorating the Battle of the Bulge, always ready to share stories of his service in World War II, and always humble. Thank you for your service, Mr. Speranza! You will be greatly missed, but your legacy will never be forgotten.&#8221;
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RIP WWII Veteran Vincent Speranza
The U.S Embassy to the Kingdom of Belgium is heartbroken to share news of the passing of U.S. Army veteran Vincent Speranza. The entire U.S. Embassy community sends their deepest heartfelt condolences to Mr. Speranza’s family and friends.
Mr.… <a href="https://t.co/k0u6Dq0QtD">pic.twitter.com/k0u6Dq0QtD</a>
&mdash; US Embassy Brussels (@usembbrussels) <a href="https://twitter.com/usembbrussels/status/1687023196266971136?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 3, 2023</a></blockquote>
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Helen Patton, granddaughter of General George S. Patton, responded to the loss of her friend in a Facebook <a href="https://www.facebook.com/photo?fbid=10228358039189745&amp;set=pcb.10228357954147619" target="_blank" rel="noopener">post</a>: &#8220;He bore a lot more than he let on sometimes. The weight of all those who never came home. One had only to catch him in between the song storytelling and chuckles to see him pause thinking of them with a personal realization of war at its worst &#8230; Respect my friend. I expect to keep that friendship going without boundary and love eternal.&#8221;
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Old soldiers never die, they just fade away. &#8211; General Douglas McArthur ‌ Rest In Peace to 98-year-old PFC Vincent Speranza. Speranza, celebrated his birthday on March 2, 2023 jumping round canopy in Kay Larken Airfield in Palatka, Florida. ‌ Vincent served in Company H, 501st… <a href="https://t.co/tXn12DjGwh">pic.twitter.com/tXn12DjGwh</a>
&mdash; Zachary Bell (@zacharyebell) <a href="https://twitter.com/zacharyebell/status/1686877550151094272?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 2, 2023</a></blockquote>
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World War II Hero Famous For ‘Airborne Beer’ Dead At 98

World War II Hero Famous For 'Airborne Beer,' Dead At 98

General

<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/belgium" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Belgian</a> trade authorities destroyed more than 2,300 cans of <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/alcohol" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Miller High Life</a> meant for <a href="http://dailywire.com/topic/germany" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Germany</a> earlier this week because the brews were labeled the “Champagne of Beers,” a violation of European Union international customs policies.
The General Administration of Belgian Customs and the Champagne Committee, which monitors and regulates the shipment of alcohols for the wine region of Champagne, France, confirmed in a <a href="https://www.champagne.fr/en/additional-information/media/champagne-press/protected-designation-origin-destruction-beer-cans" target="_blank" rel="noopener">statement</a> that the two entities destroyed the American beverages after they were intercepted in Antwerp, Belgium. The “Champagne of Beers” label was considered an infringement on the “protected designation” of the term “Champagne.”
German authorities “did not contest” the decision to nix the Miller High Life shipment, which was destroyed in Ypres, Belgium, with the “utmost respect for environmental concerns by ensuring that the entire batch, both contents and container, was recycled in an environmentally responsible manner,” according to the statement.
Champagne Committee Managing Director Charles Goemaere lauded Belgian authorities for their “vigilance with regard to the Champagne designation” and their responsiveness to the organization. “This destruction is the result of a successful collaboration between Belgian customs authorities and the Comité Champagne,” he remarked. “It confirms the importance that the European Union attaches to designations of origin and rewards the determination of the Champagne producers to protect their designation.”
Miller High Life, the flagship product of Miller Brewing Company, is an American lager <a href="https://www.millerhighlife.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">created</a> with a blend of malted barley, hops from the Pacific Northwest, and Miller yeast. The brand is owned by Molson Coors, a multinational Canadian and American publicly traded firm.
&#8220;Every year we do thousands of controls on protected designations of origin. It is very important for us to be able to work closely with organizations such as the Comité Champagne,” Belgian Customs Service Administrator Kristian Venderwaeren added in the statement. “The Comité Champagne helps train our teams and provides information that allows us to identify whether products are genuine or counterfeit. When a counterfeit is detected, as is the case here, we also agree on the decision to destroy these goods and how to get them destroyed.”
The zealous customs authorities in Europe have not been the only entities to turn their noses at a popular brand of American beer in recent weeks. Anheuser-Busch InBev, the Belgian company which owns Bud Light, witnessed backlash in the United States after executives partnered with transgender social media influencer Dylan Mulvaney, who gained notoriety for chronicling his supposed “gender transition” on TikTok for more than a year.
Consumer demand for Bud Light appears to have <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/the-straight-hate-on-bud-light-is-real-and-these-sales-numbers-show-it" target="_blank" rel="noopener">plummeted</a> in the weeks since the partnership was unveiled through a social media campaign. A number of public figures have denounced the product, which is traditionally popular among males; country music star Brantley Gilbert, for example, smashed a can of the brew to the ground at a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/f-that-country-music-star-gets-tossed-a-bud-light-during-concert-smashes-it" target="_blank" rel="noopener">concert</a> last weekend.
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Anheuser-Busch CEO Brendan Whitworth issued a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/anheuser-busch-ceo-breaks-long-silence-amid-dylan-mulvaney-pr-crisis" target="_blank" rel="noopener">statement</a> at the end of last week in response to the controversy but did not make mention of Mulvaney or transgenderism and neglected to offer an apology to offended customers. Bud Light Marketing Vice President Alissa Heinerscheid is reported to be taking a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/bud-light-marketing-vp-takes-leave-of-absence-amid-dylan-mulvaney-controversy" target="_blank" rel="noopener">leave</a> of absence from the company as of Friday.

