Rochester, New York
1922 – 2018

International Santa Claus Hall of Fame – December 2016

Richard Brookins first portrayed St. Nicholas during World War II. In December of 1944, American soldiers from the 28th Infantry Division were stationed in the village of Wiltz, Luxembourg. Knowing they wouldn’t be home for Christmas, Corporal Harry Stutz and Corporal Richard Brookins decided that the next best thing would be to celebrate the holiday in Wiltz.

On December 5, 1944, Corporal Brookins, dressed in the local priest’s vestments and a rope beard, rode through town in an Army jeep distributing gifts and treats donated by fellow GIs, before continuing the celebration with a party for the children at Wiltz Castle. It was a moment of joy for a community that had endured nearly five years of Nazi occupation.

The townspeople never forgot. In the years that followed, Wiltz incorporated a new tradition into their annual St. Nicholas celebration: someone would dress as the American St. Nicholas and recreate Brookins’ jeep ride through town – a tradition that continues to this day.

In 2016, Brookins was awarded Luxembourg’s highest military honor, the Military Medal, joining a distinguished list of past recipients that includes Winston Churchill and General Dwight D. Eisenhower.