Ethel Curtis of Utica sits with artifacts and a picture of her and her late husband, L.J. Curtis, who brought back a letter from Brig. Gen. Tony McAuliffe, commander of the 101st Airborne Division during the Battle of the Bulge, a German-issued Mauser side arm, that he received from a British soldier who was a prisoner of war. Also pictured is a glass from Berchtesgarden in Germany and a box with the 101st Airborne logo on it. (Meredith Spencer The Vicksburg Post)

[12/23/04]UTICA Sixty years and about two weeks ago, Christmas was the last thing on Cpl. L.J. Curtis’ mind.

A member of the Reconnaissance Platoon of the U.S. Army’s 101st Airborne Division, he had been dropped behind German lines in Belgium to collect intelligence about troop movements.

In a few days, the biggest and bloodiest battle of World War II, the Battle of the Bulge, would begin. More than 76,000 Americans would be killed, injured or reported missing during the fighting from Dec. 16, 1944, to Jan. 28, 1945.

But at the moment, Curtis was looking for a way out, said his wife, Ethel Curtis. A blizzard threatened to trap the group and make them easy targets for the Germans.

.J. Curtis died in 1994, but a Christmas letter from his commander, Brig. Gen. A.C. “Tony” McAuliffe, to the troops fighting the battle inspired him enough to save it and bring it back to the United States, where it remains a treasured possession of his wife.

The letter included McAuliffe’s famous correspondence with the German commander. When threatened with “total annihilation” by the Germans, McAuliffe sent back a simple reply: “NUTS!”

Mrs. Curtis said her husband would re-read the letter and say, “That son of a gun said he was drunk as a skunk in that cellar (when McAuliffe sent the reply.)”

While Mrs. Curtis keeps the original in a safe deposit box, she said she often reads a copy to remind her of her husband’s bravery during the war, especially during the 1944 Christmas season.

“He said, I’m not going to stay here and become a prisoner of war,'” Mrs. Curtis said.

Curtis had always been good with a compass, his wife said, dating back to his days of exploring the woods around his home in Utica.

“Not many would’ve left out of that snow but he was a country boy and had grown up in the woods,” she said.

He and his fellow soldiers figured the blizzard could be used to their advantage: The heavy snowfall would cover their tracks.

While on the risky road back to Bastogne, where the 101st was headquartered, they found a German prisoner of war camp with British soldiers inside. Curtis and his fellow soldiers freed the prisoners.

One of the Brits asked saw that Curtis had a special folder with his wife’s picture on one side and paper and pens on the other. He asked Curtis to lend him some paper so he could write his girlfriend. In return, the British soldier gave Curtis a present to give his wife: a pistol the soldier had taken from a German officer.

It became one of Mrs. Curtis’ most treasured keepsakes.

Although L.J. Curtis had been drafted in 1941, stomach ulcers prevented him from joining the military. Also, at age 28, he was near the upper end of draftable age. Thinking that he would not be sent overseas, L.J. and Ethel married Dec. 3, 1941, after three years of courtship.

Four days later, Pearl Harbor was attacked. Age and ulcers were no longer a factor. Curtis reported to the 82nd Airborne Division at Camp Claiborne, near Alexandria, La. Later, part of the 82nd, including Curtis, split to become the 101st Airborne.

Both divisions went on to become two of the most storied in Army history. Made famous in modern times by numerous books and movies, including “Band of Brothers,” the two Airborne divisions were a part of D-Day invasion of Normandy and fought all the way across Europe to Adolf Hitler’s country home, Berchtesgaden.

Curtis had one of the riskiest jobs: glider reconnaissance. In addition to scouting German troops at the Battle of the Bulge, named for the German advance to the “bulge” in the Meuse River, he had also sailed into the French countryside a few days ahead of June 6, 1944 D-Day.

During their service, all members of the platoon received the Bronze Star, the Presidential Unit Citation, the French and Belgian Croix de Guerre and the Belgian Fouragire.

L.J. Curtis came home on Thanksgiving 1945 after three-and-a-half years of service. He resumed his bookkeeping job at Utica Lumber, eventually becoming its manager, then owner. Curtis later sold the business and became a pine tree farmer. The Curtises reared one daughter, Teresa, who still lives in Utica.

Mrs. Curtis said some of her husband’s favorite times occurred when he reunited with his friends from the 101st.

“The men would not talk about (the war) until they got together,” she said, gesturing to the living room. “They’d get in there and chatter.”

“He was the only one from the South (in the glider reconnaissance group),” she said. Only three or four of the roughly 20 members are still alive, she said.

The letter from McAuliffe serves a reminder of the sacrifice of the troops during that Christmas 60 years ago, she said.

“It meant that he was willing to give his life to protect me and other people who were here. He was an awfully brave man,” Ethel Curtis said.