Silent Night...

Since the reason for my favorite Christmas song/hymn was unanimously missed (multiple times by some) I've decided to set the record straight.

As an unofficial student of military history, I came across something when I was 16 that changed the way I would look at life forever. There are several accounts of this story published and I'm sure many more that sadly have passed from this world with those who experienced it. So I'll stick with two of them.

The first is the account told by British soldiers on the Western Front of World War I. On the evening of December 24, 1914 British troops at several places noticed small lights appearing above the German trenches. Those who could see through the mist soon passed on that the Germans were holding small Christmas trees adorned with candles. Through the cold night air came the words, "Stille nacht, Heilige nacht..." and soon the English version joined in. Soon, men who 12 hours before had no other object in mind than killing each other and staying alive were mingling and exchanging gifts in "no man's land." It has been reported that soccer matches were played on ground pockmarked with artillery craters. In one place a German officer provided beer not only for his troops, but for the British troops opposite them. Despite the disapproval of higher ranking officers, those soldiers on both sides of the line put down their weapons for a few hours to commemorate the birth of the Savior of the world.

The second is an account from the 101st Airborne Division, in Bastogne, Belgium December 24th, 1944. Those who have seen or read Band of Brothers will remember that the 101st (particularly Easy Co. in this case) defended Bastogne through the worst of the Battle of the Bulge and by Christmas, the tide was about to turn. That night, Christmas Eve, soldiers on the lines and in town heard German voices singing those very same words, "Stille nacht, Heilige nacht..." While there were no soccer games recounted, or (to my knowledge) any gift exchanges or other face to face exchanges, soldiers on both sides put down their weapons for a brief time to remember Christmas.

It was about that same time in my life that my friend Jenny introduced me to the Garth Brooks song, Belleau Wood. Not entirely historically accurate as far as I have been able to piece together, but worth a listen.

As a young man with a great-grandfather who may well have experienced a similar unofficial Christmas truce during his time in France in 1918, a grandfather who may have done in World War II, a father who spent a Christmas in Iraq in 1990, and whose only goal in life at the time was to be an Army Ranger these accounts affected me greatly. Silent Night has been my favorite hymn since that time, when I learned that through the miracle of Christmas even soldiers on opposite sides of the field of battler can recognize that each celebrates the very same thing, the birth of our Savior. Even though I am now a civilian and will not likely wear the uniform again, I wholeheartedly wish my fellow soldiers, "Merry Christmas" and hope that they too can find a quiet moment on that most holy night.