Singer <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/post-malone">Post Malone</a> gave a single mom an unexpected gift during her shift as a bartender on <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/christmas">Christmas</a> Eve.
Renee Brown, 36, told her story to the outlet <a href="https://musicmayhemmagazine.com/post-malone-surprises-struggling-single-mom-with-life-changing-20000-tip-a-christmas-miracle/">Music Mayhem</a>. The restaurant worker said she was sad to be scheduled to work during the holiday because it meant she couldn’t spend it with her 9-year-old daughter, Iliana. But her night took a turn when the “Sunflower” singer, whose real name is Austin Post, made a stop at The Railyard in <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/houston">Houston</a>, Texas, during her shift.
“The day started off super slow, and I was just taking it as it was, trying to be in a good mood for others while dealing with not being able to spend Christmas Eve with my daughter,” Brown told the outlet. “We usually bake cookies and watch Christmas movies, and this was the first time I wasn’t able to do that.”
The small neighborhood kept getting busier, and then Post showed up with “A Bar Song (Tipsy)” singer, Shaboozey. 
“I initially didn’t realize he was there until one of my coworkers from my second job came inside and told me that Austin [Post Malone] was outside on the patio,” she said. “I thought he was kidding with me at first, then I kept seeing people go outside [and] I kept making drinks for like 30 minutes before curiosity got the best of me, and lo and behold, he was there.”
“I told all my regulars not to be weird and bug him as it’s a neighborhood dive bar, and I’m sure he picked a place like that to feel a sense of normalcy,” Brown continued, mentioning how the vibes shifted when the famous recording artists arrived. “It lifted the spirits of the entire bar. It was amazing to see everyone so happy and seeing how kind he was to all the people that spend their days with me on the regular.”
Brown said the biggest surprise at all came at the end of the night.
“Everyone that he was with was also so kind and inviting, we had a great night jamming to songs on the jukebox. Then came time for last call and to close. When Austin asked for his check, he didn’t have one because many regulars and his friends bought his beverages,” Brown said. She explained how Post was insistent that he be charged for something, which led to him leaving a tip.  
“So he asked me to ring him up for a penny or anything, so I did. I continued my close and collected all my checks and started to enter my tips. Then I got to his. It was a tip for $20,000,” she told the outlet.
“I immediately broke down crying. It was a very emotional night already being away from home, being swamped behind the bar, trying to process that they were even there and then the tip on top,” she said.
Brown added, “I finally got a chance to stop cleaning and talk to him some more and thank him. I know I was crying and thanking him, but he has no idea exactly how much this meant to me.”
“I work two jobs and homeschool my daughter. I’m constantly exhausted. We’ve been without a car for two years. And recently moved after losing everything and starting over from scratch in August of 2024,” she said. 
“This put me in a position to at least be able to get a way back and forth to work and pay up on rent and save a bit. I’m trying to save up to start a business, so I don’t have to continue working two jobs and be able to spend more time with my daughter. Things have been extremely difficult, and this was truly a blessing that I can’t fully put into words. The visit alone was absolutely amazing and something I could talk about and remember for the rest of my life.”
Brown concluded, “If this message reaches him, I know I told him that night how grateful I am, but I’d like to reiterate that he helped me in ways I can’t even begin to explain. My best friend [Matthew] and I have been huge fans of him for years, and it was amazing we got to meet him and experience that moment.”
The bartender also posted about her experience on Instagram right after it happened and included photos of herself with Post. 
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“Going into work Christmas Eve, I was so sad I had to leave my baby girl to go to work. Oblivious that God would send me a Christmas miracle,” she wrote in the post caption. “This is hands down the most humble, personable celebrity I’ve had the pleasure of meeting. He changed my life on Christmas f***king Eve, and will forever be grateful. Thank you so much, Austin.”

Post Malone

Post Malone Tips Single Mom Bartender $20K: ‘He Changed My Life’

Post Malone Tips Single Mom Bartender $20K: 'He Changed My Life'

Celebrities

Christmas

Houston

Music

Music legend Frank Sinatra has returned to the top 10 music chart after more than a decade with his “Ultimate Christmas” holiday compilation album.
The singer’s Christmas album has become Sinatra’s 33rd top 10 album on the Billboard 200 Albums chart, the most ever for any solo male singer, <a href="https://www.billboard.com/music/chart-beat/frank-sinatra-ultimate-christmas-top-10-billboard-200-chart-1235866619/">Billboard</a> reported. 
The compilation of Sinatra’s classic Christmas songs includes “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas,” “Santa Claus Is Comin’ to Town,” and “The Christmas Song,” among many others.
The holiday album ended up climbing from the 17th spot to number 10 on the chart for the week ending January 4, 2025, the outlet noted. It marks Sinatra’s first crack into the top ten chart since August 2012. The legendary singer died in 1998.
The album debuted in 2017 and ended up reaching the top 10 in its 52nd week on the chart, after it previously peaked in the number 12 spot.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
There&#8217;s nothing like “The Christmas Song” to fix your holiday mood! Get in the spirit with Frank’s iconic album ‘Ultimate Christmas,’ the perfect soundtrack for the most wonderful time of the year also available on vinyl <a href="https://twitter.com/amazon?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@amazon</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/Target?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Target</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/Walmart?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Walmart</a>! <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/12DaysOfSinatra?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#12DaysOfSinatra</a> <a href="https://t.co/o3VmToB1Hi">pic.twitter.com/o3VmToB1Hi</a>
— Frank Sinatra (@franksinatra) <a href="https://twitter.com/franksinatra/status/1869780173035593853?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 19, 2024</a></blockquote>
Legendary crooner Bing Crosby — who passed away in 1977 — also saw an uptick on the Billboard album chart with his own “Ultimate Christmas” album this holiday, when it went from the 6th spot to number 3, the first top-charting effort since his “Merry Christmas” ranked number 2 on the chart on Jan. 5, 1959, the outlet noted.
In 2023, it was <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/brenda-lee-finally-tops-music-charts-65-years-after-release-of-her-classic-christmas-song" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Brenda Lee’s</a> turn to move up the music charts when her classic Christmas song “‘<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TFsZy9t-qDc">Rockin’ Around The Christmas Tree</a>” finally topped the Billboard music chart — 65 years after the song was recorded in 1958.
Lee’s 1960 rocking holiday song danced its way to the top spot on the Billboard Hot 100 Songs chart for the week ending November 30, 2023, <a href="https://www.billboard.com/lists/brenda-lee-rockin-around-the-christmas-tree-number-one-hot-100/">Billboard</a> noted.
The classic Christmas tune — written by Johnny Marks and produced by Owen Bradley — first hit the Hot 100 (at No. 64) in the chart dated Dec. 12, 1960, the outlet noted. Two weeks later, the festive song peaked at No. 14 and it finally moved up the chart in 2019 where it spent nine weeks at No. 2 from December 2019 to Dec. 2022. It then scored a huge win last year when it became the 1,161st No. 1 in the Hot 100’s archives.
The song gave Lee her third number one song on the Hot 100 chart after she notched her first two 65 years earlier with “I’m Sorry,” dated July 18, 1960, and “I Want To Be Wanted” on Oct. 24, 1960, Billboard magazine noted.
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/brenda-lee-finally-tops-music-charts-65-years-after-release-of-her-classic-christmas-song" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Brenda Lee Finally Tops Music Charts 65 Years After Release Of Her Classic Christmas Song</a>

Frank Sinatra

Frank Sinatra Returns To Top 10 Music Chart After More Than A Decade With Christmas Tunes

Billboard

Entertainment

Mariah Carey

A massive fire broke out at a classic Christmas village in Manhattan on Friday, leaving firefighters scrambling to put out the blaze just days after Christmas.
Bryant Park&#8217;s annual Christmas market near 42nd Street and 6th Avenue could be seen engulfed in flames Friday morning, videos taken by bystanders show.
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Bryant Park Christmas Village is on fire 🔥 <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/whatisnewyork?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#whatisnewyork</a> <a href="https://t.co/031iZ2D6He">pic.twitter.com/031iZ2D6He</a>
&mdash; WhatIsNewYork (@whatisny) <a href="https://twitter.com/whatisny/status/1872653767713386909?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 27, 2024</a></blockquote>
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Bryant Park Christmas Village, right now 🔥 New York City <a href="https://t.co/teiFCgdetC">pic.twitter.com/teiFCgdetC</a>
&mdash; NewYorkCityKopp (@newyorkcitykopp) <a href="https://twitter.com/newyorkcitykopp/status/1872660278170804232?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 27, 2024</a></blockquote>
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&quot;At about 9:23 this morning, we received a report of a fire in Bryant Park. Units arrived shortly thereafter and found a fire in the kiosk, approximately six feet by 40 feet long. We had a couple of separate occupancies inside that area. There was fire in there and throughout.… <a href="https://t.co/Jfhcq0PrLT">pic.twitter.com/Jfhcq0PrLT</a>
&mdash; FDNY (@FDNY) <a href="https://twitter.com/FDNY/status/1872691966195986738?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 27, 2024</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Huge plumes of smoke billowed into the air as a group of firefighters approached the fire, one video shows.
&#8220;Get out! Get out! Let&#8217;s go!&#8221; a man yells in one video.
The FDNY said they received a call about the fire shortly before 9:30 a.m. and responded to a fire that was 40 feet long and had damaged a long kiosk with four businesses inside and the roof of the ice skating rink.
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Firefighters were able to extinguish the fire in &#8220;a short amount of time,&#8221; and it was under control by 10 a.m., Battalion Chief Joseph Castellano <a href="https://nypost.com/2024/12/27/us-news/fire-erupts-at-bryant-parks-holiday-market-in-nyc/?utm_source=twitter&amp;utm_campaign=nypost&amp;utm_medium=social" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a>.
&#8220;There were no injuries. The cause of the fire is under investigation by FDNY Fire Marshals,&#8221; the fire chief said.
The fire <a href="https://nypost.com/2024/12/27/us-news/fire-erupts-at-bryant-parks-holiday-market-in-nyc/?utm_source=twitter&amp;utm_campaign=nypost&amp;utm_medium=social" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reportedly</a> may have started as a trash fire and then spread to the kiosks, although it is not clear how the trash caught fire.
“We are grateful for the FDNY’s quick response to the incident that occurred earlier today,” a Bryant Park spokesperson <a href="https://nypost.com/2024/12/27/us-news/fire-erupts-at-bryant-parks-holiday-market-in-nyc/?utm_source=twitter&amp;utm_campaign=nypost&amp;utm_medium=social" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> in a statement. “The Rink and The Lodge are currently open. Most of The Holiday Shops have reopened, and we expect all the Holiday Shops that were not affected by the fire to reopen later today.”
Most of the Christmas village&#8217;s shops and the ice rink had reopened by 12 p.m., <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2024/12/27/nyregion/bryant-park-holiday-market-fire.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according</a> to a spokeswoman.
The park&#8217;s Christmas village is a popular destination for New Yorkers and tourists alike with around four million visitors each year. The holiday market has <a href="https://bryantpark.org/activities/holiday-shops" target="_blank" rel="noopener">dozens</a> of small kiosks selling Christmas trinkets and handmade items as well as food vendors offering holiday drinks and all kinds of cuisine. The village also boasts free events like live music and a Christmas tree lighting ceremony as well as ice skating, curling, and children&#8217;s activities like puppet shows and crafts.
The holiday market will close for the season on January 5, but the ice skating rink and winter wonderland will remain open through March.
The fire came less than two weeks after another fire at Herald Square&#8217;s holiday shopping area near Broadway and West 35th Street.
“I don’t think they were a concern at all,” the fire chief said. “I just think we had two fires.&#8221;

Firefighters and neighbors greet to healthcare workers in NYC

WATCH: Massive Fire Breaks Out At Classic Manhattan Christmas Village

Massive Fire Breaks Out At Classic Manhattan Christmas Village

Fire

Manhattan

New York

New York City

New York Fire Department

The NFL&#8217;s Christmas Day games on Netflix set a record as the most streamed games in NFL history with around 24 million people tuning in for each game, Axios <a href="https://www.axios.com/2024/12/26/netflix-nfl-ratings-beyonce" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>.
The NFL&#8217;s Christmas doubleheader kicked off with the Kansas City Chiefs vs. Pittsburgh Steelers, which drew 24.1 million viewers, according to Nielsen. A Netflix spokesman told Axios that around one-third of the streaming service&#8217;s global concurrent viewers were watching the game at one point, which made the Chiefs-Steelers game the most-watched concurrent stream of the past four years for Netflix.
Later in the day on Wednesday, the game between the Houston Texans and Baltimore Ravens had an average audience of 24.3 million viewers. According to Nielsen figures dating back to 2001, the Texans-Ravens game was the most-watched Christmas Day game for the coveted 18-34-year-old demographic. The game&#8217;s viewership peaked at 27 million when Beyonce took the stage to perform at halftime.
Both Christmas Day games drew more viewers than the 2023 AFC wild card matchup between the Chiefs and the Miami Dolphins, which streamed on Peacock. Combined, both NFL Christmas Day games — along with pre-game shows and Beyonce&#8217;s halftime performance — drew in around 65 million people, the Associated Press <a href="https://apnews.com/article/nba-nfl-christmas-b59bd2a3cc1bf94d351d8db6fbe030c8" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>. The successful NFL streams on Netflix came a month after the streaming giant was criticized during the Jake Paul and Mike Tyson fight when many viewers complained about the stream freezing and buffering.
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The NBA, which has scheduled games on Christmas Day for decades, saw a bump in viewership on Wednesday, but its numbers came nowhere close to the NFL&#8217;s. The NBA, which broadcasted its games on ABC and ESPN, averaged around 5 million viewers for its five-game Christmas Day slate. This year&#8217;s Christmas Day NBA games saw an 84% rise in viewership compared to last year.
Following the Los Angeles Lakers win over the Golden State Warriors on Wednesday night, LeBron James quipped, &#8220;I love the NFL, but Christmas is our day.&#8221;
NFL Media Executive Vice President Hans Schroeder responded to James&#8217; comment, saying, “The numbers speak for themselves and LeBron can have his own view, and I’m sure more people will look at that because of this.&#8221;
&#8220;But, you know, we’re focused on the NFL and we’re thrilled with the results this year with the Christmas on Netflix and we’re excited to continue to build that over the next couple of years,&#8221; Schroeder added.

NFL/Netflix

NFL Breaks Streaming Record With Christmas Day Games On Netflix

Netflix

<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/paris-hilton">Paris Hilton</a> is being questioned by her followers over the decision to post revealing photos and a video of her dancing nude in nothing but a giant bow.
The 43-year-old <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/celebrities">socialite</a> shared the images on <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/christmas">Christmas</a> Day with her 26.6 million Instagram followers. The first post included Hilton posing in front of a Christmas tree wearing the giant bow in some shots and racy lingerie in others. “All wrapped up and ready to sliv this holiday season,” the <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/DD-XK6NxPOl/?img_index=1">post caption</a> said alongside the hashtags “Slivmas” and “ThatsHot.”
“Slivmas” is a play on the phrase “Sliving,” a term Hilton coined that combines the words “slaying” and “living.”
The video of Hilton dancing nude with the bow was set to the tune of Ariana Grande’s song “Santa Tell Me.” That caption said, “My presence is a present.”
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While many reactions were supportive, plenty of followers questioned Hilton’s decision to post those images following what many saw as a transformation in her image. The former reality star married entrepreneur Carter Reum in 2021. They have two young children via surrogates.
“Your kids will see this one day…” one follower replied.
“So what’s the point of this,” another popular comment says.
“Inappropriate. Why sexualize Christmas?” another says.
“Omg. I thought she had grown up,” echoed a fourth.
Meanwhile, the socialite’s husband commented with his support, writing, “Love you showing moms can do it all and be it all!&#8221; 
Hilton’s post comes just after Kim Kardashian, who used to be her assistant, got dragged for a bizarre music video  to the song “Santa Baby,” which followers said had “<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/demonic-vibes-kim-kardashian-blasted-for-bizarre-santa-baby-music-video">demonic vibes</a>.”
In the video, which is shot like an old-fashioned home video, the 44-year-old social media influencer slithers around on the floor wearing a blonde wig, underwear, and pantyhose. On her way through a house that appears to be having a Christmas party, she encounters several different disturbing vignettes. 
One person in Hilton’s comments references the Kardashian video, writing, “Paris stood so Kim K could crawl on the floor to Santa Baby.”