Glass ofBbeer

If Only It Were Bud: European Authorities Destroy Thousands Of American Beer Cans

European Authorities Destroy Thousands Of American Beer Cans

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The U.S. Embassy in Belgium posted a security bulletin on Wednesday warning that local officials have increased the presence of law enforcement on the streets after threats were allegedly made of an attack on Brussels&#8217; 2 and 6 metro lines.
&#8220;Police have heightened security in response to a threat of a possible metro attack to be conducted today, March 8,&#8221; the embassy <a href="https://be.usembassy.gov/security-alert-u-s-embassy-brussels-belgium-march-08-2023/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> in a statement. &#8220;Continue to be aware of your surroundings and use caution when traveling in and around Brussels.&#8221;
The embassy instructed U.S. citizens in the area to avoid crowds, keep a low profile, be aware of their surroundings, keep an eye on local media reports, and monitor alerts from the State Department.
The Brussels Times <a href="https://www.brusselstimes.com/brussels-2/397388/potential-terror-attack-on-brussels-metro-hoax-or-not-tbtb" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a> that Belgium&#8217;s National Crisis Centre indicated that the threat of a potential terror attack on the metro train did lead to an increase in vigilance but that the likelihood of an attack is low.
The report said that the threats were originally sent to the European Commission in emails that were &#8220;written in Russian threatening an &#8216;explosion'&#8221; on Wednesday.
The threats were reportedly sent by the same person who contacted the European Commission in February and again earlier this month warning that the attacks would be in response to the European Union&#8217;s &#8220;aggressive policies&#8221; against Russia.
Belgium officials reportedly said that they believe that &#8220;an attack is unlikely&#8221;.
The threats were being taken very seriously in light of the horrifying Islamic terrorist attacks that the country experienced in 2016 that killed dozens of people and wounded hundreds more.
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The <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2016/03/22/world/europe/brussels-attacks-graphic.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">attacks</a> from ISIS terrorists were carried out by suicide bombers at Brussels Airport and at the Maelbeek subway station in central Brussels.

