American St. Nick: A True Story

“The kids here in town haven’t seen Saint Nicolas or Christmas . . . in almost five years. They don’t even know who Saint Nicolas is. And that’s just it. It’s the kids I really feel sorry for,” Stutz said, “No Christmas or anything for almost five years? Can you imagine? It’s nuts.” In December 1944, a handful of American soldiers brought the holiday spirit back to the children of war-weary Wiltz, Luxembourg. Just ten days later, Wiltz was all but destroyed in the Battle of the Bulge, but during the years that followed they never forgot the generosity of their American Saint Nicolas and his GI buddies. Those who survived searched for the American soldiers, in hopes of bringing…