Paris Hilton

Paris Hilton Slammed For Racy Christmas Photos On Instagram: ‘Your Kids Will See This One Day’

Paris Hilton Slammed For Racy Christmas Photos On Instagram: 'Your Kids Will See This One Day'

Macaulay Culkin admits that when the Illinois house from his famous 1990 Christmas movie “Home Alone” went up for sale, he considered buying it, knowing exactly what he’d do with it if he got it.
Speaking at a screening of the classic holiday movie at the Rosemont Theater near Chicago, the 44-year-old actor told the audience when the home that served as a backdrop for the movie recently went up for sale-he “had half a mind to buy it — just for giggles,&#8221; The New York Times<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2024/12/14/movies/macaulay-culkin-home-alone-chicago-screening.html"> reported</a>.
Culkin, who early in his career famously played 8-year-old Kevin McCallister in the film, said he didn’t plan to move his fiancée <a href="https://people.com/brenda-song-says-macaulay-culkin-makes-me-feel-most-beautiful-with-nothing-on-my-face-exclusive-8610212">Brenda Song</a> and their two toddlers into the Winnetka, Ill, home, but instead had dreams of turning it into a “movie fun house,” the outlet noted.
The childhood star said he thought it would be fun to give fans a chance to reenact some of the unforgettable scenes in the movie, like when Kevin slid down a staircase while riding on a sled.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Macaulay Culkin Says He Considered Buying Home Alone House &#8216;Just for Giggles,&#8217; Reveals What He&#8217;d Do with It <a href="https://t.co/vU85YkZpDX">https://t.co/vU85YkZpDX</a>
— People (@people) <a href="https://twitter.com/people/status/1869098247953768859?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 17, 2024</a></blockquote>
Ultimately, Culkin said the reality of his life prevented him from making it happen. &#8220;I got kids. I&#8217;m busy, man,&#8221; the actor said.
The screening was part of a series of recent screenings he put on for the “‘Home Alone’: A Nostalgic Night With Macaulay Culkin” tour this season, complete with an audience Q&amp;A session for fans.
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Kevin McCallister’s adventures in the film are truly a part of Christmas memories for many. In the film, Kevin, “An eight-year-old troublemaker, mistakenly left home alone, must defend his home against a pair of burglars on Christmas Eve,&#8221; a description on <a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0099785/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">IMDb</a> read.
Culkin stars in the film alongside famous actors like Joe Pesci, Daniel Stern, John Heard, and Catherine O’Hara.
At the time it was nominated for a host of accolades including two Golden Globes, one for Culkin for “Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture-comedy or Musical,&#8221; and another for “Best Motion Picture-comedy or Musical.” In the end, it earned a total of 12 awards and 7 nominations, including two Oscars nods, <a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0099785/awards/?ref_=tt_awd">IMDb</a> noted.
Earlier this year, news of the “Home Alone” house going up for sale for more than $5 million went viral, as previously <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/home-alone-house-listed-for-sale-in-chicago-for-5-25-million">reported</a>. A week later it was sold. 
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/home-alone-house-listed-for-sale-in-chicago-for-5-25-million" target="_blank" rel="noopener">‘Home Alone’ House Listed For Sale In Chicago For $5.25 Million</a>

Macaulay Culkin  Catherine O’Hara

Macaulay Culkin Says He Thought Of Buying ‘Home Alone’ House, Reveals Plans For It

Chicago

Hollywood

Home Alone

Movies

In 1955, Air Force Colonel Harry Shoup had a very important job. It was the height of the Cold War, and Shoup was working at the Continental Air Defense Command — now known as the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD).
One December day, his phone rang, but it wasn&#8217;t his regular phone. It was the red phone — the phone that had a <a href="https://kdvr.com/news/local/wrong-number-started-norad-santa-tracker/">number so secret</a> that only he and a four-star general at the <a href="https://dailywire.com/news/disney-hires-obama-era-pentagon-spokesperson-to-build-on-companys-strong-reputation/">Pentagon</a> knew of its existence. But when he answered the phone, a child was on the other end.
&#8220;Is this Santa Claus?&#8221; the child asked. <a href="https://www.coloradoan.com/story/life/2018/12/21/santa-tracker-creator-norad-colonel-christmas/2369617002/">Shoup</a>, according to his children — Terri Van Keuren, Rick Shoup, Pam Farrel — was initially surprised and annoyed, but when the child began to cry, he quickly changed his tone. He said, &#8220;Ho, ho, ho,&#8221; and asked the child whether he had been good — and then he asked to speak to a parent.
<a href="https://www.npr.org/2014/12/19/371647099/norads-santa-tracker-began-with-a-typo-and-a-good-sport">NPR reported</a>:
<blockquote>His children remember Shoup as straight-laced and disciplined, and he was annoyed and upset by the call and thought it was a joke — but then, Terri says, the little voice started crying.
&#8220;And Dad realized that it wasn&#8217;t a joke,&#8221; her sister says. &#8220;So he talked to him, ho-ho-ho&#8217;d and asked if he had been a good boy and, &#8216;May I talk to your mother?&#8217; And the mother got on and said, &#8216;You haven&#8217;t seen the paper yet? There&#8217;s a phone number to call Santa. It&#8217;s in the Sears ad.&#8217; Dad looked it up, and there it was, his red phone number. And they had children calling one after another, so he put a couple of airmen on the phones to act like Santa Claus.&#8221;
&#8220;It got to be a big joke at the command center. You know, &#8216;The old man&#8217;s really flipped his lid this time. We&#8217;re answering Santa calls,&#8217; &#8221; Terri says.</blockquote>
The joke took another turn when, on Christmas Eve of 1955, several of the Airmen under Shoup&#8217;s command drew a sleigh and eight reindeer on the glass board that they normally used to track the paths of airplanes over U.S. and Canadian airspace.
According to Terri, Shoup saw the drawing and asked, &#8220;What is that?&#8221;
The airmen said it was just a joke, apologizing and offering to take it down.
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&#8220;Dad looked at it for a while, and next thing you know, Dad had called the radio station and had said, &#8216;This is the commander at the Combat Alert Center, and we have an unidentified flying object. Why, it looks like a sleigh.&#8217; Well, the radio stations would call him like every hour and say, &#8216;Where&#8217;s Santa now?'&#8221; Terri told NPR, adding, &#8220;And later in life he got letters from all over the world, people saying, &#8216;Thank you, Colonel,&#8217; for having, you know, this sense of humor. And in his 90s, he would carry those letters around with him in a briefcase that had a lock on it like it was top-secret information. You know, he was an important guy, but this is the thing he&#8217;s known for.&#8221;
&#8220;It&#8217;s probably the thing he was proudest of, too,&#8221; her brother agreed.
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In the years since, NORAD has embraced the tradition. Call centers are operational and children can call from all over the world to see where Santa is as he makes his grand journey delivering gifts around the world in a single night.
Santa&#8217;s 2024 journey is already underway and can be tracked on X at @NORADSanta.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NORAD?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NORAD</a> has received reports from Defense Support Satellites indicating Santa has lifted off! Start tracking his journey with us at <a href="https://t.co/Zmnvc5vhPq">https://t.co/Zmnvc5vhPq</a> 🎄 <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NORADTracksSanta?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NORADTracksSanta</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NTS24?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NTS24</a> <a href="https://t.co/necBYBkpez">pic.twitter.com/necBYBkpez</a>
&mdash; NORAD Tracks Santa (@NoradSanta) <a href="https://twitter.com/NoradSanta/status/1871512429005336615?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 24, 2024</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

