Shortly before Christmas 1941, when the United States suddenly found itself in a world war on two fronts, British Prime Minister Winston Churchill – at great personal risk, as the Atlantic was alive with Nazi submarines – sailed to confer with President Franklin Roosevelt in Washington. On Christmas Day, the two men went to church. And there, Churchill heard for the first time in his life one of the most beloved American Christmas carols, “O Little Town of Bethlehem.”
The story of that historic Christmas (and of the classic wartime song “I’ll Be Home for Christmas”) was beautifully told by the historian David McCullough, accompanied by the Mormon Tabernacle Choir at its 2009 Christmas concert. There’s a book of Mr. McCullough’s text that night, replete with vintage photographs of FDR and Churchill, and of everyday Americans preparing to go to war. A CD of the presentation is bound inside the book, which is titled In the Dark Streets Shineth: A 1941 Christmas Eve Story. I think it’s something every American family should own, and show to their children, and their children’s children.
As the World War II generation passes away, we do well to remember the enormous sacrifices it made in the war years, and how it vanquished the unspeakable evils of Nazism and Japanese militarism so that we would be free to celebrate Christmas – or whichever other festival of light we cherish – in peace and prosperity. At a moment in our national life which seems fixated on everything that divides us, it’s important to remind ourselves – and to teach children who may look at these photographs as something akin to ancient history – about a time when we were united, and we and our Allies saved the world.
© 2015 Nick Murray. All rights reserved. Reprinted by permission. Nick reviews current books, articles and research findings in the “Resources” feature of his monthly newsletter, Nick Murray Interactive. To download the latest sample issue, visit www.nickmurray.com, and click on “Newsletter.”