The Christmas Holiday is my favorite; it is a time for family, gifts, parties, and for the most part a lot of happiness.  Last Christmas I had a special phone call with my Grandfather Jerry that made me re-evaluate the Holiday Season and where true Joy and Happiness come from.  If you've read my "About" page you know that my Grandfather was shot down on his 44th bombing mission over Czechoslovakia; he spent Christmas 1944 in a German POW Camp.  As we talked on the phone I couldn't help but sympathize with him, "It must have been a horrible Christmas for you Grandpa."  His response surprised me.

     "It was the most beautiful Christmas I've ever experienced", was his reply.  Despite all the things going on around them and throughout Europe, that Christmas in '44 was "Wonderful" and has stuck with him as clearly today as it was 65 years ago.  Imagine for a moment barbed wire, fences, guards and dogs, machine guns...  combine that with cramped barracks, little food, and an uncertain future.  The German's present to the prisoners of Stalag Luft IV that Christmas was liberating in a sense:  opening the camp to them and allowing them to conduct a "Christmas Program".

     In the words of my Grandfather, "The Germans let us roam freely around the compound without the dogs and without fear of being shot.  Our complex was about twice the size of a football stadium so it was large and we got to roam freely and talk to others in the camp and find friends."  To top it off, prisoners were allowed access to violins, trumpets, saxophones, accordions, etc.  A fellow among the prisoners was a part of the "Boston or New York philharmonic choir, he sang and his voice was beautiful!"  The Program that followed was amazingly organized and was better than any Church, School, or Choir performance...  it certainly held more sentiment for those POW's who had so little.

   Listening to my Grandpa it was clear that experiencing the Christmas of '44 with friends and "brothers" and enjoying such beautiful and touching Holiday music put the unimportant things in life (like gifts and money) into perspective.  For those 3000 or so POW's, freedom, friendship, family, religion, and the simple and beautiful things in life took center stage that day in 1944 and every Christmas since.

I'd like to wish you all a very happy Holiday Season.