US-CANADA-MILITARY-HOLIDAY-CHRISTMAS-OFFBEAT-GOVERNMENT

‘The Santa Colonel’: The Air Force Officer Who Turned A Sears Ad Typo Into A Holiday Tradition

Air Force

Military

Santa Claus

U.S.

This article was previously published on December 24, 2023.
Brigadier General Anthony McAuliffe and his men — many from the 101st Airborne Division, along with some stragglers from Pennsylvania&#8217;s 28th Infantry Division (known as &#8220;The Bloody Bucket&#8221;) and the 9th Armored &#8220;Phantom&#8221; Division — spent Christmas of 1944 in the Belgian city of Bastogne, surrounded by an ever-encroaching enemy and greatly outnumbered.
On December 22, the German commander sent word to McAuliffe, informing him that he and his troops were surrounded and demanding that they surrender. He warned the American general that if he did not surrender, the attack would be swift and merciless — and he promised that the inevitable civilian casualties would be blamed on the Americans.
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McAuliffe responded to the German threat with just one word: &#8220;Nuts!&#8221; And, as promised, the German army began to tighten its grip on <a href="https://dailywire.com/news/watch-world-war-ii-veteran-breaks-into-song-during-ceremony-honoring-his-service-in-belgium/">Bastogne</a>. Machine-gun fire and approaching tanks met any American soldier who approached the perimeter, and Junkers Ju 88 bombers flew over the city as visibility allowed. The Germans also blanketed the area with pamphlets promising relief from the hunger and frigid conditions to anyone who surrendered.
And so it was that on Christmas Eve, McAuliffe sent a letter to rally his troops:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
75 years ago this Christmas Eve, Gen. Anthony McAuliffe wrote this letter to his troops during the Battle of the Bulge. Today we remember the service members who served during the holidays both then and now and wish you a Merry Christmas! <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NoVeteranEverDies?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NoVeteranEverDies</a> <a href="https://t.co/VuYyhYqqVj">pic.twitter.com/VuYyhYqqVj</a>
— National Cemeteries (@VANatCemeteries) <a href="https://twitter.com/VANatCemeteries/status/1209458808587784192?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 24, 2019</a></blockquote>
McAuliffe&#8217;s letter began with the heading &#8220;Merry Christmas&#8221;:
<blockquote>What’s Merry about all this, you ask? We’re fighting — it’s cold, we aren’t home. All true but what has the proud Eagle Division accomplished with its worthy comrades the 10th Armored Division, the 705th Tank Destroyer Battalion and all the rest? Just this: We have stopped cold everything that has been thrown at us from the North, East, South and West. We have identifications from four German Panzer Divisions, two German Infantry Divisions and one German Parachute Division. These units, spearheading the last desperate German lunge, were headed straight west for key points when the Eagle Division was hurriedly ordered to stem the advance. How effectively this was done will be written in history; not alone in our Division’s glorious history but in World history. The Germans actually did surround us, their radios blared our doom. Their Commander demanded our surrender in the following impudent arrogance:
To the U. S. A. Commander of the encircled town of Bastogne.
The fortune of war is changing. This time the U. S. A. forces in and near Bastogne have been encircled by strong German armored units. More German armored units have crossed the river Ourthe near Ortheuville, have taken Marche and reached St. Hubert by passing through Hompres-Sibret-Tillet. Libramont is in German hands.
There is only one possibility to save the encircled U. S. A. Troops from total annihilation: that is the honorable surrender of the encircled town. In order to think it over a term of two hours will be granted beginning with the presentation of this note.
If this proposal should be rejected the German Artillery Corps and six heavy A. A. Battalions are ready to annihilate the U. S. A. Troops in and near Bastogne. The order for firing will be given immediately after this two hour’s term.
All the serious civilian losses caused by this Artillery fire would not correspond with the well known American humanity.
The German Commander
The German Commander received the following reply:
22 December 1944
“To the German Commander:
N U T S !
The American Commander”
Allied Troops are counterattacking in force. We continue to hold Bastogne. By holding Bastogne we assure the success of the Allied Armies. We know that our Division Commander, General Taylor, will say: “Well Done!”
We are giving our country and our loved ones at home a worthy Christmas present and being privileged to take part in this gallant feat of arms are truly making for ourselves a Merry Christmas.</blockquote>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
73 years ago, the US <a href="https://twitter.com/101stAASLTDIV?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@101stAASLTDIV</a> was surrounded at <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Bastogne?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Bastogne</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Belgium?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Belgium</a> over the Christmas time during the December 1944 Battle of the Bulge. Here is Gen. McAuliffe&#8217;s historic Christmas letter <a href="https://t.co/BHR6MsHjMj">https://t.co/BHR6MsHjMj</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/WW2Nation?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@WW2Nation</a> <a href="https://t.co/IEpjyM3fmv">pic.twitter.com/IEpjyM3fmv</a>
— Pascal Heyman (@PascalHeyman) <a href="https://twitter.com/PascalHeyman/status/945012709669703680?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 24, 2017</a></blockquote>
That night, the Junkers dropped one-ton bombs on the city of <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/history/2019/12/23/christmas-eve-snow-turned-red-with-blood/">Bastogne</a>. They destroyed a makeshift hospital, killing dozens of wounded soldiers, nurses, and medics. But McAuliffe&#8217;s men held the city, earning for the 101st Airborne Division the nickname &#8220;The Battered Bastards of Bastogne.&#8221;
General George S. Patton arrived the day after Christmas, bringing with him the necessary strength to break the siege and relieve McAuliffe&#8217;s men.

