05 AUG 1917
OH
Gamma Brother Robert Lester Tavenner
was commissioned a second lieutenant and infantry officer in the U.S. Army on this date, and
went on to serve in France and Belgium during WWI. At OSU, Brother Tavenner was
Junior Class President and Captain of the Company of Cadets.
11 AUG 1975
World
War I, World War II and Korean War Veteran, Hero of Bastogne, SigEp Citation Recipient
and WV Beta Brother General Anthony
Clement “NUTS!” McAuliffe, U.S. Army (Retired) died on this date in Chevy
Chase, Maryland at the age of 77. He was laid to rest with full military
honors at Arlington National Cemetery in Section 3, Site 2536.
Born
in Washington, DC in 1898, Brother McAuliffe was a student at West Virginia
University from 1916 to 1917, before attending and graduated from West Point in
NOV 1918. He rose through the ranks from second lieutenant in 1918 to his
promotion to four-star general in 1955.
 |
| WV Beta Brother Anthony C. "NUTS! McAuliffe (then) Brigadier General, U.S Army [photo taken prior to D-Day] |
On
D-Day, Brother McAuliffe was serving as Commander of Division Artillery of the
101st Airborne Division when he parachuted into Normandy. He subsequently
entered Holland during Operation MARKET GARDEN in a military glider. In DEC
1944, when the German army launched the surprise Battle of the Bulge, General Maxwell
D. Taylor, commander of the 101st Airborne Division, was away, attending a
staff conference in the United States.
In
Taylor's absence, acting command of the 101st and its attached troops fell to (then)
Brigadier General McAuliffe. At Bastogne, the 101st was besieged by a
far-larger force of Germans under the command of General Heinrich Freiherr von
Lüttwitz.
On 22
DEC 1944, through a party consisting of a German major, captain, and two privates
under a flag of truce that entered the American lines
southeast of Bastogne, General von Lüttwitz sent the following ultimatum to
General McAuliffe:
“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.”
According
to various accounts from those present, when General McAuliffe was told of the
German demand for surrender he said "Nuts!" At a loss for an official
reply, Lieutenant Colonel Harry Kinnard suggested that his first remark summed
up the situation well, which was agreed to by the others. The official reply:
"To the German Commander, NUTS!, The American Commander" was typed
and delivered by Colonel Joseph Harper, commanding the 327th Glider Infantry,
and his S-3, Major Jones, to the German delegation. Harper had to explain the
meaning of the word to the Germans, telling them that in "plain
English" it meant "Go to hell.”
In
Memoriam
In
Bastogne, there is McAuliffe Square where a “Nuts!” festival takes place every
year. A bust of Anthony was unveiled in
1967 and is located next to a tank at a corner of the square.
In
the 1997, the NUTS! McAuliffe Society was formed and consists of extremely dedicated
volunteers. The current NUTS! Brigadier General is IN Epsilon Brother John Stumpf.
A
southern extension of Route 33 in eastern Northampton County, Pennsylvania,
completed in 2002, was named the General Anthony Clement McAuliffe 101st
Airborne Memorial Highway, and in 2009 the post headquarters building at Fort
Campbell, Kentucky opened and was re-named McAuliffe Hall.
Our
Brother left us with quite a lot to think about as to how to react and respond
in incredibly stressful situations.
Respect can be paid to Brother Clifton at Mountain View Cemetery, Ridgeway, Virginia.
On this date, NH Alpha Brother Captain Timothy Francis Farrell, U.S. Marine Corps died in Frankfurt, Germany while working for the State Department as Vice-Consul in the U.S. Consulate General in Frankfurt. He was 35 years old. After graduating from Dartmouth, Brother Farrell joined the Marine Corps in 1997, and was a decorated Marine stationed in San Diego, deployed to Japan and the Mideast. He also served on the USS Harpers Ferry (LSD-49) as a logistics officer.
* Korean War Veteran and IN Gamma Brother Richard Matthew Worthman, 80, passed away 27 JUL in Indianapolis, Indiana.
* Yesterday, U.S. Army World War II Veteran and Prisoner of War PA Delta Brother Edgar A. Waite, Jr. was laid to rest at Hillside Cemetery, Roslyn. He passed away peacefully at home on 05 AUG 2013. In lieu of flowers memorial contributions may be made to: Liberty Bell Chapter of America Ex POW, 61 New Pond Lane, Levittown PA, 19054-3819 or to the Alzheimer's Association, 100 N 17th Street, Philadelphia, PA 19103.