Belgium Mourns After Deadly Brussels Terror Attacks

U.S. Officials Issue ‘Security Alert’ Over Possible Attack In Major European City

Terrorism

A current <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/biden-administration" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Biden administration</a> official, and former advisor to <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/hillary-clinton" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Hillary Clinton</a> during her presidential runs, will speak to <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/europe" target="_blank" rel="noopener">European</a> officials in the coming week about countering “disinformation.”
The official, James P. Rubin, who is the special envoy and coordinator for the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/state-department" target="_blank" rel="noopener">State Department</a>’s Global Engagement Center, will be in the United Kingdom until February 28, which will be followed by a trip to Belgium on March 1.
“In London, Special Envoy Rubin will meet with UK officials to solidify support for counter disinformation efforts. In meetings with UK counterparts, he will discuss efforts by Russia, the People’s Republic of China, and other actors who deploy disinformation to undermine democracy and national security around the globe, and how our nations can collectively counter threats in the information space,” the State Department <a href="https://www.state.gov/special-envoy-and-coordinator-for-the-global-engagement-center-rubins-travel-to-london-and-brussels/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> in a statement.
During his London trip, which began on Thursday, Rubin will take part in the Phoenix Challenge Forum, a <a href="https://phoenix-challenge-new.webflow.io" target="_blank" rel="noopener">conference</a> that is put on in part by the Department of Defense and the U.K. Ministry of Defense.
The goal of the conference is to “drive knowledge collaboration and solutions across Defense and Security Organizations, Academia, Private Sector and International Partners to address complex issues related to Cognitive Security, Information Competition &amp; Conflict, and Malign Influence.”
In Belgium, Rubin will also speak with <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/european-union" target="_blank" rel="noopener">European Union</a> officials about countering “foreign disinformation.”
Rubin, <a href="https://www.chartwellspeakers.com/speaker/james-rubin/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">who was</a> a foreign affairs advisor for both the Clinton and Obama administration, was part of Hillary Clinton’s failed 2008 and 2016 presidential runs. During the 2016 campaign, Rubin suggested that <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/donald-trump" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Donald Trump</a> was working with the Russians to hack Clinton’s emails.
“So the idea that a candidate for president is aiding and abetting a foreign power in its intelligence operations is, as I said, unprecedented. We really don’t know how to describe it, except I think it’s the clearest possible evidence of being – of the fact that the nominee for the other party is unfit to be commander-in-chief,” Rubin <a href="https://2009-2017-fpc.state.gov/260592.htm" target="_blank" rel="noopener">claimed</a> in response to Trump calling for Russia to release the emails.
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He also suggested Russian President Vladimir Putin was in support of Trump’s candidacy because Putin believed that Trump would have a more favorable foreign policy toward Russia.
Democrat claims about Trump colluding with the Russians ended up falling flat, as an investigation headed up by Robert Mueller found no evidence of any collusion. Subsequent studies have also found that Russia’s influence on the election was much less than previously claimed by Democrats and the legacy media.
Rubin also has worked as a <a href="https://www.politico.eu/author/james-p-rubin/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">contributing editor</a> for POLITICO magazine where he blasted Trump and his foreign policy in several columns.

TOPSHOT-BRITAIN-EU-POLITICS-BREXIT-DEMONSTRATION

Former Hillary Clinton Campaign Advisor To Speak With European Officials About Countering ‘Disinformation’

Hillary Clinton

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American service members have often spent their holidays away from loved ones — and in harm&#8217;s way — and the men who found themselves in the besieged Belgian city of Bastogne just before <a href="https://dailywire.com/news/whats-merry-about-all-this-read-the-letter-general-anthony-mcauliffe-sent-his-exhausted-surrounded-men-at-the-battle-of-the-bulge/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Christmas of 1944</a> were no exception.
Bastogne, which sits just a few miles from the border of Luxembourg, had been under German control since <a href="https://encyclopedia.ushmm.org/content/en/article/german-invasion-of-western-europe-may-1940" target="_blank" rel="noopener">May of 1940</a> and had only been liberated by Allied troops a few months earlier in September — and much of the 101st Airborne Division remained in and around the city.
Other divisions were scattered throughout the surrounding area, many composed of replacement troops who had only recently arrived in Europe: among them were elements of the 106th Infantry &#8220;The Golden Lions,&#8221; the 9th Armored &#8220;Phantom&#8221; Division, and the 28th Infantry &#8220;The Bloody Bucket.&#8221; Some were still waiting for supply drops, ammunition, and even winter uniforms.
The surprise attack began on December 16th when German Panzer divisions pushed back towards Bastogne, catching the mostly-green American troops in the frozen Ardennes Forest off guard and breaking through roadblock after roadblock. Some put up a good fight, but many were driven back into Bastogne and forced to regroup.
On December 17th, just outside of a nearby town called <a href="https://encyclopedia.ushmm.org/content/en/article/the-malmedy-massacre" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Malmedy</a>, a Hitler Youth graduate turned Waffen SS (Schutzstaffel) General Joachim Peiper and his men captured over 100 American soldiers, all part of Battery B of the 285th Field Artillery Observation Battalion. After a brief skirmish, the Americans who were unable to escape into the woods surrendered — and after taking their personal possessions from them, Peiper&#8217;s men lined the unarmed Americans up in eight rows in a nearby field and opened fire. The few who survived by pretending to be dead recalled hearing laughter as the SS soldiers fired.
<div id="attachment_480713" style="width: 735px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-480713" class="wp-image-480713 size-large" src="https://www.dailywire.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/GettyImages-535821117-725x576.jpg" alt="" width="725" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2022/12/GettyImages-535821117-725x576.jpg 725w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2022/12/GettyImages-535821117-300x238.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2022/12/GettyImages-535821117-768x611.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2022/12/GettyImages-535821117.jpg 1024w" sizes=" (max-width: 725px) 100vw, 725px" />Massacre of American soldiers near Malmedy, 1944, Belgium, Second World War war, National archives, Washington, . (Photo by: Photo12/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)</div>
By December 20th, the city of Bastogne itself was under siege, entirely surrounded and vastly outnumbered by the enemy — and word of Peiper and the massacre at Malmedy had gotten to soldiers and civilians alike. Snowy and frigid weather conditions made supply drops all but impossible, and even on the ground, visibility was limited.
Bastogne had also been inundated by &#8220;stragglers&#8221; — soldiers who had been assigned to units that had been overrun as the Germans had moved to encircle the city — and so Team SNAFU (Situation Normal, All Fouled Up) was born. Men from tank battalions, men from artillery groups, cooks, barbers, it no longer mattered: if they could carry a weapon and stand a post, they were temporarily reassigned to SNAFU and used as much-needed replacements to aid the 101st Airborne.
<a href="https://www.asomf.org/the-battle-of-the-bulge-asom/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Two days into the siege</a>, on December 22nd, a German contingent approached waving a white flag — and delivered an ultimatum to Major Alvin Jones, who commanded the 2nd Battalion, 327th Glider Infantry Regiment.
&#8220;The fortune of war is changing. Battalions are ready to annihilate the U.S.A. troops in and near Bastogne,&#8221; the letter read. Demanding surrender — within two hours — the German commander threatened to destroy the city if the Americans did not comply. He also promised that the Americans would be blamed for any resulting civilian casualties.
&#8220;The order for firing will be given immediately after this two hour’s term,&#8221; the German commander wrote. &#8220;All the serious civilian losses caused by this Artillery fire would not correspond with the well known American humanity.&#8221;