Band Of Brothers Movie Still

Read The Letter General Anthony McAuliffe Sent Exhausted, Surrounded Men At The Battle Of The Bulge

World War II

Christmas came early for a pizzeria in Baltimore thanks to Barstool Founder <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/dave-portnoy">Dave Portnoy</a> who stopped by and gave a massive gift to keep the place going that was ready to close its doors on December 25.
In a video posted on <a href="https://x.com/stoolpresidente/status/1871329945487569018">X</a> that’s since gone viral, Portnoy decided to check out a Maryland pizza joint to rate it as part of his One Bite Pizza rankings. 
Will, a veteran and owner of Tiny Brick Oven, started talking to Portnoy about how they were getting ready to close their doors forever on Christmas Day because the city had refused to give him a liquor license, something they had already been granted to his competition.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Barstool Pizza Review &#8211; TinyBrickOven (Baltimore, MD) <a href="https://t.co/hDqhclD45D">pic.twitter.com/hDqhclD45D</a>
— Dave Portnoy (@stoolpresidente) <a href="https://twitter.com/stoolpresidente/status/1871329945487569018?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 23, 2024</a></blockquote>
He told Portnoy that without it, he was struggling and didn’t see how he could stay open one more day past Christmas. The Barstool Founder put in his pizza order to rank it and said, “What happens if this pizza is great and you start getting busy making money, can you stay open?”
The owner agreed he would then “stay open.”
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Portnoy turned to the camera and said, “We’re going to have to keep this place open&#8221; before he stepped outside with his new pie to take a bite.
“This is a reheat and very good,” Portnoy said. “Thin, New York kind of style. Like I really like it. There’s no way this place should be going out of business. None. So, that guy was the most upbeat guy you are ever going to have. Christmas spirit Will.”
“So, I’m going to give this pizza,&#8221; he added, before he headed back to the door and asked Will flat out, “How much money do you need to stay open for a year?”
The owner thought about it, but at first struggled to come up with a number. Eventually, he said, with a liquor license, he could continue to stay open if he had $60,000.
Portnoy then reached out his hand, shook it, telling the owner the matter was a done deal. Will was visibly shocked and excited and started to cheer for Portnoy.
The two exchanged numbers as Portnoy promised he would text him and that he would have the money before Christmas to keep the Tiny Brick Oven shop open for a year.
In the end, the Barstool Founder gave the little pizza shop a rating of 7.9, something that Will was overjoyed about.
“Merry Christmas,” Portnoy said as he walked out of the pizzeria.
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/barstool-founder-says-he-felt-he-had-no-choice-but-to-vote-for-trump" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Barstool Founder Says He Felt He ‘Had No Choice But To Vote For’ Trump</a>

Dave Portnoy

Christmas Comes Early For Baltimore Pizza Joint Thanks To Barstool Founder

Barstool

Pizza

Gone are the days of “<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/entertainment">It’s a Wonderful Life</a>” wholesomeness for Christmas Day in the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/hollywood">Hollywood</a> community. 
This year’s theatrical releases for December 25 include a film being touted for its explicit sexual content and a gothic horror <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/movies">film</a> remake about a vampire who becomes obsessed with a young woman and takes over her sleep, giving her graphic nightmares.
First up, “Babygirl” starring Nicole Kidman has been generating buzz ever since it was first released following the Toronto International Film Festival in September. The movie’s <a href="https://www.babygirlfilm.com/synopsis/">description</a> says, “A high-powered CEO puts her career and family on the line when she begins a torrid affair with her much younger intern.”
Kidman, 57, has talked at length about filming the erotic movie. She said the sheer number of sex scenes became overwhelming. “There was an enormous amount of sharing and trust and then frustration. It’s like, ‘Don’t touch me,’” she said, per <a href="https://www.the-independent.com/arts-entertainment/films/news/nicole-kidman-babygirl-interview-harris-dickinson-antonio-banderas-b2634689.html">The Independent</a>. 
“There were times when we were shooting where I was like, ‘I don’t want to orgasm any more. Don’t come near me. I hate doing this. I don’t care if I am never touched again in my life! I’m over it.’ It was so present all the time for me that it was almost like a burnout,” Kidman added.
The actress <a href="https://variety.com/2024/film/festivals/nicole-kidman-erotic-thriller-babygirl-freeing-didnt-feel-exploited-1236124981/">said</a> “Babygirl” is &#8220;obviously about sex, it’s about desire, it’s about your inner thoughts, it’s about secrets, it’s about marriage, it’s about truth, power, consent&#8221; while speaking at the 2024 Venice Film Festival.
“This is one woman’s story and this is, I hope, a very liberating story. It’s told by a woman, through her gaze — Halina [Reijn] wrote it and she directed it — and that’s to me what made it so unique because suddenly I was going to be in the hands of a woman with this material. It was very dear to our shared instincts and very freeing.”
<iframe loading="lazy" title="Babygirl | Official Trailer 2 HD | A24" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/9XXoNB0lVGo?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe>
Another movie having a Christmas Day release is “Nosferatu,” a horror film starring Johnny Depp’s 25-year-old daughter Lily-Rose Depp. 
The movie, written and directed by Robert Eggers, is a remake of the 1922 silent film by the same name and both are based on Bram Stoker’s “Dracula” novel from 1897.
The description calls it, “A gothic tale of obsession between a haunted young woman and the terrifying vampire infatuated with her, causing untold horror in its wake.”
Depp described how she prepared for the leading female role, telling <a href="https://www.indiewire.com/features/interviews/lily-rose-depp-nosferatu-demonic-sexual-awakening-bible-1235075698/">IndieWire</a> that Eggers encouraged her to read the short story “Péhor” by French author Remy de Gourmont to understand the character.
The actress said de Gourmont’s occult writing was like a “Bible” for her.
“Rob is incredibly well-researched, famously, and so he sent me a lot of references, a lot of movies that had inspired him for the role. He also gave me this text to read, which is called ‘Péhor’, and it’s kind of like a story about a young religious girl who has a sexual awakening love story with a demon,” Depp told the outlet. 
“So, of course, that was quite pertinent for me. I used that kind of like a Bible and found myself reading it again and again as we were shooting.”
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There are other, less provocative offerings at the movie theater during the Christmas holiday for families hoping for some leisure time, including Disney’s newly released “Mufasa” and Paramount&#8217;s action-adventure comedy “Sonic 3.” 
But it’s all too telling that sex and horror movies are being released on one of the most important Christian holidays of the year.

