SOLD! Bastogne "nuts" Plaque
SOLD!
To commemorate the siege of Bastogne during the famous Battle of the Bulge some brass plaques were made by a foundry in Couvin, Belgium. The basic design features two giant military figures towering above a Bastogne city view. The figure on the right is a German soldier offering surrender terms to American General McAuliffe depicted as a typical American with his hands in his pockets. McAulliffe as we all know eventually replied “Nuts” to the puzzled Germans. That famous word “Nuts” is displayed between the two figures below the “Screaming Eagle” patch of the 101st Airborne division. The parachutes in the background are purely symbolic since the American troops got to Bastogne in trucks.
Just who made these plaques remains a mystery. Reportedly they were made by casting the brass from the old shell casings left over from the battle. Some veterans claim that these plaques were awarded to them for their service in the battle. If so these plaques were presented by grateful village officials or civilians to any random GI’s that were available at the moment.