&#8220;They want us to surrender,&#8221; Jones told Brigadier General Anthony McAuliffe.
McAuliffe, who was acutely aware of the situation, laughed in the face of certain doom: &#8220;Aw nuts!&#8221;
He went to write a return memo, but told his staff, &#8220;I don’t know what to tell them.&#8221;
Lt. Colonel Kinnard commented, &#8220;Well, sir, that first remark of yours would be hard to beat.&#8221;
And so McAuliffe&#8217;s reply read simply:
<blockquote class="wp-block-quote">To the German Commander:
Nuts!
The American Commander</blockquote>
Colonel Joseph H. Harper, commander of 327th Glider Infantry, delivered the note to the Germans — reportedly delighting in the chance to explain to them what it meant: &#8220;If you don’t understand what &#8216;nuts&#8217; means, in plain English, it is the same as, &#8216;Go to Hell.’”
McAuliffe followed that note with an <a href="https://warontherocks.com/2021/12/nuts-mcauliffes-1944-christmas-letter-2/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">equally blustery</a> Christmas Eve letter to his troops, detailing both the German commander&#8217;s demands and his response.
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75 years ago this Christmas Eve, Gen. Anthony McAuliffe wrote this letter to his troops during the Battle of the Bulge. Today we remember the service members who served during the holidays both then and now and wish you a Merry Christmas! <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NoVeteranEverDies?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NoVeteranEverDies</a> <a href="https://t.co/VuYyhYqqVj">pic.twitter.com/VuYyhYqqVj</a>
&mdash; National Cemeteries (@VANatCemeteries) <a href="https://twitter.com/VANatCemeteries/status/1209458808587784192?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 24, 2019</a></blockquote>
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&#8220;What’s Merry about all this, you ask? We’re fighting — it’s cold, we aren’t home,&#8221; McAuliffe&#8217;s letter read. &#8220;All true but what has the proud Eagle Division accomplished with its worthy comrades the 10th Armored Division, the 705th Tank Destroyer Battalion and all the rest? Just this: We have stopped cold everything that has been thrown at us from the North, East, South and West.&#8221;
&#8220;We have identifications from four German Panzer Divisions, two German Infantry Divisions and one German Parachute Division,&#8221; McAuliffe continued. &#8220;These units, spearheading the last desperate German lunge, were headed straight west for key points when the Eagle Division was hurriedly ordered to stem the advance. How effectively this was done will be written in history; not alone in our Division’s glorious history but in World history. The Germans actually did surround us, their radios blared our doom.&#8221;
McAuliffe, after sharing his flippant response to the German demand for surrender, concluded with these words: &#8220;Allied Troops are counterattacking in force. We continue to hold Bastogne. By holding Bastogne we assure the success of the Allied Armies. We know that our Division Commander, General Taylor, will say: &#8216;Well Done!&#8217; We are giving our country and our loved ones at home a worthy Christmas present and being privileged to take part in this gallant feat of arms are truly making for ourselves a Merry Christmas.&#8221;
The Germans did deliver the <a href="https://www.asomf.org/the-battle-of-the-bulge-asom/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">promised barrage</a> of artillery and bombs, bringing assault after assault over four days beginning on the 22nd — but on December 26th, a late Christmas gift finally arrived: General George S. Patton and his Third Army severed the German lines completely, breaking the siege of Bastogne.
<div id="attachment_480727" style="width: 721px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-480727" class="wp-image-480727 size-large" src="https://www.dailywire.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/GettyImages-119462242-711x576.jpg" alt="" width="711" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2022/12/GettyImages-119462242-711x576.jpg 711w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2022/12/GettyImages-119462242-300x243.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2022/12/GettyImages-119462242-768x622.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2022/12/GettyImages-119462242.jpg 1024w" sizes=" (max-width: 711px) 100vw, 711px" />American military commander Lieutenant General George S. Patton (1885 &#8211; 1945) (center left) talks with Brigadier General Anthony McAuliffe (1898 &#8211; 1975), Bastogne, France, December 28, 1944. PhotoQuest/Getty Images</div>

Two Infantrymen, Bastogne, Belgium, Ardennes-Alsace Campaign, Battle of the Bulge, December 1944

Blizzard, Bluster, And Bombs: Christmas Eve At The Siege Of Bastogne, 1944

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