On Christmas Day every year, many Americans relax and enjoy time with their families. For many of our troops, though, it can be a day of sacrifice and hardship.
Over the history of the U.S., several big military actions have taken place on Dec. 25. Here are four noteworthy ones.
1776: Washington's Famous Crossing of the Delaware
The winter of 1776 didn't start as a good one for Gen. George Washington's Continental Army. They suffered many defeats in the first few months of the American Revolution and had been pushed out of New York and New Jersey into Pennsylvania. For the troops, morale was low.
Washington needed to renew faith in the battle for independence, so he decided to surprise the Hessians — German troops hired by the British — who were stationed in Trenton, New Jersey. He figured that doing so after the enemy's Christmas celebrations would find them groggy and unprepared for a fight, especially as a terrible winter storm was brewing.
So late Christmas night, Washington and his troops hopped in boats and waded across the icy Delaware River to test his theory — and he was right. At dawn on Dec. 26, about 2,400 frozen Continentals pushed into Trenton, and they did indeed surprise the enemy, who surrendered within an hour and a half.
The mission, which became known as the Battle of Trenton, was of huge significance to the Continental Army's cause. Not only did it raise the troops' spirits, but it revived the hope of the colonists, who were beginning to think their battle for independence wasn't feasible.
-
1864: The First Battle of Fort Fisher
For most of the Civil War, North Carolina's Fort Fisher saw very little combat. But that changed on Christmas 1864, when the Union decided it wanted to capture the last port the Confederates held on the Atlantic Ocean.
It was a debacle for the Union.
First, the Union tried to pack a warship with explosives and blow up the fort's walls — but that didn't work. It just blew up their ship and alerted the Confederates of an imminent attack. So on Christmas Eve, the Union tried again, bombarding the fort with heavy gunfire, most of which fell short or missed its target.
On Christmas morning, Union commanders decided to shell an area north of the fort so troops could land and come ashore. But when they did, more disappointment followed — the fort's heavy artillery was completely unscathed, so that was a no-go, too. It was only then that the Union ordered troops to retreat.
While the first Battle of Fort Fisher was a massive failure for the Union, the second wasn't. In mid-January 1865, Union troops were finally able to capture the fort, effectively cutting the Confederates off from global trade and supplies. The Civil War ended three months later.
-
1972: Operation Linebacker II in North Vietnam
American troops were in the middle of the biggest bombing mission in military history during the Christmas season of 1972. The air campaign, called Operation Linebacker II, has largely been considered the action that ended U.S. involvement in the Vietnam War.
President Richard Nixon ordered the bombings to begin on Dec. 18 after North Vietnamese delegates walked out on peace talks. Nicknamed the "11 Days of Christmas," the operation consisted of 11 successive days of raids by B-52 Stratofortress bombers flown in from Andersen Air Force Base in Guam.
The only day that both sides got a reprieve was Christmas, when troops were given a 36-hour break to celebrate. During that time, Nixon ordered the North Vietnamese to return to the bargaining table. The North Vietnamese refused, so the bombings continued until Dec. 29, when they agreed to resume peace talks.
In 11 days, Linebacker II dropped 15,000 tons of bombs via 729 U.S. Air Force sorties involving about 12,000 airmen. Defense Department records show the raids destroyed or damaged 1,600 structures, 500 rail targets, 10 airfields and 80 percent of North Vietnam's electric-generating capacity. Fifteen U.S. B-52s were also destroyed in the process, killing 35 men and leading to the capture of nearly 40 American prisoners of war.
The resumed peace talks that came from the campaign led to the Paris Peace Accords in January 1973. The U.S. ended its involvement in the war soon after, but the last American troops wouldn't leave the country for another two years.
-
1896: "Stars and Stripes Forever" is Written
While this wasn't exactly a military action, it's definitely a symbol of America's military might.
John Philip Sousa, who grew up during the Civil War, was a talented musician who became a long-time director of the U.S. Marine Band. Known as the "March King," he was a rock star of his time, eventually starting his own band in 1892.
On Christmas Day 1896, while crossing the Atlantic on his way home from a European vacation, Sousa's lasting legacy came to him. He said the notes for "Stars and Stripes Forever" were born out of homesickness and fond memories of his time as the Marine Band's leader.
The iconic song officially became America's national march in 1987.
So this holiday season, while you're enjoying leave, family, friends and feasts, think of some of your fellow troops, past and present, who had to forgo their holidays for the greater good of the country. While you're at it, you might even want to put on "Stars and Stripes Forever" in their honor.
