Richard Brookins
Richard W. Brookins (1922 – October 11, 2018) was an American man who, as a soldier during World War II, was chosen to portray Saint Nicholas for the children of Wiltz, Luxembourg. He then became known as "The American St. Nick" and came to represent all of the Americans who helped defend Luxembourg from German forces.
Personal life
Brookins was born in Rochester, New York, and returned there after the war. Before the war, he worked at Ritter Dental; after the war, he worked for Rochester Telephone.
Background
In 1944, the village of Wiltz had been under German occupation for about four years; among the many negative effects of the occupation, they had been unable to hold their traditional St. Nicholas Day celebrations. After landing at Normandy in April, Allied forces were pushing the Germans back, and American troops arrived in Wiltz in the fall. Members of the 28th Infantry Division decided to do what they could for the children of Wiltz and organized a holiday celebration to lift their spirits.
Soldiers pooled their rations to provide candy and chocolate for the children. Corporal Richard Brookins, a tall encryptionist and projectionist, was recruited to portray St. Nicholas himself (Kleeschen in Luxembourgish), making use of the local priest's vestments, a beard of rope, and a bishop's miter constructed by the local nuns. On December 5, 1944, he was driven through town in a jeep, rather than the traditional carriage, and gave out candy to the children.
The role only lasted a few hours, and in less than two weeks the German forces had pushed back into Wiltz as part of the Battle of the Bulge. But the people of Wiltz didn't forget what the Americans had done for them.
After the war
In 1947, Wiltz reinstated their Saint Nicholas Day celebrations, but the goal was not just to honor St. Nicholas, but also to honor the "American St. Nick", as a representative of all of the American forces who had fought to liberate Luxembourg. His identity remained a mystery until 1977, when Brookins' fellow infantryman Frank McClelland tracked him down and delivered a handwritten message from the people of Wiltz inviting Brookins back to town. Brookins had had no idea his brief role had been remembered after all that time.
Brookins would return to Wiltz six times, the last in 2014. He was granted honorary citizenship of Wiltz, and in 2009 they erected a monument in his honor. In 2016, the government of Luxembourg awarded him the Luxembourg Military Honor Medal.
References
- "Richard Brookins, Rochester's WWII "St. Nick," dies at age 96". democratandchronicle.com. Retrieved 2019-10-25.
- "Local WWII veteran is a holiday hero overseas". democratandchronicle.com. Retrieved 2019-10-25.
- "The American St. Nick". americainwwii.com. Retrieved 2019-10-25.
- "The Webster Museum - Webster, New York - Richard Brookins: American St. Nick". webstermuseum.org. Retrieved 2019-10-25.
- Lion, Peter (June 25, 2019). American St. Nick (75th Anniversary ed.). ISBN 057848174X.
- "The American St. Nick". WXXI. Retrieved 2019-10-25.