[Baltimore Sun] Army-Navy 2024: Black Knights unveil uniforms honoring 101st Airborne Division
Read Time:3 Minute, 4 Second
Army football will honor the legacy of the 101st Airborne Division with their specialty uniforms for the annual showdown with archrival Navy, being held Dec. 14 at Northwest Stadium in Landover.
The Black Knights will specifically recognize the valiant performance of the 101st Airborne Division during what became known as the “Battle of the Bulge” when they take the field for the 133rd Army-Navy Game. That was the last major German offensive campaign on the western front during World War II.
An Army Athletics news release announcing the 2024 specialty uniforms states that “on December 14 we are honored to represent the past, present and future Screaming Eagles of the 101st Airborne Division. As we take the field against our rivals, we carry the paratroopers’ legacy and traditions with us as we seek to emulate their ‘Rendezvous with Destiny’ motto by refusing to yield the Commander-in-Chief’s Trophy.”
Army’s helmets will feature the words Screaming Eagles along with the unit’s patch that depicts the bald Eagle known as “Old Abe.” Assigned randomly among players, the helmets will also display the various markings used by 101st paratroopers and glider troops to identify their troops during the jump into Normandy.
On the chest of the jerseys will be the “Invasion Star” that was used on American aircraft and vehicles to aid in identification. Also on the jersey, written in block all capital letters, is BASTOGNE. Meanwhile, the 101st Airborne patch will be affixed to one of the shoulders. On the opposite shoulder is an American flag worn by the paratroopers in 1944 with the same orientation and proportions.
When the German commander demanded the surrender of Allied troops early in the offensive, Brigadier General Anthony McAuliffe reply was one word: Nuts! That is why the back of the jersey contains A-R-M-Y! in special typography that evokes the typewritten version of McAuliffe’s famous reply.
With Army and Navy having both already defeated Air Force, the matchup will determine the outright winner of the Commander-in-Chief’s Trophy. Army currently holds possession of the CIC after sweeping Air Force and Navy in 2023. Navy last captured the trophy in 2019.
On Dec. 16, 1944, the 101st Airborne — also known as the Screaming Eagles — lived their motto of “Rendezvous with Destiny” by racing into the Belgian town of Bastogne in response to the Nazi offensive.
German forces launched the attack through the heavily forested Ardennes region between Belgium and Luxembourg with the intention of stopping Allied forces from using the Belgian port of Antwerp.
Encircled by Nazi forces, the 101st Airborne Division endured three weeks of relentless close combat in freezing conditions and snowy weather. Their endurance and refusal to surrender sapped German morale and played a significant role in the ultimate failure of the offensive.
While the Nazis succeeded in launching a total surprise attack, the offensive got bogged down because Allied forces blocked access to key roads the Germans had counted on controlling to achieve success.
This road congestion and rough terrain threw the Germans behind schedule and allowed the Allies to reinforce their thin troops. The 101st Airborne Division played an instrumental role in stalling the offensive until General George Patton’s United States Third Army reached Bastogne to end the siege.
The Battle of the Bulge severely depleted Germany’s armored forces and marked the beginning of the end of World War II.
Happy
0 %
Sad
0 %
Excited
0 %
Sleepy
0 %
Angry
0 %
Surprise
0 %
0
0