A film clip from Battleground (1949), a rousing tribute to the heroic stand of the 101st Airborne at Bastogne at Christmas 1944, which helped turn the tide of the Battle of the Bulge. Seventy-eight years ago on December 16, 1944 the Germans launched their last desperate offensive to turn defeat into victory. The sermon helps explain to the men why they are there, and why the sacrifices they were being called upon to make were important and necessary.
The film has a gritty, realistic feel. Twenty combat veterans of the 101 trained the actors how to behave in combat sequences, and how in general to act like veteran troops, and served as extras in the film. Many of the actors in the film were World War II veterans. Colonel Harry Kinnard, who served as deputy divisional commander at Bastogne, was the film technical advisor.
Leon Ames, the actor portraying the Chaplain, was a veteran of World War I, serving in both the artillery and the Flying Corps. Presumably he lied about his age, as so many young American men did during that conflict, as he would have been sixteen in 1918.
We should always be mindful of the men and women in our military who are far from their families today, destined to celebrate Christmas often in dangerous situations. May God bless them and keep them, and may we always remember the sacrifices they make for us.
Amen. God bless our service men and women abroad.
Amen – “We should always be mindful of the men and women in our military who are far from their families today, destined to celebrate Christmas often in dangerous situations. May God bless them and keep them, and may we always remember the sacrifices they make for us.”
And a special remembrance of (1) those in sealed metal tubes submerged 100s of feet beneath the waves with no recourse to fresh air & sunlight, and (2) those on eternal patrol: the crews of the USS Thresher SSN-593 & the USS Scorpion SSN-589.
And let us remember even our enemies – the crew of the Kursk, Project 949A. Death comes once to a customer, will always take advantage of bad engineering, poor maintenance & political incompetency, and cares not what side you’re on.
Why is my comment awaiting moderation? I am sure this is some electronic snafu.
If that clip doesn’t ruin a dry eye nothing much will. Again.
God bless our veterans.
God help us ” put out the fires before they begin. ” Amen.
God does still bless our servicemen and women. However, I would appreciate your continued prayers for those in the Army who have resisted the vax mandate order rather than violate their consciences. We had a preliminary injunction hearing for them on Friday in Texas and we are awaiting a ruling. We are also going to get a ruling on our class certification motion as well. Please keep all our clients in your prayers. The coercion they have faced, and resisted so far, has been incredible. Their faithfulness in the face of that coercion is simply a gift from God.