On Christmas Eve 1944, in a small hunting lodge in the Hürtgen Forest near the German-Belgian border, something happened that defied every law of warfare. A German woman named Elisabeth Vincken and her 12-year-old son Fritz were sheltering from the fighting when three American soldiers appeared at their door. One was badly wounded.

Elisabeth took them in. She began treating the wounded soldier and preparing what food she had. Then there was another knock at the door. This time it was four German soldiers.

The Impossible Evening

Elisabeth stepped outside to meet the Germans. She told them they were welcome to share the meal and the warmth, but they must leave their weapons outside. "This is Christmas Eve," she said. "There will be no shooting here."

The German corporal hesitated. Then he put down his weapon. The others followed. Inside, the enemies shared a meal of roast chicken and potatoes. One of the German soldiers, a former medical student, examined the wounded American and dressed his wounds, explaining in halting English what he was doing.

Fritz later recalled that the men showed each other photographs of their families. They didn't speak much — the language barrier was significant — but they shared food and warmth in something that approached peace.

The Morning After

In the morning, Elisabeth returned the weapons to both groups. The German soldier who had treated the wounded American gave the others directions to the nearest American position, warning them of a German minefield they should avoid. They shook hands. The German corporal said: "Good luck, Ami." The Americans said: "Frohe Weihnachten." Then they walked away in opposite directions into the snow.

Fritz Vincken spent decades trying to find the soldiers. He eventually located one of the Americans, who confirmed the story. Fritz wrote about the experience and it was published in Reader's Digest in 1995. "The war stopped for a few hours," he wrote. "Not because anyone ordered it, but because a mother told it to."