Christmas conflict and sadness

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow wrote the poem "I heard the bells on Christmas day" (later put to music) on Christmas Day, 1864, in a small town in Massachusetts.
He had endured several family tragedies. He saw many seriously wounded young men, including his son, and, like many, wondered why.

Wadsworth and many others were unaware that Lincoln and Grant, with the help of Sherman and Sheridan, had decided to reintroduce total war (war on civilians as well as soldiers) to the world and a war of attrition.

Cold Harbor (June 12, 1864): 1,500 dead, 3,000 wounded in 20 minutes.
80 years after the poem: Battle of the Bulge (and after) in World War II.
Missionary Ridge (November 25, 1863)

More: Song: I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day

I heard the bells on Christmas Day
Their old, familiar carols play,
and wild and sweet The words repeat
Of peace on earth, good-will to men!

Then from each black, accursed mouth
The cannon thundered in the South,
And with the sound , The carols drowned
Of peace on earth, good-will to men!

And in despair I bowed my head;
There is no peace on earth, I said;
For hate is strong, And mocks the song
Of peace on earth, good-will to men!

Luke 2:14 Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men. [kjv]

δοξα εν υψιστοις θεω και επι γης ειρηνη εν ανθρωποις ευδοκιας [gnt]

The Greek for "glory" is that of "opinion" or "expectation".
The Greek for "good will" is that of "good opinion" or "good expectation".

Paraphrase: Expectation/opinion in the highest (from earth) to God and on the earth peace in men of a good expectation.

God has a high opinion and a good expectation that men will be peaceful on earth. To support the KJV (King James Version) translation, the second Greek "in" is to the English "towards". To support the Greek "in", translations like the NIV (New International Version) use the following.

NIV: Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.

More: Luke 2:8-21 Shepherds and Presbyterians

Then pealed the bells more loud and deep:
God is not dead, nor doth He sleep;
*The Wrong shall fail, The Right prevail,
With peace on earth, good-will to men.

[Nietche]

*Sir, my concern is not whether God is on our side; my greatest concern is to be on God's side, for God is always right. Abraham Lincoln

Fast forward 80 years to the day on December 25, 1944 (and the eve the night before).

Historian Shelby Foote (1916-2005) makes the following observation.

Before the Civil War, the (united) states are a country.
After the Civil War, the united states is a country.

More: Song: I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day

What might the official song of the U.S. Army, "The caissons go rolling along", written in 1908, have to do with Christmas?

The song was written by Colonel Edmund "Snitz" Gruber, a descendant of Franz Gruber, who composed "Silent Night" in 1818, 90 years earlier.

Over hill, over dale, as we hit the dusty trail,
And those caissons go rolling along.
In and out, hear them shout,
Counter march and right about,
And those caissons go rolling along.

More: Song: Silent night

More: Song: Caissons go rolling along

In high school, Uncle Donny gave me a German belt buckle from his service in World War II. The Nazi swastika is surrounded by the words "Gott mit uns", or "God with us", from the Luther Bible 400 years earlier. The verse is often read at Christmas.

Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us. Matthew 1:23.
German: … Emanuel … Gott mit uns.
Russian: … Еммануил, … с нами Бог.
Latin: … Emmanuhel … Nobiscum Deus

Preserve me, O God: for in thee do I put my trust. Psalms 16:1
Discuss: What does it mean to put "In God we trust" on currency?

The Waffen SS used the motto "Meine Ehre heißt Treue" meaning "My honor is loyalty".

More: Abraham Lincoln

More: Romans 8: Battle cry separation for the love of Christ (part 1)

More: Matthew 1:23 Gott mit uns

O come, O come, Immanuel,
and ransom captive Israel
that mourns in lonely exile here
until the Son of God appear.

Rejoice! Rejoice! Immanuel
shall come to you, O Israel.

O come, O King of nations, bind
in one the hearts of all mankind.
Bid all our sad divisions cease
and be yourself our King of Peace.

Rejoice! Rejoice! Immanuel
shall come to you, O Israel.

Following "White Christmas" from 1941 and again in 1942, Bing Crosby released "I'll be Home for Christmas" in October 1943.

Some soldiers never made it home.
Will you be home for Christmas?
Where exactly is your home?

The simple words and melody were an instant hit with anyone, such as soldiers in World War II, who were away from home. It was an ever present hope to be home with friends and loved ones during the holidays.

More: Song: I'll be Home for Christmas

Many soldiers fought in the Battle of the Bulge. Some did not make it home for Christmas. Some 120 were massacred at Malmedy on December 17, 1944. There were some survivors.

PFC William F Reem (1923-2003) from Elizabethtown PA. His daughter was in the EAHS class of 1974.
PFC Harold Billow (1923-2022) from Marietta, PA, later living and working in Mount Joy, PA. He was known for flags every Memorial Day.

I met Harold Billow (1923-2022) at a restaurant in Mount Joy on December 13, 2016, and talked to him for a while. At the time, he was the only living survivor of the Malmedy massacre.

James 4:14 Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away. [kjv]

οιτινες ουκ επιστασθε το της αυριον ποια η ζωη υμων ατμις γαρ εστε προς ολιγον φαινομενη επειτα αφανιζομενη [gnt]

More: Matthew 6:19-21: A treasury of treasures of which to treasure

More: Philippians 2:15 deceptive appearance of a shining light

More: Battle of the Bulge

Wilbur Jackson "Jack" Myers, Anti-Tank Gunner, 104th ID, European theater, World War II. Same United Methodist church for 99+ years.

100 years old at the time of the talk (October 6, 2023)
Jumped out of a plane at age 95.
Did not talk about the war for more than 40 years.
Tiger tanks were almost impossible to destroy. (October 6, 2023)
Following orders to take out church steeple, later a sniper (captured).
Sang Christmas carols with German soldiers and band across the river, December 24, 1944 (October 6, 2023)
Twin soldier and meeting descendant.

More: World War 2 talk