Christmas 1944 brought the largest land battle fought by the United States, forever etched in history as the Battle of the Bulge. Opinion writer Arthur I. Cyr, in a piece described as “hell on earth,” reminds us how war overshadowed the holiday season that year.

Hundreds of thousands gathered across Australia and New Zealand for dawn services and street marches to commemorate Anzac Day, honoring their war dead. Despite disruptions at some services due to protests, the commemorations remained a poignant reminder of shared sacrifice.