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| Kinkeade village under threat of danger |
With our peculiar sense of humor, we placed a polar bear statue in the middle of this idyllic world. The townspeople are unaware of what lies in wait for them.
We can afford to be silly like this. We are in our house, safe and warm. Nothing lies in wait for us or threatens us.
With all the Christmas celebrating we will do or decorations that blink around us, the calendar and history reveal to us more about our time on earth.
December 16, 1944 marked the start of the Battle of the Bulge and its month long battle in the Ardennes region of Belgium. This battle resulted in the deaths of 75,000 soldiers. Nearly 19,000 were from the 101st. They were surrounded by Germans, helpless. Being vital, being pivotal, 101st Airborne Division held onto their precarious part of history.
Brutally cold, with temperatures dropping to just below zero, 101st were alone, cut off from help, rations, and warm clothing. Dug in the snow, troops struggled to stay alive. They were down to the last few rounds of ammunition.
Christmas eve, December 24, 1944, was the day when Allied troops and air support broke through crippling weather front that had isolated troop 101st Airborne. That day made a difference. The 101st made a difference.
Christmas morning in 1944, seventy-five years ago, shows just how brave men grasped, clutched, and carried history all the way to us.
YouTube
While we celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ's birth, also celebrate and honor the courage and sacrifice given by the 101st Airborne Army Division. God provided for their needs, kept them alive.
An excellent movie, Battleground, is praised by the military that fought there.
Thanks for reminding us.
ReplyDeleteWe must never forget soldiers, like the 101st, who gave so much.
DeleteI had forgotten about this. So glad you remembered and shared it with us.
ReplyDeleteI saw movies "Battle of the Bulge" and "Battleground" long ago, and it made a strong impression on me.
DeleteI didn't know there was a place called Bulge, I thought you meant a different battle of the bulge, the bulge around everyone's waistline the day after the Christmas feasting.
ReplyDeleteOh, I know that type of bulge!
DeleteThe "Bulge" was when the Germans tried to cut off the Allies from support. The push by Germany created a "bulge" in the Allies front.
We shall remember them now and always.
ReplyDeleteGod bless. Merry Christmas.
A predicted number of 1000 WW2 veterans die daily. About 2.5 million are still alive.
DeleteWe need to remember them, esp. as 1000 WW2 veterans are dying every day.
DeleteIt is always timely to remind us of the sacrifices made and are still being made.
ReplyDeleteA time to put aside differences and then to reconcile some.
Kinkade collection! Definitely need a polar bear to protect them.
HANDS OFF!!
My husband took him out.
DeleteI knew someone who was with the 101st and was there. He has long since passed as so many who fought in that era have. I lament the fact that so many people today do not know much about this history or the sacrifices.
ReplyDeleteHigh School students know very little about WW2, mainly about Japan and the bomb. Text books say virtually nothing, if there are textbooks at all. It is as if there is an effort to wipe the slate clean.
DeleteMy friend, I have nominated you for a Sunshine Blogger Award: https://armchairsquid.blogspot.com/2019/12/sunshine-blogger-award.html. I have made important alterations to the "rules" for the award:
ReplyDelete- You don't have to display anything you don't want to.
- You don't have to pass on the award to others in order to accept it for yourself. You are thoroughly deserving without having to jump through any hoops.
- You also don't have to answer my questions, though I hope you will. I am genuinely interested in your responses.
- Simply know that I am grateful for our blogosphere friendship.
Thank you so much for this award. I'll gladly answer your questions.
DeleteI look forward to it. On your blog or mine - totally your choice.
DeleteWe often forget the darker hours in the war.
ReplyDeleteComing out from seeing "Darkest Hour" about Churchill calling for the Dunkirk rescue of 250,000 English soldiers, I heard someone say that they had never learned about this, never heard of it.
DeleteI Love You. What a Christmas story. I was 5 years old, my brothers were off in the war. Both USN. I have friends who were at the Bulge. I met them later in life. They remember being CCCCOLD. Thanks for the video, What a reminder of how fortunate and blessed we are that we still have our freedom.
ReplyDeleteLove again, and this is so bitter-sweet,
Sherry & jack
Thanks, Jack. Always remember and teach others about this part of history.
DeleteI will be forever grateful for the men and women who stood between us and those who would take our freedoms. They were frightened, cold and hungry. Yet they stood.
ReplyDeleteI cannot express my gratitude enough.
P.S. And I love that there's a polar bear in your village.
We always end up with penguins in our nativity. It's a Tolley thing...
The polar bear is a bit extreme, but it is how we roll.
DeleteThe men and women in uniform, then and now, have my utmost respect.
ReplyDeletethose in the military do not get enough acknowledgment.
DeleteWe forget those struggles so easily. Thanks for the reminder.
ReplyDelete"Never Forget" should be a reminder of history.
DeleteYes, we are so lucky to live where and when we do. "Lest we forget"
ReplyDeleteWe are indeed.
DeleteAlways remember, thank you for the poignant reminder.
ReplyDeleteRemembering is perhaps the most important our progeny need to hold onto.
DeleteThank you for the reminder.
ReplyDeleteHappy Christmas to you Susan.
These brave men and companies gave beyond what we can ever imagine.
DeleteWe have military men in our family, including my oldest son. I am always happy to see anything that helps us remember the sacrifice they give.
ReplyDeleteI love your polar bear, lol. And yes, we are blessed to be safe and warm. I'm over here catching up on the 9,000 things I can't do when school is in session. Best perk of being a teacher, besides getting to be a teacher!! is the vacation time. :) I hope you had a wonderful holiday!
Our village has been up since November too and I always enjoy looking at it at night with all the lights out- just the village and the tree lit up. It's oddly relaxing. :)
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing to about the history. I often wonder if the younger generations are learning about these events like we did. I sure hope so. I know there are some young people in my family who are interested in the history of WWII and have learned some of it, and that gives me hope.
I LOVE your humour. The polar bear is pure genius and I love it!
ReplyDeleteAnd thanks for the info on the Battle of the Bulge. Of course I know about it -- but I DIDN'T know the part about Christmas Eve. That's really a gift.