This one's called the Christmas tree in our house. we had this tradition on Christmas Eve We gather around the fire and the kids would decorate the tree and bring out the presents and the neighbors. They might drop by for a drink. This one year we're sitting there and talk gets around to Vietnam one of my youngest boys says suddenly what was it like in the war in Italy at Christmas Dad I Must admit I was a bit surprised and then I thought ah, he's young, he just doesn't understand so I just said the war went on and the shovels kept coming and Men got killed I was quite a surprise I was quite surprised at the reaction fighting on Christmas day they were amazed I relieved their minds somewhat saying that there were no actual battles, no advances, patrols yeah, line cutting parties probably.

but that winter of 1943 in the Ortona area, both sides just dug in. It was more artillery and mortar with the odd sniper. Christmas was just another day in several months when Jerry had fire superiority over us and he plastered us every day. In fact, I think he let go a few more salvos on Christmas day than usual.

sort of a Christmas present if you like I Told him a lot of men died, the youngest asked me if we didn't even have a tree and I told him this story. A sergeant and a couple of oopers drove up from headquarters with a tree scrawny little thing. They meant well but they didn't know bug or all about our front and they parked their Jeep on what passed for a road. We were dug underground and I should say that there was hardly a house or building remaining because the Germans has systematically leveled every house and Cow Shed within range.

Suddenly there's a howling and the whole earth goes jump, jump, jump. And that's unusual. Her post was pretty safe, dug deep. What had happened Was this this? the German Gunner's forward observation post had spotted the Jeep and drawn in artillery fire and let loose and blew the Jeep to square inch pieces with that one.

Salvo Our fur tree was still in the Jeep of course, so it was chopped up like firewood. How we curse those officers parking in the Jeep not 100 ft from where we were dug in. My Christmas Story to the family gave them a different aspect of the war that it wasn't fought by Errol Flynns and John Waynes but by bookkeeper ERS and farmers and guys who owned a service station like their old man.