Have a great holiday season, everybody!
4 Major Military Events That Happened on Christmas
4 Major Military Events That Happened on Christmas
Trevor Winchell
Site Admin - Investigative Journalist
American Patriots Forum
Information and knowledge becomes powerful only when used to educate and inform others of the truth according to Almighty God!
Site Admin - Investigative Journalist
American Patriots Forum
Information and knowledge becomes powerful only when used to educate and inform others of the truth according to Almighty God!
Jump to
- MAIN DIRECTORY
- ↳ RED PILL WAKE UP
- ↳ INTEL & NEWS REPORTS
- ↳ LETTERS TO AMERICA - THE AMERICAN CRISIS OF 2020
- ↳ THE LETTERS
- RED PILL WAKE UP
- ↳ MAIN RED PILL WAKE UP INFO (ULTIMATE RED PILL)
- ↳ ELECTION FRAUD
- ↳ DOCUMENTARY SERIES
- ↳ ELECTION FILMS / DOCUMENTARIES
- ↳ COVID
- ↳ DOCUMENTARY SERIES
- ↳ DEEP STATE
- ↳ DOCUMENTARY SERIES
- ↳ DEVOLUTION
- ↳ MISC
- ↳ DOCUMENTARY SERIES
- LIVE CONSERVATIVE NEWS / DOCUMENTARIES
- ↳ One America News (OAN) Live
- ↳ Newsmax Live
- ↳ The First TV Live
- ↳ Docurama
- ↳ Military Times
- INTEL & NEWS REPORTS
- ↳ ------- TOP INTEL REPORTS -------
- ↳ X22 REPORT
- ↳ AND WE KNOW
- ↳ PATRIOT STREET FIGHTER
- ↳ DAVID NINO RODRIGUEZ - (NINOS CORNER TV)
- ↳ THE MEL K SHOW
- ↳ RED PILL 78
- ↳ THE SGT REPORT
- ↳ RED PILL AMERICA
- ↳ MONKEY WERX
- ↳ KANEKOA THE GREAT
- ↳ RESTRICTED REPUBLIC - LISA HAVEN
- ↳ CIRSTEN W
- ↳ SHARIRAYE
- ↳ SIMON PARKES
- ↳ CHARLIE WARD
- ↳ THRIVE TIME SHOW - CLAY CLARK
- ↳ PRAYING MEDIC
- ↳ DARK OUTPOST - DAVID ZUBLICK
- ↳ IN THE MATRIXX
- ↳ STEEL TRUTH - ANN VANDERSTEEL
- ↳ SANTA SURFING
- ↳ ------- TOP NEWS REPORTS -------
- ↳ JUST INFORMED NEWS
- ↳ BANNONS WAR ROOM
- ↳ NEXT NEWS NETWORK
- ↳ US AGAINST MEDIA - PATRIOT NEWS IN MICHIGAN
- ↳ THE RESISTANCE 1776
- ↳ CHRISTIAN PATRIOT NEWS
- ↳ WE THE PEOPLE NEWS
- ↳ AMERICAN CENTER FOR LAW AND JUSTICE
- ↳ BREATHE DEEP
- ↳ ------- MISC INTEL / NEWS REPORTS -------
- ↳ AMERICAN THOUGHT LEADERS
- ↳ THE HIGHWIRE WITH DEL BIGTREE
- ↳ LOGIK'S VIEW
- ↳ HOBSON FOR HOUSE
- ↳ MAN IN AMERICA
- ↳ THE PETE SANTILLI SHOW
- ↳ THE CHARLIE KIRK SHOW
- ↳ PETE SANTILLI SHOW - JUST THE INTERVIEWS
- ↳ PATRIOT NEWS & UPDATES - PHIL GODLEWSKI
- ↳ TRACY BEANZ
- ↳ JORDAN SATHER
- ↳ THE DAN BONGINO SHOW
- ↳ NICHOLAS VENIAMIN
- ↳ DR DOUGLAS G FRANK
- ↳ THE RIGHT SIDE WITH DOUG BILLINGS
- ↳ THE RIGHT VIEW WITH LARA TRUMP
- ↳ JEFFREY PRATHER
- ↳ DECEPTION BYTES
- ↳ IPOT1776 - TRUTH IN PURSUIT OF TRUTH
- ↳ PROJECT CAMELOT
- ↳ RED PILL DOCUMENTARIES
- ↳ THE ERIC METAXAS RADIO SHOW
- ↳ EXPOSING CORRUPTION
- ↳ DAVID ICKE
- ↳ DECISIVE LIBERTY NEWS & DOCUMENTARIES
- ↳ CONSERVATIVE POLITICS
- ↳ CURTIS BOWERS - AGENDA WEEKLY
- ↳ CLIF HIGH
- ↳ JOVAN HUTTON PULITZER
- ↳ RUSSELL BRAND
- ↳ DEVOLUTION POWER HOUR
- ↳ MELISSA - RED PILL THE WORLD
- ↳ AMERICAN MEDIA PERISCOPE
- ↳ SPACE X CENTRIC
- ↳ THE RIPPLE EFFECT PODCAST
- ↳ MODERN WISDOM - CHRIS WILLIAMSON
- ↳ FREAKSENSE TV
- ↳ RED PILL MOMMA
- ↳ LIVE WITH LAURA-LYNN
- ↳ MR TRUTH BOMB
- ↳ IVORY HECKER
- ↳ DINESH D'SOUZA
- ↳ MARIA ZEEE
- ↳ GLENN BECK
- ↳ FACTS MATTER WITH ROMAN BALMAKOV
- ↳ FRONT PAGE WITH SCOTT GOULET
- ↳ JUDICIAL WATCH
- ↳ GUARDIANS OF THE LOOKING GLASS
- ↳ THE RUBIN REPORT
- ↳ TIMCAST
- ↳ HUMAN EVENTS DAILY
- ↳ ON POINT PREPAREDNESS
- ↳ LIZ WHEELER
- ↳ THE BIG AWAKENING Q
- ↳ PRESS FOR TRUTH
- ↳ THE DURAN NEWS
- ↳ THE PREPARED MIND
- ↳ JIM CRENSHAW
- ↳ ON THE FRINGE
- ↳ WORLD ALTERNATIVE MEDIA
- ↳ COACH DAVE LIVE OFFICIAL
- ↳ CUTTING EDGE
- ↳ BREITBART
- ↳ UNITED PATRIOTS
- ↳ MATT CHRISTIANSEN
- ↳ VERITAS VISUALS
- ↳ CAPTAIN DEPLORABLE
- ↳ REDACTED NEWS
- ↳ SCRIPTED
- ↳ FEARLESS NATION
- ↳ BANNED YOUTUBE VIDEOS
- ↳ TRUTH UNEDITED
- ↳ ANGELLA JOY
- ↳ BENNY JOHNSON SHOW
- ↳ ALISON MORROW
- ↳ THE WATCHMAN WITH ERICK STAKELBECK
- ↳ FALCONSCAFE ~ SHARING IS SAVING LIVES
- ↳ DOUCHE WORLD ORDER
- ↳ THE DANA SHOW
- ↳ THE DIVE WITH JACKSON HINKLE
- ↳ LOUDER WITH CROWDER - STEVEN CROWDER
- ↳ JD RUCKER SHOW
- ↳ AMERICA UNPLUGGED
- ↳ DOBIE TEJAS
- INTEL & NEWS REPORTS (DAILY DIGEST)
- ↳ DAILY UPDATES (MON-FRI)
- FREE ONLINE EDUCATION
- ↳ CONSTITUTION 101: THE MEANING AND HISTORY OF THE CONSTITUTION - COURSE / 12 LECTURES
- ↳ DOCUMENTS
- ↳ AUDIO
- ↳ CONSTITUTION 101: THE MEANING AND HISTORY OF THE CONSTITUTION - DISCUSSION
- ↳ Constitution 101 - Hillsdale Discussion
- ↳ CONGRESS: HOW IT WORKED AND WHY IT DOESN’T - COURSE / 11 LECTURES
- ↳ CONGRESS: HOW IT WORKED AND WHY IT DOESN’T - DISCUSSION
- ↳ INTRODUCTION TO THE CONSTITUTION - COURSE / 12 LECTURES
- ↳ INTRODUCTION TO THE CONSTITUTION - DISCUSSION
- ↳ THE U.S. SUPREME COURT - COURSE / 10 LECTURES
- ↳ THE U.S. SUPREME COURT - DISCUSSION
- ↳ PUBLIC POLICY FROM A CONSTITUTIONAL VIEWPOINT - COURSE / 12 LECTURES
- ↳ PUBLIC POLICY FROM A CONSTITUTIONAL VIEWPOINT - DISCUSSION
- ↳ THE FEDERALIST PAPERS - COURSE / 10 LECTURES
- ↳ THE FEDERALIST PAPERS - DISCUSSION
- ↳ THE PRESIDENCY AND THE CONSTITUTION - COURSE / 10 LECTURES
- ↳ THE PRESIDENCY AND THE CONSTITUTION - DISCUSSION
- ↳ CONSTITUTION 201: THE PROGRESSIVE REJECTION OF THE FOUNDING AND THE RISE OF BUREAUCRATIC DESPOTISM - COURSE / 10 LECTURES
- ↳ CONSTITUTION 201: THE PROGRESSIVE REJECTION OF THE FOUNDING AND THE RISE OF BUREAUCRATIC DESPOTISM - DISCUSSION
- ↳ CIVIL RIGHTS IN AMERICAN HISTORY - COURSE / 9 LECTURES
- ↳ CIVIL RIGHTS IN AMERICAN HISTORY - DISCUSSION
- ↳ AMERICAN CITIZENSHIP AND ITS DECLINE - COURSE / 8 LECTURES
- ↳ AMERICAN CITIZENSHIP AND ITS DECLINE - DISCUSSION
- ↳ THE GREAT AMERICAN STORY: A LAND OF HOPE - COURSE / 25 LECTURES
- ↳ THE GREAT AMERICAN STORY: A LAND OF HOPE - DISCUSSION
- ↳ The US Constitution Course: By Michael Badnarik (7 Part Series)
- ↳ MICHAEL BADNARIK - CONSTITUTION CLASS - PART 1 OF 7
- ↳ CONSTITUTION CLASS - PART 1 DISCUSSION
- ↳ MICHAEL BADNARIK - CONSTITUTION CLASS - PART 2 OF 7
- ↳ CONSTITUTION CLASS - PART 2 DISCUSSION
- ↳ MICHAEL BADNARIK - CONSTITUTION CLASS - PART 3 OF 7
- ↳ CONSTITUTION CLASS - PART 3 DISCUSSION
- ↳ MICHAEL BADNARIK - CONSTITUTION CLASS - PART 4 OF 7
- ↳ CONSTITUTION CLASS - PART 4 DISCUSSION
- ↳ MICHAEL BADNARIK - CONSTITUTION CLASS - PART 5 OF 7
- ↳ CONSTITUTION CLASS - PART 5 DISCUSSION
- ↳ MICHAEL BADNARIK - CONSTITUTION CLASS - PART 6 OF 7
- ↳ CONSTITUTION CLASS - PART 6 DISCUSSION
- ↳ MICHAEL BADNARIK - CONSTITUTION CLASS - PART 7 OF 7
- ↳ CONSTITUTION CLASS - PART 7 DISCUSSION
- ↳ The Constitution Study
- ↳ The Constitution Study - Rumble
- ↳ The Constitution Study - Website
- GENERAL
- ↳ Discussion
- ↳ Articles
- ↳ SUBSTACK
- ↳ Kyle Becker
- ↳ Top Articles
- ↳ Trevor Winchell
- ↳ Benson Fraud
- ↳ Main
- ↳ Priorities USA
- ↳ PRIORITIES USA - FEC
- ↳ The Secretary of State Project
- ↳ Court Cases
- ↳ Audits
- ↳ Facebook Posts
- ↳ Laws & Acts
- ↳ Live Videos
- ↳ News Articles
- ↳ Videos
- ↳ Video
- ↳ Project on Government Oversignt and Secrecy (POGOS)
- ↳ FAS Project on Government Secrecy
- ↳ Project on Government Oversight & Secrecy
- ↳ Project on Government Oversignt
- ↳ Information Archive
- ↳ United States Federal Government Declassified Documents
- ↳ Tyranny of government
- ↳ National Security Archive
- ↳ Brass Check - Government Corruption
- ↳ Misc
- ↳ Mr. Dez
- ↳ Videos
- ↳ American Patriot Wellness
- ↳ Essential Lifestyle
- ↳ Essential Oils
- ↳ DIY
- ↳ Body Systems
- ↳ Quick Reference
- ↳ Music & Sound Healing
- ↳ Gardening
- ↳ Cooking From Scratch
- ↳ WANT TO ACCESS THIS SITE? CLICK HERE!
- PRESIDENT TRUMP
- ↳ Press Releases
- ↳ Rallies
- ↳ 2021
- ↳ 2022
- ↳ Statements
- ↳ News & Articles
- ↳ MAR-A-Lago FBI Raid (8/8/2022)
- ↳ Briefings & Statements
- WANT FULL ACCESS TO THIS SITE? - CLICK HERE!
- THE TESLA FILES
- ↳ Season 1
Who is online
Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 2 guests