Nosferatu

Hollywood’s Christmas Day Releases: Glorified Porn And A ‘Sexy Vampire’ Horror Film

Hollywood's Christmas Day Releases: Glorified Porn And A 'Sexy Vampire' Horror Film

Horror Movies

Movie Theaters

American Airlines passengers had a rough start to their Christmas Eve travel plans when the airline grounded all flights on Tuesday morning due to a nationwide &#8220;technical issue.&#8221;
American requested a ground stop for all of its flights, according to the Federal Aviation Administration, and <a href="https://x.com/AmericanAir/status/1871520528206295120" target="_blank" rel="noopener">wrote</a> on social media early Tuesday morning, &#8220;We&#8217;re currently experiencing a technical issue with all American Airlines flights.&#8221; An hour after the disruption, American Airlines began boarding flights again and the FAA lifted the ground stop, ABC News <a href="https://abcnews.go.com/US/american-airlines-requests-ground-stop-flights-faa/story?id=117078840" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>.
American said in in a statement later Tuesday morning that a “vendor technology issue” caused the disruption which has &#8220;been resolved and flights have resumed,&#8221; CNN <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2024/12/24/business/american-airlines-delays-cancellations/index.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>.
Just after 7:00 a.m. ET, American Airlines had nearly 2,000 outages reported, according to DownDetector. Social media users said they were stuck on the tarmac or being sent back to the gate after boarding their flights, Fox Business <a href="https://www.foxbusiness.com/lifestyle/american-airlines-reports-technical-issue-affecting-all-flights" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>.
&#8220;Was seated on plane. Captain made announcement at first computer was down for balancing the weight. Maybe 5 -10 minutes delay he stated. About 15 mins later made announcement entire AA system was down,&#8221; Texas native Morgan McMahon told Fox News.
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The flight disruption for one of the biggest airlines in the U.S. came during the year&#8217;s busiest travel season. The Transportation Security Administration said that up to 40 million people are expected to fly through January 2, according to the <a href="https://apnews.com/article/american-airlines-flights-grounded-halted-travel-c666afa120054b032014c6005677aa7a" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Associated Press</a>. American alone has over 3,000 domestic flights scheduled on Tuesday. The airline appears to have recovered well from the ground stop as only 26 American flights were canceled nationwide as of Tuesday morning.
During the Christmas travel season in 2022, Southwest Airlines and Delta Air Lines stranded millions of travelers after a technology issue that affected flights worldwide.

American Airlines

American Airlines Grounds All Flights After Nationwide ‘Technical Issue’ On Christmas Eve

American Airlines Resumes Flights After Nationwide 'Technical Issue' On Christmas Eve

