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Christmas Time in Baghdad
“Christmas Time in Baghdad” Written and performed by John Proctor, an Army Chaplain Assistant who has served in Iraq as well as a number of other overseas locations. Christmas Time in Baghdad is a “true account from Christmas 2003 which was celebrated in Baghdad, Iraq with the 82nd Airborne.” The 2nd verse begins, “The Chaplain preached the Gospel..”
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Christmas at War
For as long as we’ve been a nation (and even before) American Service Members have been deployed during the holidays. Here’s a short video that shows some of the Christmas scenes from wartime deployments and the home front during war.
With this video goes out a special “Merry Christmas!” to our armed forces wherever they may be serving this Christmas.
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WW1 Christmas Truce
The Christmas truce during World War I has become legendary, especially among those who long for peace, even in the midst of war. This phenomenon has most recently been portrayed cinematically in the French movie, Joyeux Noel, also mentioned on this site in the section, Chaplains in the Movies.
On Christmas Eve in 2014, Time Magazine published on its website a great summary of what really happened in 1914. Written by Naina Bajekal and appearing here, it’s reproduced in its entirely (including links) on The Chaplain Kit for educational purposes, but more than being educated, I hope that you are encouraged that peace can be found in the midst of war, even if only for a short time. This temporary peace during World War I came as a result of the birth of Jesus, and its celebration. True and final peace will ultimately come with the return of Jesus.
Silent Night: The Story of the World War 1 Christmas Truce of 1914
Exactly a century ago, the men in the trenches heard something unusual: singing
On a crisp, clear morning 100 years ago, thousands of British, Belgian and French soldiers put down their rifles, stepped out of their trenches and spent Christmas mingling with their German enemies along the Western front. In the hundred years since, the event has been seen as a kind of miracle, a rare moment of peace just a few months into a war that would eventually claim over 15 million lives. But what actually happened on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day of 1914 — and did they really play soccer on the battlefield?
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“Chaplain” John McCain
While not officially a chaplain, John McCain was elected one by the group of POWs who shared a cellblock with him late in the Vietnam War. McCain wasn’t chosen as chaplain “…because the senior ranking officer thought [he] was imbued with any particular extra brand of religion, but because [he] knew all of the words of the Apostles’ Creed and the Nicene Creed.”1
As chaplain, McCain would give talks and lead services to help keep his fellow POW’s spiritual resiliency alive. In a 2007 interview, McCain spoke of a Christmas Eve service that he led recalling “…looking at the faces of those guys – skinny, worn out – but most of them, a lot of them, had tears down their faces. And they weren’t sorrow, they were happiness that for the first time in so many years we were able to worship together.”2
McCain related more detail of that Christmas service while POWs in North Vietnam, in his book, Faith of My Fathers:
On Christmas night we held our simple, moving service. We began with the Lord’s Prayer, after which a choir sang carols, directed by the former conductor of the Air Force Academy Choir, Captain Quincy Collins. I thought they were quite good, excellent, in fact. Although I confess that the regularity with which they practiced in the weeks prior to Christmas occasionally grated on my nerves.
But that night, the hymns were rendered with more feeling and were more inspirational than the offerings of the world’s most celebrated choirs. We all joined in the singing, nervous and furtive at first, fearing the guards would disrupt the service if we sang too loudly. With each hymn, however, we grew bolder, and our voices rose with emotion.
Between each hymn, I read a portion of the story of Christ’s birth from the pages I had copied.
‘And the Angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day, in the city of David, a Savior, which is Christ the Lord.’…
The lightbulbs hanging from the ceiling illuminated our gaunt, unshaven, dirty, and generally wretched congregation. But for a moment we all had the absolutely exquisite feeling that our burdens had been lifted. Some of us had attended Christmas services in prison before. But they had been Vietnamese productions, spiritless, ludicrous stage shows. This was our service, the only one we had ever been allowed to hold. It was more sacred to me than any service I had attended in the past, or any service I have attended since.
We gave prayers of thanks for the Christ child, for our families and homes, for our country. We half expected the guards to barge in and force us to conclude the service. Every now and then we glanced up at the windows to see if they were watching us as they had during the Church Riot. But when I looked up at the bars that evening, I wished they had been looking in. I wanted them to see us–faithful, joyful, and triumphant.
The last hymn sung was ‘Silent Night.’ Many of us wept.3
While not an official chaplain, “Chaplain” John McCain recognized the need of his congregation and provided for them a sense of the holy in the midst of a hell, a task chaplains are charged with today regardless of the uniform they wear or the insignia they display.
