Richard W. Brookins (February 25, 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.

After landing at Normandy on June 6, 1944, Allied forces were pushing the Germans back, and American troops arrived in Wiltz in the fall.

Stutz recruited his buddy Corporal Richard Brookins, a tall encryptionist and projectionist assigned to the 28th Signal Company Message Center, to portray St. Nicholas himself (Kleeschen in Luxembourgish).

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.

His identity remained a mystery until 1977, when Brookins's fellow infantryman Frank McClelland tracked him down and delivered a handwritten message from the people of Wiltz inviting him back to town.