From the moment President Roosevelt announced the Pearl Harbor attack, every corner of the nation experienced change. In little towns all across this great land, families said good-bye to sons and daughters as they went off to a brutal war. Many believed that, with America's involvement, the war would be over by the next Christmas.

Alas, this was not to be. Many families would not spend the holidays with their deployed loved ones until 1946 or '47. As the months passed, rationing made typical gift-giving difficult if not impossible. Holiday gifts reverted to the "homemade" sort, department store Santas got a feminine make-over, and in the midst of war, communities pulled together to celebrate the birth of the Prince of Peace.

These are their stories.