By David Christy, News Editor
Stille nacht, heilige nacht,
Gottes Sohn, o wie lacht.
Lieb’ aus deinem gottlichen Mund,
Da uns schalgt die rettende Stund,
Christ, in deiner Geburt,
Christ, in deiner Geburt.
These poignant lyrics from the third verse of “Silent Night” were heard on Christmas Day 1914, during the Great War, wafting across the trenches around the Ypres Salient, a no-man’s land in a small, hilly part of Belgium. The tune, which dates to 1816 and a small Austrian village, was sung by German soldiers.
It marked an all-too-brief cessation of hostilities between the German and British troops, an unofficial truce that had been forbidden by general officers of both sides, yet went on despite the obstinacy of those in power.
Such was the impact of this simple act: Famed Irish poet William Butler Yeats called the story of the 1914 Christmas Truce a “still point at the center of the turning world.”
And the world turned mightily during the First World War, with great armies from England, France, Germany, Austria, Russia and eventually the United States slaughtering one another from Flanders Fields to the Argonne Forest.
For soldiers throughout this nation’s history, Christmas has been a day of hardship and deprivation, of freezing temperatures, icy winds and longing for home. Peace on Earth is just a catch phrase during time of war — a fleeting spirit of the wish by all people to live peacefully together.
America has been at war many, many times over its 233-year history, from its founding during the American Revolution, through the War of 1812, the War with Mexico, the Spanish-American War, World Wars I and II, Korea, Vietnam, up through Desert Storm, Iraq and Afghanistan.
Each of these wars has seen Christmas come and go for this nation’s soldiers.
The Iraq War began March 20, 2003. For my wife and me, Dec. 25 will be different than any previous Christmas. Our middle son, Andrew, will be standing a post in Iraq with the 3rd Battalion, 157th Field Artillery Regiment, at Camp Ramadi, al-Anbar Province.
The camp, located along the ancient Euphrates River, is manned by American Army and Marine units just outside the central Iraqi city of nearly one-half million people.
Our son’s platoon is part of the quick reaction force used for base defense. It’s much easier to think of that defense force composed of someone else’s son or daughter than it is your own — particularly when Christmas Day rolls around in a week.
But, that’s how it has been throughout our nation’s history. And, it’s going to be tough for a lot of parents, brothers and sisters, wives and husbands, children and friends when another yuletide passes with a loved one standing a post in harm’s way somewhere in the world.
Gen. George Washington, in his greatest triumph as head of the Continental Army, took a half-frozen band of volunteer soldiers on a high-stakes boat ride across the ice-choked, wind-swept, freezing Delaware River on Christmas Day 1776, during the darkest days of the Revolutionary War.
With 2,400 soldiers, many ill-clad for winter weather, worn down by superior British forces and with enlistments ending within the month, Washington surprised the British mercenary Hessians quartered at Trenton, N.J.
In a battle no one on either the North American or European continents thought could ever be won by the upstart Continental Army, American soldiers thoroughly defeated their adversary, killing, wounding or capturing over 1,000 members of the most feared force fighting alongside the British.
It was as if the hand of Providence had come down, guiding and protecting this small American force in its first notable victory of the young war, culminating in triumph at Yorktown in 1781.
Washington’s small army that Christmas Day was made up of many regiments from across the 13 colonies, including the 3rd Virginia Regiment of the Continental Line, commanded by Col. Hugh Mercer. James Madison, later the fourth president of the United States, and John Marshall, who became chief justice of the United States, both served as lieutenants in the regiment.
Also among its ranks was an obscure corporal, David Hollis Baker, who crossed the Delaware River with Washington, along with the 4th Company of the 3rd Virginia on that fateful Christmas in 1776.
Although the Americans suffered less than a half-dozen casualties during the Battle of Trenton, young Cpl. Baker’s brother Richard was among the fallen.
Cpl. David Baker is the great-great-great-great-great-grandfather of Staff Sgt. Andrew Christy, who will take his turn standing a post in Iraq next Friday.
They will be sharing a special Christmas bond which has endured over the centuries ... in defense of this nation.
Silent night, holy night,
Son of God, love’s pure light.
Radiant beams from Thy holy face,
With the dawn of redeeming grace,
Jesus, Lord, at Thy birth,
Jesus, Lord, at Thy birth.
Christy is news editor at the News & Eagle and may be reached at davidc@enidnews.com.
