It is not given to us to know fully what that purpose is. But I think we may be sure of one thing. That is, that our country is intended to do all it can, in cooperation with other nations, to help create peace and preserve peace in this world. It is given to us to defend the spiritual values the moral code against the vast forces of evil that seek to destroy them.
This is a hard task. It is not one that we have asked for… But we need not be afraid, if we have faith.535
Every point made by President Truman is applicable to America today. God has continued to bless this great nation. Never before in history have any people had such complete freedom to set their own moral and spiritual course. It is as if God has perfected freedom in America and waits to see what each person will do with it. As Christians we must live and demonstrate this enduring truth to others: that the ultimate purpose of our lives and our freedom is to seek and find God.
God did this so that men would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from each one of us. “For in him we live and move and have our being.”
December 22
On December 24, 1942, the 7th Marine Regiment was relieved from the front line on Guadalcanal after ninety-six consecutive days of combat. Edward Andrusko and his battle-weary comrades marched to the relative safety of the beach area to wait for embarkation. That night he and many other Marines attended a memorable Christmas Eve service in a coconut grove beside Henderson Field. The makeshift altar was covered by a tent, and coconut logs served as pews. Bomb shelters were close at hand. Andrusko observed, “It was a beautiful service with candles, caroling, prayer for peace on Earth, and memorials to our dead and wounded.”536
Suddenly, however, the air raid warning sounded. The chaplain, a seasoned combat veteran himself, calmly asserted that he was going to continue with the service, but pointed to the air raid shelters for all who wanted to seek a safer place. Most of the Marines stayed in the dark outdoor church, illuminated by a single candle. An amazing scene unfolded:
Soon we heard the drone of enemy planes and the whistling of their bombs and explosions approaching closer and closer.
Instantly the dark night was brightly illuminated by our large searchlights… nearby batteries of our anti- aircraft cannons blasted away… The guns fired loudly and rapidly, and their high overhead explosion bursts would light up the sky… Our bright red tracers added to the awesome fireworks display. More bombs fell, but soon passed us by.
We sang “Silent Night, Holy Night. All is calm. All is bright,” as the enemy planes passed slowly overhead. After a while their bombs fell further and further away from us. Our prayers and carol singing must have been heard through the din of battle, and answered, for soon the all clear was sounded. No one was hurt at our church service. That was our first and last Christmas Eve midnight mass on Guadalcanal Island.537
An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord.”
December 23
There was plenty of bad news from the European front on December 24, 1944. The German offensive through Belgium and Luxembourg, known as the Battle of the Bulge, had been launched on December 16 with devastating effect. V-1 rockets, or “buzz bombs,” were bringing a new rain of terror on England’s cities. On Christmas Eve Flora Southwick wrote her husband, Erman, a letter filled with mixed emotions:
The war news has been in the past few days disheartening to say the least and to me it brings the sad thought that our physical separation may be longer. My heart aches for those who are suffering and dying during what should be a season of gladness. And I have great compassion for those who have lost loved ones…
Tonight I shall look for the Christmas star and you in France will also be looking for it. Real clouds or the clouds of battle may obscure it but we shall know it is high in the sky sparkling as brightly as ever and bringing its promise of peace and love to all men and women of good will… This Christmas Eve I am strangely happy and I can say to you, darling, a Very Merry Christmas.538
Christmas can be the loneliest of lonely times when we are separated from home and loved ones. This young woman bridged the gulf between her and her husband by turning their mutual attention to a common reference point, the Christmas star. Even in the most difficult circumstances, Christmas is the time of supreme hope. When we focus on the magnitude of the event and realize that this was the turning point in history when God came into the world, we can experience the peace that comes with this special season, in spite of our worldly tribulations. Just as this couple did in World War II, we can find peace in the wonder of this glorious event and draw closer to all other Christians around the world as we look together for the brightly sparkling star.
They went on their way, and the star they had seen in the east went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was. When they saw the star, they were overjoyed.
December 24
Corvettes were small naval vessels used in convoy escort duty. They were smaller than destroyers and had even fewer amenities for the crew. The quarters were cramped, and the ride was rough, especially in the North Atlantic during the winter months. Frank Curry spent several years on board the Canadian Navy corvette HMCS
Christmas Day—and what a day. My first one aboard a ship, but, from the looks of things, not my last. Up at 0800 (among our rare gifts, and a most welcome change). We hosed down the decks and cleaned ship. Decorated our mess decks and tied a small Christmas tree to the masthead—apparently another old, old tradition of the sea. I
