The American St. Nick

Rating:
Summary: WWII GI Gift
Review: In this time, when our Veterans from World War II are realizing how much we all need to hear their stories, THE AMERICAN ST. NICK is a heart-warming one grandfathers can share with their grandchildren, helping them to see that behind the face of the Warrior beats a father's heart. No matter that the young men thought what they were doing was just a lark.

Rebeccasreads highly recommends THE AMERICAN ST. NICK as a fine recollection of one shining moment in a dark horrendous conflict that glows like a child's grin. It is a tale, simply told, of bringing joy to some needy children & their community. It is also the story of how one town never forgot the GIs who gave of their bounty, & by doing so resurrected the Spirit of Christmas for a devastated people. Nor have they forgetten those GIs who gave their lives & never went home.

Rating:
Summary: The kind of story you want to climb into
Review: Peter Lion brings new light to a tiny flicker of joy in the darkest moments of World War II and tells the tale of a holiday tradition that lives into the 21st Century.

In December of 1944, American soldiers from the 28th Infantry Division were stationed in the village of Wiltz, Luxembourg. Two members of the Signal Corps, knowing they wouldn't be home for Christmas, decided that the next best thing would be to celebrate the holidays in Wiltz. With gifts and treats donated by soldiers from the 28th, they gave the town's children a full-blown St. Nicolas Day party on December 6th, complete with a visit from the beloved Saint (an American soldier dressed in cleric's vestments and a bishop's miter). After the war, many of the participants put aside the memories of that day along with the horrors of the war but the people of Wiltz never forgot.

Every year, they observe December 6 as both St. Nicolas Day and the anniversary of the visit from the American St. Nick. One of the town's men assumes the coveted role in the annual celebration.

Through a series of chance turns-of-events, the first American St. Nicolas is tracked down and over thirty years later, he returns to Wiltz on St. Nicolas Day.

Filling the inevitable gaps in memory with vibrant fiction, Peter Lion's story leaps from the page with a vitality that transports the reader through time and distance into the streets of Wiltz in 1944. The two photo sections are filled with the kind of pictures one lingers over.

There's material here for a feature film or a perennial holiday TV movie. We can only hope some studio folks with good sense have read "The American St. Nick".

Rating:
Summary: The kind of story you want to climb into
Review: Peter Lion brings new light to a tiny flicker of joy in the darkest moments of World War II and tells the tale of a holiday tradition that lives into the 21st Century.

In December of 1944, American soldiers from the 28th Infantry Division were protecting the village of Wiltz, Luxembourg. Two members of the Signal Corps, knowing they wouldn't be home for Christmas, decided that the next best thing would be to celebrate the holidays in Wiltz. With gifts and treats donated by soldiers from the 28th, they gave the town's children a full-blown St. Nicolas Day party on December 6th, complete with a visit from the beloved Saint (an American soldier dressed in cleric's vestments and a bishop's miter). After the war, many of the participants put aside the memories of that day along with the horrors of the war but the people of Wiltz never forgot.

Every year, they observe December 6 as both St. Nicolas Day and the anniversary of the visit from the American St. Nick. Whenever possible, an invited American plays the coveted part.

Through a series of chance turns-of-events, the first American St. Nicolas is tracked down and over thirty years later, he returns to Wiltz on St. Nicolas Day.

Filling the inevitable gaps in memory with skillfully crafted fiction, Peter Lion's story leaps from the page with a vitality that transports the reader through time and distance into the streets of Wiltz in 1944. The two photo sections are filled with the type of pictures one lingers over.

There's material here for a feature film or a perennial holiday TV movie. We can only hope some studio folks with good sense have read "The American St. Nick".