Doctor Curmudgeon® A Genuine Curmudgeonly Hero

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By Diane Batshaw Eisman, M.D. FAAP Doctor Eisman, is in Family Practice in Aventura, Florida with her partner, Dr. Eugene Eisman, an internist/cardiologist

Doctor Curmudgeon has just turned off the news. It was only with great difficulty that she restrained herself from hurling the remote against the wall.

The news has been too painful for her.

Too many idiotic theories abound.

Too many arrogant, crooked thugs expounding dangerous words

Her own thoughts take her back to another time. A time that had many heroes.

World War II

It was December 22 in 1944.

The acting commander of the 101st Airborne, General Anthony Clement McAuliffe and his troops were defending Bastogne, Belgium

McAuliffe and his troops were completely surrounded by German armored units.

Definitely not a great situation.

The German army wanted to reach the harbor of Antwerp.

And so, they laid siege on Bastogne. But in order to get to this critical harbor, German mechanized forces had to go through roads in the dense forest that led to Bastogne.

Late in the morning of December 22 1944, four German soldiers bearing white flags approached stating that they carried a message to be delivered to the American commander at Bastogne.

And this message demanded an “honorable surrender” to be received within two hours.

The following is from Wikipedia

To the U.S.A. Commander of the encircled town of Bastogne.
The fortune of war is changing. This time the U.S.A. forces in and near Bastogne have been encircled by strong German armored units. More German armored units have crossed the river Our near Ortheuville, have taken Marche and reached St. Hubert by passing through Hompre-Sibret-Tillet. Libramont is in German hands.

There is only one possibility to save the encircled U.S.A. troops from total annihilation: that is the honorable surrender of the encircled town. In order to think it over a term of two hours will be granted beginning with the presentation of this note.

If this proposal should be rejected one German Artillery Corps and six heavy A. A. Battalions are ready to annihilate the U.S.A. troops in and near Bastogne. The order for firing will be given immediately after this two hours term.

All the serious civilian losses caused by this artillery fire would not correspond with the well-known American humanity.
The German Commander.

Christmas dinner on December 25 1944 and General McAuliffe and his staff gathered in their barracks which was the main command post during Bastogne’s siege.

There were reports from the officers present about the General’s reaction when he received the missive. He just scrunched up the paper and tossed it into a wastebasket, muttering, “Aw, nuts!”

The officers struggled to find an appropriate reply when a Lieutenant Kinnard conjectured that possibly the General’s initial response was the most suitable. There was agreement by all.

And so, the final message that was delivered to the German deputation was as follows:

To the German Commander.

NUTS!

The American Commander

Doctor Curmudgeon® is Diane Batshaw Eisman, M.D., a physician-satirist. This column originally appeared on SERMO, the leading global social network for doctors.

SERMO www.sermo.com “talk real world medicine”

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