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1 https://www.csmonitor.com/2007/1018/p01s06-uspo.html, accessed 25 Aug 18.
2Ibid.
3John McCain, Faith of My Fathers. New York: Random House, 1999, 331-332.
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Christmas at the Front
Just like Thanksgiving, few Christmases roll around without the United States having hundreds or thousands of Service Members deployed to various parts of the world fighting for and defending freedom. It seldom fails that wherever our armed forces find themselves, they find ways to celebrate the birth of Jesus. Here are some examples of Christmas celebrations at the front…and a few from the “Homefront.”
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George Washington visits the troops encamped at Valley Forge over Christmas, 1777
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Christmas dinner of enlisted men at Valdahon, France, 1917
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Christmas decorations in the Y.M.C.A. at Valdahon, France, 1917
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Officers of Headquarters 79th Division, who served cocoa, sandwiches, cake, orange, nuts, grapes, cigars, and cigarettes to enlisted men of Headquarters at Y.M.C.A. Christmas night. Dugny, Meuse, France. Dec. 25, 1918
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All Pennsylvania soldiers in Co. B of the 10th Regiment in Camp Lee’s Quartermaster Replacement Center gather to sing carols around the tree to show how men of the Keystone State demonstrate Christmas spirit. Camp Lee, Virginia. December 1941.
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“Continuous night bombing schedule of the intensive bombardier training program allows no time out for Christmas Eve worship. Lt. Eugene F. McCahey, flying chaplain of San Angelo Army Air Field, bring the Christmas message to the bomber flight line on Dec. 24, 1942. Pausing after the cadets receive his blessing before continuing their practice blasting of the 18,000 acres of this bombardier school’s night target bombing ranges in San Angelo, Texas. Chaplain McCahey is himself a pilot.” (AP Photo).
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A Sherman tank with a Christmas greeting painted on its hull, Benghazi, 26 December 1942.
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U.S. Soldiers Caroleers Circle Globe. The Christmas spirit is universal, the traditions unchanging even in the midst of war. Where ever our American troops are to be found throughout the world Christmas Carols will be heard in joyful hymns on the eve of the Nativity of Christ. In India – “Come and Behold Him, Born the King of Angels”. 1942
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Chaplain Lt. Col. William King leads troops of the 45th in Christmas Day services in Italy, 25 December 1943
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“Christmas Day services near the front, in Italy. Lt. Col. William E. King, of Kansas City, Mo., Chaplain of the 45th Division, speaks to men assembled near their Bivouac Area. Notice the Young dog by the Altar.” Venafro area, Italy. 25 December 1943.
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“1st LT Harvey Floyd Bell, Chaplain of 1st Bn., 180th Inf. Regt., says grace before Christmas dinner is served.” Demanio area, Italy. 25 December 1943
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“During prayer, the flag is lowered at outdoor Christmas Day services conducted by LT Aloysis S. Carney, Jersey City, New Jersey, at Headquarters of 120th Medical Clearing Co.” Venafro area, Italy. 25 December 1943
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Somewhere in the Pacific, Depot Chapel decorated for Christmas, 1944
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Somewhere in the Pacific, Christmas worship service in the Depot Chapel, 1944
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Soldiers of the 463rd Combat Engineers in France near the German border pause to observe Christmas the best way they could 25 December 1944. Note K-ration cans as ornaments and three stacked M1 Garand rifles
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General Patton’s Christmas greeting to his troops, Christmas 1944. On the reverse side was the prayer for good weather written by his chaplain
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An American MP stands stands guard in front of a 65 ft. tree at the top of Radicosa Pass; 2500 ft. in the Appennine Mountains. Italy, December 18, 1944
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US Army soldiers stationed in the small Luxembourg town of Wiltz, gave the townfolk, and especially the children, a St. Nicholas Day celebration in Dec 1944
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Christmas greetins from Chaplain William J. Mahoney, 121st Medical BN, South Pacific, 1944
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Bundles from America for soldiers in the field with Field Artillery Unit in Germany. Holding Christmas packages are, left to right: Pfc. W.J. Kessler; Pfc. J.L. Proffitt; Pvt. B. Narter; Cpl. T.J. Barnewski; and Pfc. J. Stoll. 11/26/44
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CHRISTMAS SERVICE – Personnel of the 303rd Bomb Group receive the Sacrament Of Holy Communion at an airbase somewhere in England. 26 December 1944
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Manger scene in Yokota, Japan, 1951
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Korean KP decorates Christmas tree set up in front of serving counter of HQs & HQs Co, 19th Inf Regt, 24th US Inf Div, as Christmas Day dinner is readied for men of the Co. Korea. 25 December 1951
