Final answer:
The correct answer is option b) General McAuliffe.
Step-by-step explanation:
The message "Nuts!" during the siege of Bastogne, Belgium, in 1944 was sent by Brigadier General Anthony McAuliffe. He was acting as the division commander of the 101st Airborne Division during the Battle of the Bulge. The Germans had surrounded the city, and upon requesting the American forces to surrender, McAuliffe's concise and defiant reply was "Nuts!", signaling his troops' intention to continue resisting despite the siege.
This act of defiance became legendary and is often remembered as a symbol of American grit and determination during World War II. While General George S. Patton led the US Third Army in the eventual relief of the trapped troops at Bastogne, it was McAuliffe who is renowned for that specific retort to the German ultimatum.