Catholic Culture, Father Jerry Pokorski: Do you know what a ‘ninny’ is? I’m not sure myself. But I get the idea that if you called a red-blooded American boy a “ninny” in a schoolyard in the 1930s you could end up with a bloody nose.
World War II was not a war for ninnies. After the landings in Normandy, the enemy was on the run. After years of brutal conflict, victory seemed inevitable. But like wounded animals, the Nazi war machine was capable of striking back and they did. There was a counterattack. The Americans were surrounded at Bastogne, Belgium, with no way to escape. Surrender seemed to be the only option. When the German commander sent a surrender demand to General Anthony MacAuliffe in the town, MacAuliffe famously responded with a single word: “Nuts.” Full article is here.