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Men of Co “B”, 4th Signal Bn, X US Corps, prepare to decorate the Christmas tree at Bn HQ. Korea. 11 December 1951
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Men of Co “F”, 9th Inf Regt, 2nd U.S. Inf Div, enjoy their Christmas Day dinner at CO HQS, Korea. 25 December 1951
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Soldiers in Germany prepare to deliver gifts to local children, 1953
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Navy Chaplain Capodanno with a manager scene in Vietnam, 1966
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1967-12-25 – C Co, 4th Bn, 9th Inf, 25th Inf Division, Manchus, Young and Christmas tree at Katum chow line Cambodian border. 1967 Katum, Late Dec — Young is holding our Christmas dinners, as I took the picture of him with the tree. Young was killed in the March 2, 1968 at the Hoc Mon bridge ambush
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Soldier eats Christmas dinner by a simple Christmas Tree. Vietnam, ca 1967
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The troops get a visit from Santa Claus. Vietnam ca 1968
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U.S. soldiers set up a Christmas tree in a spare mortar pit at the Duc Lap Special Forces camp. 1969. (Bettmann/CORBIS)
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Christmas in Vietnam, ca 1970
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Soldiers gather around a small Christmas tree for a picture. Vietnam, ca 1972
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Army Spc. Freddy Barahona, left, and Army Spc. Michael Hanes enjoy their Christmas at Bagram Airfield, Afghanistan, 2004 (photo by Petty Officer 1st Class Kristin Fitzsimmons, USN)
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Army Sgt. Maj. Della St. Louis, operations sergeant major for Headquarters Company, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, takes her real Christmas tree on a tour of Camp Taji, Iraq, to have soldiers of the camp help decorate it, 2004 (Cpl. Benjamin Cossel, USA)
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Santa visits the troops, ca 2005
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U.S. Navy Lt. Jennifer Bowder, a chaplain with Marine Wing Support Squadron 273, conducts a Christmas service for U.S. Marines and Soldiers at Combat Post Heider in Rabiah, Iraq, Dec. 29, 2008. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Sgt. Jason W. Fudge/Released)
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Santa gets a lift from a Blackhawk helicopter to visit the troops, ca 2010
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Dec 24 2010: A U.S. Airman carries a candle to light those of his colleagues during a ceremony on the eve of Christmas at the US base of Camp Phoenix in Kabul Afghanistan (AP)
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Santa visits the troops in Bagram, Afghanistan, ca 2012
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Altar prepared for Christmas Worship by Navy Chaplain Jonathon Maloney at FOB Deli, Afghanistan, 2012
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Christmas greetings sent from Camp Clark, Khost Provence, Afghanistan, 2014
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Santa visits the troops, ca 2015
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SGT Santa Claus stands in formation with his elves, ca 2015
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First Sergeant Santa Claus marches with Marines, ca 2015
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Navy Chaplain Jonathon Maloney stands by the Christmas tree in his office on the USS San Diego while at sea, Christmas 2017
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On the Homefront: Cantonement Chapel on Fort Leonard Wood decorated for Christmas during World War II
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On the Homefront: The Panzer “Santa”, with well-filled sack of radios, books, cookies, and other gifts dear to soldiers hearts, glides up to the door of the barracks in Camp Lee’s Quartermaster Corps and it isn’t hampered by lack of snow in Virginia. Camp Lee, Virginia, Quartermaster Replacement Center. December 1941
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On the Homefront: Christmas Eve service at the Main Post Chapel on Joint Base Lewis-McChord, 2015
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On the Homefront: Christmas Day Mass at the Old Post Chapel at Fort Hood, led by Father Lito Amande, 2015
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On the Homefront: Interior of St. Mary’s Chapel at Fort Riley, decorated for Christmas, 2016
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Wherever you’re reading this from, either from a deployed location or at home, or a family member missing their deployed service member, If you celebrate Christmas, I wish for you a very blessed and merry holiday season and pray for the safe return of all of our deployed and separated service members!
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Christmas at War
For as long as we’ve been a nation (and even before) American Service Members have been deployed during the holidays. Here’s a short video that shows some of the Christmas scenes from wartime deployments and the home front during war.
With this video goes out a special “Merry Christmas!” to our armed forces wherever they may be serving this Christmas.
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The Chaplain Kit 