Christmas in the Ardennes 1944: Voices of the Veterans of the Battle of the Bulge (Battle of the Bulge Stories)

For any veteran of the Battle of the Bulge, Christmas was never again just another holiday. Nine days after the commencement of von Rundstedt’s offensive, Christmas Day occurred while the battle was at its peak fury. At first, the soldiers weren’t sure what they had on their hands and only a few units (2nd, 99th, 106th, 28th, and 4th Infantry Divisions) were involved while SHAEF leadership scrambled to find units they could throw into the battle.
By Christmas Day, everyone knew they were dealing with an all-out German counteroffensive and most of the units that were going to be engaged had arrived in the theater of action. And, for the most part, the battle continued to rage as if December 25 was just another day.
The common denominator of memory for Bulge veterans was the relentless, unforgiving cold. The bone-chilling cold that sank into your soul. The 24/7 losing battle to keep your feet dry. The impossibility of digging a foxhole. Wearing every scrap of clothing you could dig up and still being cold. The fear of frostbite and trench foot.
There were other demons as well. The ever-present fear of German tanks, “screemin’ meemies,” and tree burst shrapnel. The fear that every American GI you didn’t know was one of Skorzeny’s men, an English-speaking assassin or saboteur, someone whose directions would send you straight into a German trap.
For most GIs, the memory of Christmas 1944 was the memory of just another day of fighting, perhaps interrupted at some point during the day with the realization that, “Hey, some Christmas, huh?” But for some, there were genuine moments of tenderness, joy, and “goodwill toward men.” For some, the day brought special joy. A few had an opportunity to show kindness to civilians or received kindness from them. Some remembered a tiny detail that brought back memories of better days: a scraggly Christmas tree with improvised decorations, or singing Christmas carols, sometimes with German POWs, who sang “Stille Nacht” as they sang “Silent Night.” Some made it to a church or some other facility temporarily converted for religious usage and had a special spiritual experience. One 17th Airborne soldier, standing uncomfortably in the rear with his rifle, was called forward and honored by the priest and thanked after the service by the parishioners – and came away with a renewed dedication to the fight.
Christmas dinner, sometimes delayed, was for some a real feast, “best Christmas dinner ever,” while for others it was a mostly frozen drumstick shoved into their hands by an equally chilled GI, headed on toward the next foxhole. A few salvaged some moments of joy in the midst of the combat. One 30th Division GI shared his Christmas dinner with a Belgian family – and on his return 30 years later, was instantly rec recognized by the farmer’s wife, who said she had prayed very day to thank the generous American GI.