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A Christmas Eve to Remember

Mahatma Gandhi once said, “It is easy enough to be friendly to one’s friends. But to befriend the one who regards himself as your enemy is the quintessence of true religion.” The actions of a German woman on Christmas Eve during WWII exemplified this.

It was December 1944, on the German-Belgium border. Twelve-year-old Fritz Vicken and his mother had moved from their home in Aachen, Germany, which had suffered significant damage from Allied bombing, to a small cottage which they owned in the Huertgen Forest. Their father, who was serving in the civil-defense fire guard, thought this location would be safer for his family than being in the city. Unfortunately, the war came to them in a campaign known as the Battle of the Bulge, with both Allied and German soldiers fighting and dying nearby.

After dark on Christmas Eve, a knock was heard on the cottage door. Mrs. Vicken nervously answered. Three American soldiers, men who were fighting against her country of Germany, stood there with their weapons. One of the men was seriously wounded with a bullet through his upper leg. The men waited until she motioned they could enter the cottage, where they laid the wounded man on Fritz’s bed. Though the soldiers did not speak German and she did not speak English, she could communicate with one man who spoke a little French. She tended to the wounded fighter, giving instructions to her son to help the others take off their wet jackets and boots. With their uniforms off, they looked and acted just like the young men from their community.

Mrs. Vicken told her son to go fetch extra potatoes and the plump rooster they had been raising for a holiday meal. One of the Americans even helped Fritz cook the food for dinner.

Then another knock on the door broke the calm atmosphere of the room. Mrs. Vicken went to the door, expecting to see more Americans. Instead, there were four German soldiers standing there. All German citizens knew that harboring enemy soldiers was high treason and the penalty could be death. Stepping outside, she wished them a Merry Christmas. The German soldiers returned the greeting. They explained that they had lost their company and would like to rest in the cottage until morning.

Fritz’s mother summoned her composure and invited them to share their meal – with a condition. She explained that she had three guests who they may not consider friends, and sternly told them that it was Christmas Eve and there would be peace in her home. The German corporal was on his guard, demanding to know if there were Americans inside. She calmly explained that the young men on the doorstep and those inside could have been her own sons. Both groups were lost from their comrades, hungry, cold, and tired. For this Christmas Eve, there was no need for fighting. She instructed the German soldiers to place their weapons outside by the woodpile, and then had the Americans gather their guns and take them outside.

Though the men regarded each other with distrust, they followed Mrs. Vicken’s instructions as they sat where they were asked. The table was even pushed next to her bed so everyone would have a place to sit. After adding extra potatoes to the pot and waiting for them to cook, the six soldiers, Mrs. Vicken, and Fritz enjoyed a Christmas Eve meal. Before eating, she offered a prayer which brought tears to the eyes of everyone in the room. Two of the German soldiers even produced a bottle of wine and loaf of rye bread to add to the meal. The injured soldier was fed and had his wound cared for.

As the group began to relax, they learned that the German corporal who was in charge was 23 and two of the soldiers were only 16. At midnight, Mrs. Vicken had everyone step outside and look for the brightest star in the sky and think of the star which appeared in Bethlehem on the night of Christ’s birth.

In the morning, the German soldiers gave the Americans directions on how to get back to their units, and Mrs. Vicken gave the GIs her best tablecloth to use with two poles to make a stretcher to carry the wounded soldier. The brave German mother then instructed all of the soldiers to use care so they could return to their families and wished them the blessings of God. The German and American soldiers shook hands and walked away in opposite directions.

Mrs. Vicken’s example of bravery, kindness, and compassion made a huge difference to seven soldiers from opposing sides that Christmas. She befriended those in need, whether friend or foe, and taught her son and the soldiers that enemies can become friends. In 2 Thessalonians 3: 15-16 it says, “Yet count him not as an enemy, but admonish him as a brother. Now the Lord of peace himself give you peace always by all means. The Lord be with you all.”

https://thechaplainkit.com/2017/12/24/truce-in-the-forest-the-story-of-a-world-war-ii-truce-between-german-american-soldiers-during-the-battle- Vincken, Fritz, “Truce in the Forest,” Readers Digest, January 1973, pp 111-114.

This story was written by Jean Tonioli