The United States Army's 'Screaming Eagles' returned to Bastogne 80 years later

This Friday marked the 80th anniversary of the start of one of the toughest battles on the Western Front in World War II.

Thank you for our freedom: The tearful testimony of a veteran of Bastogne
The excellent museum that pays tribute to the 101st Airborne Division in Bastogne

On December 20, 1944, during the German Ardennes offensive, just over 22,000 U.S. Army soldiers, primarily members of the 101st Airborne Division - nicknamed the "Screaming Eagles" - found themselves surrounded by some 54,000 German soldiers near the town of Bastogne in Wallonia, Belgium. A name that for that division today is synonymous with bravery and honor.

The besieged American soldiers lived in a desperate situation, due to the freezing temperatures (for which the soldiers had not been properly equipped), the lack of provisions and the exhaustion of their ammunition. But many members of the 101st were veterans of the Battle of Normandy, seasoned and hardened soldiers who had proven themselves to be exceptional men.

On December 22, knowing the plight of his enemies, German General Heinrich Freiherr von Lüttwitz wrote a letter to American General Anthony McAuliffe, commander of the besieged troops in Bastogne, stating the following: "There is only one chance to save the besieged American troops from total annihilation: the honorable surrender of the besieged city." If they did not surrender, Von Lüttwitz threatened to unleash an artillery hell on the Americans. McAuliffe responded with a single word: "NUTS!"

The American contingent at Bastogne was a major obstacle to the German offensive, which was aiming to reach the city of Antwerp and thus divide the Allied forces in order to gain time until the arrival of more modern weapons with which Hitler hoped, in vain, to turn the tide of the war. The paratroopers of the 101st resisted heroically, until finally General Patton's Third Army broke through the siege and reached Bastogne on December 26.

The heroism displayed by the Screaming Eagles at Bastogne was recognized by the US President with the awarding of the Presidential Unit Citation (PUC) to all of its soldiers. The US Army suffered more than 3,000 casualties there, 2,000 of them from the 101st. Despite the difficult times, never did a 101st veteran from Bastogne acknowledge that they needed to be rescued.

A few days ago, soldiers from the 101st Airborne Division traveled to Bastoñe to honor their fallen comrades and veterans. This Friday, Media Magik Entertainment released this touching video of these celebrations, featuring footage released by the US Army: