Author's Note: With all the christmas fics going around this season, I decided to take a different approach this christmas season and came up with this. The following is based off an article I read in the December 23, 2007 edition of The Standard. 'The Carol That Stopped A War' by Victor M. Parachin. The article tells the story of how British and German soldiers came together one Christmas Eve during World War I and agree to a temperory truce. The accounts and discriptions in this fanfiction are based on a truce story with the addition of two Teen Titans characters in a story that shows us the true meaning of Christmas, that we are all united in the bond of mankind. Enjoy.
Silent Night: A War Story
The date was December 24, 1914; Christmas Eve in what many believed to be The War to End All Wars, all of the world's nations were deeply involved in what is now known as World War I. Called The Great War in its time the Allied Nations were battling the Central Power nations that consisted of the German Empire, The Ottoman Empire and the Austria-Hungary Empire. The United States wouldnt enter World War I for 3 more years. During this point in time the British forces were battling the Germans along the Western Front in a place called No Man's Land. A virtual wasteland that neither side wished to take control of or else they'd be sitting ducks. While they were fighting soliders would hide out in trenches that stretched for miles giving them effective cover and a place to attack from. Trench warfare is as nasty as they come, more often than not soldiers would sircum to disease and sickness and if the enemy had infultrated your trench your as good as dead. Ironically this is what brings us to the centerpiece of our story.
In an undetermined location on Christmas Eve 1914 the British had been ingaged in vicious battle with the German forces. As evening approached an icy cold front came across the battlefield turning the muddy trenches into ice and slush, by this time most of the fighting would have ceased by evening giving soldiers an opportunity to rest and keep warm as the temperature dropped below freezing British sentries could see the Germans lighting candles and placing them on poles and bayonets. The nightwatchmen reported it back to thier superiors, indeed the Germans had given away thier position but instead of shooting the British soldiers held thier fire. In a move that defied logic the Germans were celebrating Christmas in the middle of a war. From thier vantage point the British could see that the Germans were holding little christmas trees above thier heads with lighted candles in thier branches. In full spirits the Germans had extended an olive branch of sorts and invited thier enemies to celebrate Christmas with them. The British soliders were met with mixed reactions. Not long after that they began hear the Germans singing christmas carols. As they sang the British began picking up on the lyrics which sounded something like this.
"Stille Nacht! Heilige Nacht!"
After hearing this they recognized it as 'Silent Night! Holy Night' and soon began singing in English.
Silent night Holy night
All is calm, all is bright
Round 'yon virgin mother and child
Holy infant so tender and mild
Sleep in heavenly peace
Sleep in heavenly peace
Silent night Holy night
Shepards quake at thy sight
Glories stream from Heaven afar
Heavenly hosts sing Hallelujah
Christ, the Savior is born
Christ, the Savior is born
Silent night Holy Night
Son of God, love's pure light
Radient beams from thy holy face
With the dawn of redeeming grace
Jesus, Lord at thy birth
Jesus, Lord at thy birth
Then in a rare moment soldiers began laying down their guns and began crawling out of thier trenches and meeting with their enemy in the area aptly proclaimed No Man's Land they began to shake hands calling on an unofficial and unspoken truce. So many soldiers had walked onto the battlefield that thier superior officers were powerless to stop them and yet deep within thier war-torn and battle scarred hearts they knew that it was for the best. They built a campfire and sat together as brothers exchanging meager gifts with what little they had. Gifts of chocolate bars, buttons, badges and little tins of processed beef men who only hours ago were trying to kill each other now sat together in fellowship. Among those sat a young black British solider and a small German boy who looked to be in his late teens. The young German had jet black hair and blue eyes and was just a scrawny lil lad. While the young British soldier was large and muscular but seemed more kind than intimidating he had a shaved head and blue eyes.
The young German handed the black British soldier a tin of beef. The African male looked at the tin and thanked him before giving him one of his medals.
"Its beautiful." the German soldier said.
"Thanks, got that in me last battle. Tis yours if ya want it, I got plenty more where those came from." replied the Brit.
The German turned toward him and stuck out his hand.
"The name's Richard Graystein." he introduced.
"Victor Stone." he said shaking the teen's hand.
"You dont really look like you belong in an army." Victor told him.
"I dont have anywhere else to go really. I'm an orphan, the man that adopted me said I could live with him once this is over. Bruce Von Waynecrest was his name seems like a decent fellow." said Richard.
"Aye, I know how you feel, I lost me mum when I was younger now its just me and my dad." Victor told him.
"You miss her?" Rich asked.
"Like I miss the sun, mate." Vic told him.
While this was happening soldiers started pulling out family pictures and sharing them with thier new found friends. At the same time Richard pulled out his picture and showed it to Victor.
"Who's this?" he asked.
"My girlfriend, Korina Andersen." Richard replied.
In the picture was a young girl about his age with long hair and a dress in the black and white photo.
"Blimey she sure is a looka, nicely done mate." Vic said handing him back the photo.
"Thank ya. What about you, you got a girlfriend?" Richard asked.
"Indeed I do mate." he said pulling out his own picture.
"Her name's Karen Beecher. We've been together for three years." he told him.
In the picture was a young black woman with short dark hair that came down to her shoulders.
"Nice." Richard said as he handed back the picture.
"Yeah she's my girl." Vic told him.
For the rest of the evening the English and the Germans were on equal terms, the thoughts of war evaded them for the night as they celebrated Christ's birth. Despite all that they'd been through, deep down they were all human beings, united under the brotherhood of mankind. The truce carried over to Christmas Day. There was no fighting that day as far as those two troops were concerned. Then on December 26th at 8:30 AM the truce was over having ended as it had begun by mutual agreement. British Captain C. I. Stockwell of the Royal Welsh Fusiliers fired three shots into the air and climbed out of his trench he was met with a German officer who had traded gifts with Captain Stockwell the night before. The two soldiers bowed and saluted each other before climbing back into their trenches. The German officer fired two shots into the air signaling that they were back on.
Back to action.
Keep this in mind as you celebrate the Christmas season this year. Regardless of where we come from, what we believe in, or anything else all of us are members of one race--the human race. For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son that whosoever believes in him shall not perish but have everlasting life. And that Jesus is the reason for the season. Christmas is a time of love, fellowship and brotherhood. Remember that this Christmas season.
Merry Christmas to all and Happy New Year.
Please review.