Air Travel

Flights

In December 1914, an observer flying over Western Europe would have gazed down at a most striking, and sinister, topographical feature. Two chains of deep trenches and concertinas of barbed wire slithered in snake-like patterns as far as the eye could see from the English Channel to the Swiss Alps, slicing an unsightly laceration across the blasted out fields of northern France and Belgium.
Hunkered down within these subterranean troughs amid the stench of feces, urine, decaying flesh and gun smoke, squatted the great armies of the Western Front. They glared at each other across a moonscape of water-logged shell craters, trees blown into twisted matchsticks silhouetted against a bleak sky, and grotesquely decomposing bodies of friend and foe alike left to ignominiously rot out in the “no-man’s land” between the lines.
<div id="attachment_848779" style="width: 441px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-848779" class="size-large wp-image-848779" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/12/GettyImages-3067223-431x576.jpg" alt="circa 1914: German soldiers in the trenches during WW I. (Photo by Hulton Archive/Getty Images)" width="431" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/12/GettyImages-3067223-431x576.jpg 431w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/12/GettyImages-3067223-224x300.jpg 224w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/12/GettyImages-3067223.jpg 766w" sizes="(max-width: 431px) 100vw, 431px" />Circa 1914: German soldiers in the trenches during WW I. (Photo by Hulton Archive/Getty Images)</div>
The big guns to the rear lobbed their deadly payloads down onto bewildered youths, many in their teens, just struggling to survive this eerily troglodytic existence; one that, considering their innocence of life just the year before, must have seemed like a nightmare from which they could not stir.
The war, just five months in, had begun as a conflict of mobility, when in August the Kaiser’s armies, distinct in their steel gray long coats and spiked pickelhaube helmets, confidently marched through Belgium to strike at the French in a drive towards Paris and victory. But the poilus and their British Expeditionary Force (BEF) allies rallied at the Marne, just 30 miles from the French capital, and threw the Germans back in a bloodletting that shocked the world.
A series of failed attempts to outflank the other sent casualties on both sides soaring, but no breakthroughs were made, and the front stabilized. In a very short time the troops settled in, burrowing deep into the ground to escape the killing power of the new technological age of machine guns and fast-firing artillery. And there they remained, stagnant, immobile, rain soaked, miserable.
And yet even in the trenches, the very monument to man’s savagery and folly, hopeful demonstrations of the better angels of our nature could occur. And so it was on Christmas 1914, that one of the most poignant scenes in the history of warfare took place.
While the men of the BEF settled into their trenches to try and celebrate the holiday as best they could, strange sounds began to drift over from the German lines. Singing. “Stille Nacht, heilige Nacht / Alles schläft; einsam wacht …”
British Private Frank Sumter recalled: “And then we heard the Germans singing ‘Silent Night, Holy Night.’ And our boys said ‘Let’s join in.’ So we joined in with the song.” At first, the British sentries weren’t sure what to make of the German activity, which included lighting festive candles on the rim of their trenches. Nervous Tommies peeked their heads up over the parapets then quickly ducked back down for fear of snipers.
But no one shot.
<div id="attachment_848753" style="width: 756px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-848753" class="size-large wp-image-848753" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/12/GettyImages-506037221-746x576.jpg" alt="British and German meeting in No Man's Land during unofficial true Christmas 1914. Northumberland Hussars, 7th Division, Bridoux-Banks Sector. (Photo by: Robert Hunt/Windmill Books/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)" width="746" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/12/GettyImages-506037221-746x576.jpg 746w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/12/GettyImages-506037221-300x232.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/12/GettyImages-506037221-768x593.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/12/GettyImages-506037221.jpg 1024w" sizes="(max-width: 746px) 100vw, 746px" />British and German meeting in No Man&#8217;s Land during unofficial true Christmas 1914. Northumberland Hussars, 7th Division, Bridoux-Banks Sector. (Photo by: Robert Hunt/Windmill Books/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)</div>
Pvt. Leslie Walkington remembered the extraordinary event that followed. “And then we saw a German standing up, waving his arms. And we didn’t shoot.” Instead of a battle cry, the Germans were calling out to their British Kameraden to have a truce and celebrate Christmas together. The men on both sides of the lines eventually overcame their suspicions and climbed out of their trenches. They met out in the open, offering enemies not the cold steel of thrusting bayonets, but rather the warm flesh of extended hands.
A German Lieutenant Neimann picked up his binoculars and to his surprise &#8220;saw the incredible sight of our soldiers exchanging cigarettes, schnapps and chocolate with the enemy!&#8221;
There is a commonality among soldiers that transcends national politics or flag. By this time in the war, both sides had shared the same experiences of chronic fear, physical misery and illness, filth, mourning lost friends, and homesickness. The truce extended to parts of the French sector as well. Gustave Berthier wrote to his parents, &#8220;On Christmas Day the Boches made a sign showing they wished to speak to us. They said they didn&#8217;t want to shoot. &#8230; They were tired of making war, they were married like me.&#8221;
A common legend of the Christmas Truce of 1914 has it that the enemy combatants engaged in impromptu games of football (soccer) in the “no-man’s land” but some historians dispute the legitimacy of such claims. Although, given the Christmas miracle that occurred right in the middle of a war so terrible that author William Manchester described it as “the worst thing that had ever happened” it is not out of the question.
One can imagine the words of Thomas Hardy’s poem “The Man He Killed” on the minds of every soldier no matter the uniform, on this most magical of Christmases at the front: 
 
Had he and I but met 
By some old ancient inn, 
We should have set us down to wet, 
Right many a nipperkin! 
 
But ranged as infantry 
And staring face to face, 
I shot at him as he at me 
And killed him in his place… 
 
Yes; quaint and curious a thing war is! 
You shoot a fellow down 
You’d treat if met where any bar is 
Or help to half-a-crown.
For nearly two and a half billion Christians of every race and nationality across the globe, Christmas is a joyous celebration of the birth of Our Lord, now two millennia in the past, and yet still so powerful in its meaning and presence in our lives. One hundred ten years ago, in the middle of a grisly battlefield, in the middle of a ghastly war, the love of Christ and the affection He wishes us to bestow upon each other was alive and well amidst a scene of unprecedented violence and suffering. Indeed, on this day, at this time, enemies could lay down their arms, exchange warm greetings and gifts, and, if for a short time, fulfill the Christmas promise of peace on earth and good will towards all mankind.
But Mars is not so benevolent a god; sadly, if inevitably, the truce didn’t last.
Irate officers on both sides put an end to what very well could have been considered treasonous fraternization with the enemy. Even a capital crime.
Pvt. Archibald Stanley remembered how one of his officers abruptly canceled the informal truce in his section of the trenches. There were still a few Germans out in the open when he approached Stanley and said, “You still got the armistice?”
The grim officer then picked up a rifle, took cold aim, and promptly shot one of the Germans dead. The rest leapt back into their dugouts, and returned fire. And so the war began again.
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Brad Schaeffer is a fund manager and author of <a href="https://www.amazon.com/stores/author/B07MQJBJSD" target="_blank" rel="noopener">three books</a>. His articles have appeared on the pages of Daily Wire, The Wall Street Journal, New York Post, New York Daily News, National Review, The Hill, The Federalist, The Blaze, Breitbart, Zerohedge and other outlets. You can follow him on <a href="https://x.com/bschaeffer123" target="_blank" rel="noopener">X</a> and <a href="https://bradschaeffer.substack.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Substack</a> 

The views expressed in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.

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