* This week – Operation IRAQI FREEDOM Veteran AL Theta Brother Lieutenant Colonel John Hopson, U.S. Army (Retired) received the Volunteer Excellence Award from the MO Eta Alumni Volunteer Corporation.
05 AUG 2002
World War II Veteran and NC Delta Brother Staff
Sergeant Clifton Robert “Tip” Faucette,
Jr., U.S. Army died on this
date. He was 88 years old. Tip served as an Army medic during WWII.Respect can be paid to Brother Clifton at Mountain View Cemetery, Ridgeway, Virginia.
09 AUG 2007
U.S.
Army Korean War Veteran PA Epsilon Brother Philip
J. Sievering Jr. died on this date in Berkeley Heights, New Jersey.
05 AUG 2008
VA
Pi Brother Captain Robert May, U.S. Army
retired on this date.
06 AUG 2008
TN
Beta Brother Fred Avil Allen III,
U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary died on this date. Fred was always proud to have
earned Eagle Scout status and was a member of Sigma Phi Epsilon fraternity in
college.
11 AUG 2009
 |
| NH Alpha Brother Timothy F. Farrell Captain, U.S. Marine Corps [location of ashes in the Columbarium at Arlington] |
On this date, NH Alpha Brother Captain Timothy Francis Farrell, U.S. Marine Corps died in Frankfurt, Germany while working for the State Department as Vice-Consul in the U.S. Consulate General in Frankfurt. He was 35 years old. After graduating from Dartmouth, Brother Farrell joined the Marine Corps in 1997, and was a decorated Marine stationed in San Diego, deployed to Japan and the Mideast. He also served on the USS Harpers Ferry (LSD-49) as a logistics officer.
At
Dartmouth, Brother Farrell was a member of the track team, and a four year
recipient of the Inter-Collegiate Association of Amateur Athletes of America
(ICAAAA). He was also elected to the All-Ivy League Team, First Team, in
1992-1993 and 1994-1995. In 1995, he received the prestigious Nathan D. Bugbee
1925 Track Prize.
In
memoriam, donations can be made to the Timothy Farrell Memorial Fund, Township
of Ocean School District, 550 West Park Avenue, Oakhurst, NJ 07755, c/o Julia
Davidow.
Brother
Farrell joined Brother McAuliffe and more than 25 other SigEp Patriots known to
be laid to rest at Arlington National Cemetery (Section 7-B, Row 4, SITE 1).
RECENT LOSSES
TO THE ROLL
* U.S. Air Force Korean
War Veteran and OH Epsilon Brother Harold
“Hal” Walker Look, Jr., 83, passed away 21 JUL after a period of declining
health. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Rockland Congregational
Church Abiding Memorial Fund, PO Box 554, Rockland, ME 04841, or the charity of
one’s choice.* Korean War Veteran and IN Gamma Brother Richard Matthew Worthman, 80, passed away 27 JUL in Indianapolis, Indiana.
* Yesterday, U.S. Army World War II Veteran and Prisoner of War PA Delta Brother Edgar A. Waite, Jr. was laid to rest at Hillside Cemetery, Roslyn. He passed away peacefully at home on 05 AUG 2013. In lieu of flowers memorial contributions may be made to: Liberty Bell Chapter of America Ex POW, 61 New Pond Lane, Levittown PA, 19054-3819 or to the Alzheimer's Association, 100 N 17th Street, Philadelphia, PA 19103.
Our
thoughts and prayers go out to the family, friends and chapter brothers of
SigEp Patriots Look, Worthman and Waite. While they are no longer with us, SPP pledges
they will always be remembered.
CELEBRATIONS!
* 06 AUG – U.S.
Army First Lieutenants CA Theta Brother Adam Wilson, KS Beta Brother Matt Cavanaugh
and VA Omicron Brother Andy Ryan learned they had been selected for promotion to
Captain. Congratulations to Brothers Wilson, Cavanaugh and Ryan!* This week – Operation IRAQI FREEDOM Veteran AL Theta Brother Lieutenant Colonel John Hopson, U.S. Army (Retired) received the Volunteer Excellence Award from the MO Eta Alumni Volunteer Corporation.
Have
great news? SPP would love to share it with everyone! Just send an email to sigepswhoserve@gmail.com.
Fraternally
and Respectfully,
Brother Ed Jones, NY Eta ‘96
Chief Petty Officer, U.S. Navy Reserve
Founder, SigEp Patriots Project
sigepswhoserve@gmail.comChief Petty Officer, U.S. Navy Reserve
Founder, SigEp Patriots Project
