A pictorial history of the holidays during wartime and deployment.
Image Courtesy U.S. Army Center of Military History
Troops with the 32nd Division receive Red Cross Christmas packages on Christmas Eve 1917.
Image Courtesy U.S. Army Center of Military History
A 1942 Santa arriving by tank. Sgt. Hiram Prouty playing Santa for British children. Dec 5, 1942.
Image Courtesy U.S. Army Center of Military History
Pfc. George E. Neidhardt, with 9th Army in Germany, opens a holiday package sent from his home. December 1944 .
Image Courtesy Alexander Leiningen
Army Soldiers of the 42nd Infantry Division’s 222nd Infantry Regiment Glee Club perform in Vienna at the Great Hall of the famous Vienna Konzerthaus in this undated photo from 1945. The 42nd Division performed occupation duties in Austria after World War II and Soldiers participated in numerous activities while awaiting rotation home.
Image Courtesy U.S. Army Center of Military History
Korean KP decorates a Christmas tree set up in front of a serving counter as Christmas Day dinner is readied for men of the Co. Korea. Dec. 25, 1951.
Image Courtesy U.S. Army Center of Military History
Men of Co "B", 4th Signal Bn, X US Corps, prepare to decorate the Christmas tree at Bn HQ. Korea. Dec. 11, 1951.
Image Courtesy Georgia National Guard
Lieutenant Col. Clyde Knipfer and crew of a 165th Air Transport Group, Georgia Air National Guard prepare to depart for an 11 day round trip flight to Vietnam. As part of Operation Christmas Star, Lt. Col. Knipfer's aircraft carried gifts and mail from American citizens to service members serving in Vietnam.
Image courtesy Spc. Roland Hale
Staff Sgt. Joshua Horst of Port Richey, Fla., lowers his head in prayer during a holiday party put on by his unit on Camp Taji, Iraq. Horst, an Apache attack helicopter mechanic, is spending his third Christmas in Iraq. , Dec. 19, 2010.
Image courtesy Capt. Judith Marlowe
Paratroopers deployed to Camp Maréchal de Lattre de Tassigny, Kosovo, spent Christmas Eve playing, singing, and giving gifts to over 70 children from SOS Kinderdorf’s, an orphanage in Pristina. 2014
Image courtesy Lance Cpl. Jorge Rosales
ROK and U.S. Marines pose with a snowman creatively constructed by both corps at Rodriguez Live Fire Complex, South Korea. Both Marine Corps will be training together and spending the holidays with each other in the ROK. Dec. 21, 2015.
Image courtesy Staff Sgt. Desmond Cassell
Troops based in Syria received an early Christmas thanks to Operation Holiday Express, bringing gifts, messages from home, and the 1st Infantry Division Band to deployed troops. Dec. 24, 2019.
Image courtesy Spc. Angel Ruszkiewicz
U.S. service members deliver boxes of drinks, snacks, and stockings filled with gifts to service members deployed in support of Combined Joint Task Force – Operation Inherent Resolve (CJTF-OIR) in eastern Syria. Dec. 23, 2019.
Photo courtesy Brian Hare
Santa hands out gifts to an Iraqi child at the Iraqi Scouts Christmas party. Dec, 2019