Bing Crosby’s Song in the Snow: How 'White Christmas' Brought Hope to Soldiers Before the Battle of the Bulge
Bing took the stage—or rather, a makeshift clearing among huddled men—and cracked a joke about how Miami would’ve been a more comfortable stop. The soldiers chuckled faintly, their faces a mix of exhaustion and fragile hope. Some hadn’t laughed in weeks. Others hadn’t spoken to anyone but the man next to them in the foxhole. But Bing’s voice carried something magical: familiarity, comfort, and a warmth that no fire could provide.
He took the microphone, cleared his throat, and said softly:
"It’s Christmas Eve, boys. And I know this isn’t home. But if you’ll let me, I’d like to bring a little piece of home to you."
And then he began to sing.
The opening notes of “White Christmas” floated into the night, mingling with the sound of distant artillery fire.
The Time Britain Tried to Build an Aircraft Carrier Out of Ice: Inside Project Habakkuk, WWII’s Most Ambitious and Bizarre Military Experiment
Let’s set the stage: It’s World War II. The Nazis are dominating the Atlantic, German U-boats are turning supply ships into fish food, and the Allies are desperate for a solution. The answer? Build a warship—but not just any warship. Build one out of ice.
Yes, ice. Apparently, the stress of war had everyone losing their cool. This was Project Habakkuk, an idea so bizarre it makes the exploding whale incident seem reasonable. Spoiler alert: it didn’t work, but the attempt left behind one of the funniest and most ambitious chapters in military history.
