At a critical juncture in the Battle of the Bulge, General George S. Patton’s Third Army became bogged down in its drive to relieve the legendary 101st Airborne Division trapped at Bastogne, Belgium.
An encircled force of 15,000 elite American soldiers defended the vital crossroads town from a German contingent that outnumbered them by nine-to-one in critical sections of the front.
Meanwhile, wintry conditions had grounded the Allied air force, neutralizing their massive advantage in air supremacy.
That’s when Patton called upon the power of prayer.
Rev. Msgr. James Hugh O’Neill, chaplain of the 250,000 man Third Army, composed what became known as the “Weather Prayer” at the behest of his general.
Here’s what it said:
“Almighty and most merciful Father, we humbly beseech Thee, of Thy great goodness, to restrain these immoderate rains with which we have had to contend. Grant us fair weather for Battle. Graciously hearken to us as soldiers who call Thee that, armed with Thy power, we may advance from victory to victory, and crush the oppression and wickedness of our enemies, and establish Thy justice among men and nations. Amen.”
On the reverse side of the prayer card distributed to every GI under his command, Patton wrote:
“To each officer and soldier in the Third United States Army, I wish a Merry Christmas. I have full confidence in your courage, devotion to duty, and skill in battle. We march in our might to complete victory. May God’s blessings rest upon each of you on this Christmas Day. — G.S. Patton, Jr., Lieutenant General, Commanding, Third United States Army.”
The next day the weather cleared, American air power decimated the Nazis’ ability to wage war on the ground, and, well, the rest is history.
If that isn’t the Christmas card to end all Christmas cards, I don’t know what is!
(H/T Western Journalism)
AAN Staff
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