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.

“The Great Escaper” tells the true story of a World War II veteran, played by Michael Caine, who leaves his nursing home to attend a D-Day reunion in France. Premiering Sunday on PBS Masterpiece, the film also features the late Glenda Jackson in a reflection on memory and honor.