American St Nick awarded Luxembourg's highest military medal
A WWII veteran who brought Christmas cheer to a wartorn Luxembourg town over 70 years ago was awarded Luxembourg's highest military honour.
10.07.2016
A WWII
veteran who brought Christmas cheer to a wartorn Luxembourg town over
70 years ago was last week awarded Luxembourg's highest military honour.
Richard
Brookins, now 94, is known the world over as the American St Nick
after he donned a beard and dressed up as Kleeschen for the children
of Wiltz during World War II.
Then a US GI,
in December of 1944 Brookins toured the recently liberated town in an army Jeep handing
out sweets to the delighted children.
This small but memorable gesture helped forge a friendship that has
blossomed over decades, with Brookins and his family returning to Wiltz
on several occasions for the annual Christmas parade. He told
reporters that he did it to honour his fellow soldiers, who he said
have all now passed away.
Brookins, who lives in Rochester, New York, was
unable to attend last year because of ill health but he was never far
from people's thoughts in Luxembourg. On July 7, he was presented
with the Luxembourg Military Medal by the Consul General of the
Luxembourg Consul in New York at a small ceremony at the
Genesee Valley Club of Rochester.
“We are so proud to have the
American Kleeschen as a shared patrimony between the U.S. and
Luxembourg, and we congratulate and thank Mr. Brookins for the joy
his legacy has brought to generations!” the US Embassy in
Luxembourg posted on its Facebook page.