By Ron Estes

A Christmas tale from a forward trench line in Korea, 1952. In one area, in December 1952, the trenches of the 1st Marine Division ran along the forward crest of knolls 50 to 60 meters in height. The lines were interrupted by a shallow gorge through which ran a dry creek bed, and a lone, small pine tree. It was the only tree to be seen. Artillery and mortar fire had lain all the ridges and rises totally barren, not even a blade of grass.

The family of a Marine had naively sent him Christmas tree decorations. They were considered, at the time, to be as useful as a hair curler. But as Christmas approached, the small pine tree attracted attention. On 23 December, in the dark of night, two Marines crept out and decorated the tree with bulbs and a string of lights. They ran a wire from the lights back to the base of the reverse slope of one of the knolls. The company supply sergeant provided a small gasoline field generator.

At midnight Christmas Eve, the Marines fired the generator, and the pine tree burst into light, and for a few short minutes became a symbol of home and Christmas for several dozens of Marines.

All was silent, then a Chinese rifle shot, then another, and several more… silence again. Then the Chinese turned a machine gun on the tree and destroyed it.

The 12 to15 Marines sheltered behind the knoll roared with laughter, and then quietly began to sing Silent Night. Slowly, the voices of the Marines in the trench began to join them. As their voices reached a crescendo, a roar erupted from the throats of the Marines manning the trench lines shoulder to shoulder along the knolls.

It was a grand Christmas.