The Ardennes Forest is located in Belgium and Luxembourg and extends into France and Germany. It’s a sparsely populated region of rolling hills and thickly wooded forests, known for picturesque valleys and charming cities, whose shops and cafes and bike paths have slowly grown around ancient citadels and castles and 13th century churches.
He came up with Patton's 3rd Army to relieve the 'battling bastards of Bastogne' and on the very rare occasions he would speak of it he spoke of tales such as this. In North Africa they would honor the white flag and allow wounded to be rescued by their comrades.
My uncle Mike was in the Pacific theater which was nowhere near as honorable. Dad found the German civilians the best, and most gracious of all, including the Brits (jealous of the GI's) and the French (mad about the houses being bombed). The Germans had it even worse but welcomed the US troops much like the lady did.
Kindness in the middle of pitched battles is what makes us human...
Thank you for sharing this story. I prayed this morning that the spirit of the holiday would draw people closer to God. This story will no doubt help to answer my prayer.
What a wonderful story to warm the HEART on Christmas Eve. I had an Uncle that was in his 20's
Killed In Action in WW2 in Normandy, France. My Aunt and I went to France years ago and found
her husband's American Cross at a Cemetery in France. So, many American Crosses there. That was only one American Cemetery. Europe owes the American People a debt of gratitude +
The Europeans keep the American Cemeteries immaculate.
Absolutely beautiful story. It's 2 degrees outside but this story warmed my heart deeply. Thank you for posting this - especially the ending that corroborates the truth of it. It brought tears to my eyes, thank you! And this story is what the spirit of Christmas is about.
Thank you for sharing this heartwarming bit of history. American politics is in dire need of such a respite as this. The movie "Battleground" gives a great portrayal of some American troops caught in the Battle of the Bulge. Merry Christmas to you as well!
Many years ago around 1980 I had an older German friend who was still in Germany during the war. She was in her early 20s then and had a small child, a baby. Her husband, like all German men, was drafted and away fighting the war. Her home was bombed out and she was homeless so she took to the countryside and went from farm to farm seeking shelter and food. She would stay at one place, in the barn for awhile until they ran out of food, and go somewhere else. Finally she found a farm where someone had a radio - which was highly illegal to own at that time. There were several other homeless civilians seeking shelter/food there also. At night they would all gather around the radio in the basement and listen to the broadcast from England IIRC. One night they heard that the Americans were to arrive next day on the shores of Normandy. She would later learn it was called D-Day. As soon as she heard the Americans were coming to Europe, she told me she knew everything would be OK. The Americans always win, she said, she knew it was just a matter of time. We were heroes in those days and always there to help others. She ended up East Berlin and managed to escape the day before it fell to the communists and the Berlin wall went up. She couldn't take her baby and was forced to make the awful decision of leaving her baby behind so she could fight to come to America or staying behind and living under communism with her baby. She chose to leave. It took her IIRC about 5 yrs to get her child back. Finally, her daughter was able to come to America where Gita was. Her daughter never did forgive her for leaving her behind and she didn't speak to Gita. For the rest of her life Gita carried that scar and the sorrow she felt about it.
I'll always remember Gita and the wonderful gift she gave me in telling me this story. It's always made me so appreciative that I haven't had to live through such events.
Thank you. what a great Christmas story, and sad.. my own father was there as well.. along with Normandy, his paperwork just says Ardennes; it does not say Battle of the Bulge,, so I never knew what that meant, until after his death and I found his "Army papers"; it does say Normandy. My mother is German, and I was born there; my father was in Germany for four combat tours or close to 10 years; NEVER ONCE breathed a word of his experiences except I heard him talking to one of his Army buddies. (he was barber and meat cutter pre service) and he said he survived digging a foxhole in one of the "places" he was fighting. Maybe there. He was awarded w/ four bronze stars each one represents a separate area where he fought. He died many years ago as he was born in 1913. so he was an older father from a totally different era. That does sound like it could be true. MERRY CHRISTMAS and HAPPY NEW YEAR to you. Thanks for posting such an amazing Christmas story. :)
My Dad was with Patton's Third Army that December as a Tank Driver.......As they Rescued the US Forces at the Bulge.
He flew 52 Missions in a B-17 Bomber over Europe, ( under a false name because he was 16 when he went in January 1942) came back to the US to train new Bomber Crews.
By a long weekend is of events including leading an in Air Mutiny, Court Marshall, escape Capture in Baltimore MD, then being sent to Europe for ground combat .hmHe served then in the 4th Armored Division.
dear old dad was there.
He came up with Patton's 3rd Army to relieve the 'battling bastards of Bastogne' and on the very rare occasions he would speak of it he spoke of tales such as this. In North Africa they would honor the white flag and allow wounded to be rescued by their comrades.
