To the Editor:
The year was 1944 when the legendary Battle of the Bulge was being fought in the Ardennes forest of Europe. It was on a Christmas Eve that Elizabeth Vincken and her 12 year old son, Fritz, went into this very forest to get to the family’s hunting cabin because their home had been destroyed by a bombing raid. Elizabeth wanted safety for her son and herself and to share this very special night with her son on this holiest of nights as she believed. This night she wanted peace from that dreaded war.
They arrived at the cabin during the day and planned to have a peaceful Christmas Eve dinner that evening. Their day was soon interrupted by three American soldiers who were trying to find shelter for themselves and for one of the soldiers who was seriously wounded. Elizabeth could see their predicament and offered them shelter and any aid she could.
Elizabeth welcomed the soldiers but not their guns or the reality that a war was going on outside. She had Fritz hide their rifles when they were tending the wounded soldier which forced them to get Fritz to tell them where he put them.
Outside the American soldier saw three German soldiers rapidly approaching the cabin, because of the darkness the American soldier was able to capture the Germans making them think he was armed. This is when the story takes on a very unusual twist of suspense. The American soldiers plan to hold the Germans captive in the cabin and Elizabeth says that they are not going into her cabin with guns. They oppose this strongly but Elizabeth holds her ground and they decide that they would abide by her rules.
Needless to say tensions are very high at first, but Elizabeth says that to keep peace they all could speak English except one German soldier so they agreed that English was all they should speak. The wounded American soldier needed medical attention and it happens that one of the German soldiers has medical training. He cauterizes his leg wound, stops the bleeding and saves his life.
Tensions start to ease some and they start to plan the Christmas dinner. They all decide that a pot-luck dinner with Elizabeth’s stew and a collection of everyone’s K-rations would make up the meal. They start the meal with a prayer and talk with one another just as if the war was totally outside. Then they decorate a tree and sing Christmas carols in both English and German.
The ending of this movie shows that hearts had truly been changed. The movie is very heartwarming even though it doesn’t hide the pain and reflective sadness of war. Linda Hamilton plays Elizabeth and Matthew Harbour as Fritz with a superb cast of supporting actors.
This true story is testimony that God’s peace and the Spirit of Christmas are available to all of us regardless of our circumstances. Give yourself a treat this Christmas, YouTube movies, Silent Night 2002
Peter Pinette
Woodland
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