My uncle Mike was in the Pacific theater which was nowhere near as honorable. Dad found the German civilians the best, and most gracious of all, including the Brits (jealous of the GI's) and the French (mad about the houses being bombed). The Germans had it even worse but welcomed the US troops much like the lady did.
Kindness in the middle of pitched battles is what makes us human...
Thank you for sharing this story. I prayed this morning that the spirit of the holiday would draw people closer to God. This story will no doubt help to answer my prayer.
What a wonderful story to warm the HEART on Christmas Eve. I had an Uncle that was in his 20's
Killed In Action in WW2 in Normandy, France. My Aunt and I went to France years ago and found
her husband's American Cross at a Cemetery in France. So, many American Crosses there. That was only one American Cemetery. Europe owes the American People a debt of gratitude +
The Europeans keep the American Cemeteries immaculate.
Absolutely beautiful story. It's 2 degrees outside but this story warmed my heart deeply. Thank you for posting this - especially the ending that corroborates the truth of it. It brought tears to my eyes, thank you! And this story is what the spirit of Christmas is about.
Thank you for sharing this heartwarming bit of history. American politics is in dire need of such a respite as this. The movie "Battleground" gives a great portrayal of some American troops caught in the Battle of the Bulge. Merry Christmas to you as well!
Many years ago around 1980 I had an older German friend who was still in Germany during the war. She was in her early 20s then and had a small child, a baby. Her husband, like all German men, was drafted and away fighting the war. Her home was bombed out and she was homeless so she took to the countryside and went from farm to farm seeking shelter and food. She would stay at one place, in the barn for awhile until they ran out of food, and go somewhere else. Finally she found a farm where someone had a radio - which was highly illegal to own at that time. There were several other homeless civilians seeking shelter/food there also. At night they would all gather around the radio in the basement and listen to the broadcast from England IIRC. One night they heard that the Americans were to arrive next day on the shores of Normandy. She would later learn it was called D-Day. As soon as she heard the Americans were coming to Europe, she told me she knew everything would be OK. The Americans always win, she said, she knew it was just a matter of time. We were heroes in those days and always there to help others. She ended up East Berlin and managed to escape the day before it fell to the communists and the Berlin wall went up. She couldn't take her baby and was forced to make the awful decision of leaving her baby behind so she could fight to come to America or staying behind and living under communism with her baby. She chose to leave. It took her IIRC about 5 yrs to get her child back. Finally, her daughter was able to come to America where Gita was. Her daughter never did forgive her for leaving her behind and she didn't speak to Gita. For the rest of her life Gita carried that scar and the sorrow she felt about it.
I'll always remember Gita and the wonderful gift she gave me in telling me this story. It's always made me so appreciative that I haven't had to live through such events.
Thank you. what a great Christmas story, and sad.. my own father was there as well.. along with Normandy, his paperwork just says Ardennes; it does not say Battle of the Bulge,, so I never knew what that meant, until after his death and I found his "Army papers"; it does say Normandy. My mother is German, and I was born there; my father was in Germany for four combat tours or close to 10 years; NEVER ONCE breathed a word of his experiences except I heard him talking to one of his Army buddies. (he was barber and meat cutter pre service) and he said he survived digging a foxhole in one of the "places" he was fighting. Maybe there. He was awarded w/ four bronze stars each one represents a separate area where he fought. He died many years ago as he was born in 1913. so he was an older father from a totally different era. That does sound like it could be true. MERRY CHRISTMAS and HAPPY NEW YEAR to you. Thanks for posting such an amazing Christmas story. :)
This story blessed me. Much appreciated
🙏🏼🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🙏🏼
Just what I needed to read. Thank you and blessings for the new year!
Thank you for the story and the smile you brought to my face
Excellent article!
Thank you, Techno.
Merry Christmas!
Very nice writing.
Aww, that brought a couple of tears to my eyes. Thank you for that.
My Dad was with Patton's Third Army that December as a Tank Driver.......As they Rescued the US Forces at the Bulge.
He flew 52 Missions in a B-17 Bomber over Europe, ( under a false name because he was 16 when he went in January 1942) came back to the US to train new Bomber Crews.
By a long weekend is of events including leading an in Air Mutiny, Court Marshall, escape Capture in Baltimore MD, then being sent to Europe for ground combat .hmHe served then in the 4th Armored Division.
That was truly an uplifting story at this Christmas time of year. Thank you so very much for sharing it with us.
❤️⚡️🙏🏻❤️🇺🇸💪🏻❤️🌏💪🏻#TrumpWon2020