Fw: Night Before Christmas, 2001 (well worth the read)

[Guest guest]

[CAPNC] Night Before Christmas, 2001

>

> Night Before Christmas 2001

>

> 'TWAS THE NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS, HE LIVED ALL ALONE,

> IN A ONE BEDROOM HOUSE MADE OF PLASTER AND STONE. I HAD

> COME DOWN THE CHIMNEY WITH PRESENTS TO GIVE, AND TO SEE

> JUST WHO IN THIS HOME DID LIVE.

>

> I LOOKED ALL ABOUT, A STRANGE SIGHT I DID SEE,

> NO TINSEL, NO PRESENTS, NOT EVEN A TREE. NO STOCKING BY

> MANTLE, JUST BOOTS FILLED WITH SAND, AND ON THE WALL

> PICTURES OF FAR DISTANT LANDS.

>

> WITH MEDALS AND BADGES, AWARDS OF ALL KINDS, A SOBERING

> THOUGHT CAME TO MY MIND. FOR THIS HOUSE WAS DIFFERENT,

> SO DARK AND SO DREARY, THE HOME OF A SOLDIER, NOW I

> COULD SEE CLEARLY.

>

> THE SOLDIER LAY SLEEPING, SILENT, ALONE, CURLED UP ON

> THE FLOOR IN THIS ONE BEDROOM HOME. THE FACE WAS SO

> GENTLE, THE ROOM IN SUCH DISORDER, NOT HOW I PICTURED A

> UNITED STATES SOLDIER.

>

> WAS THIS THE HERO OF WHOM I'D JUST READ? CURLED UP ON A

> PONCHO, THE FLOOR FOR A BED? I REALIZED THE FAMILIES

> THAT I SAW THIS NIGHT, OWED THEIR LIVES TO THESE

> SOLDIERS WHO WERE WILLING TO FIGHT.

>

> SOON ROUND THE WORLD, THE CHILDREN WOULD PLAY,

> AND GROWNUPS WOULD CELEBRATE A BRIGHT CHRISTMAS DAY.

> THEY ALL ENJOYED FREEDOM EACH MONTH OF THE YEAR,

> BECAUSE OF THE SOLDIERS, LIKE THE ONE LYING HERE.

>

> I COULDN'T HELP WONDER HOW MANY LAY ALONE, ON A COLD

> CHRISTMAS EVE IN A LAND FAR FROM HOME. THE VERY THOUGHT

> BROUGHT A TEAR TO MY EYE, I DROPPED TO MY KNEES AND

> STARTED TO CRY.

>

> THE SOLDIER AWAKENED AND I HEARD A ROUGH VOICE,

> " SANTA DON'T CRY, THIS LIFE IS MY CHOICE; I FIGHT FOR

> FREEDOM, I DON'T ASK FOR MORE, MY LIFE IS MY GOD, MY

> COUNTRY, MY CORPS. "

>

> THE SOLDIER ROLLED OVER AND SOON DRIFTED TO SLEEP,

> I COULDN'T CONTROL IT, I CONTINUED TO WEEP. I KEPT WATCH

> FOR HOURS, SO SILENT AND STILL, AND WE BOTH SHIVERED FROM

> THE COLD EVENING'S CHILL.

>

> I DIDN'T WANT TO LEAVE ON THAT COLD, DARK NIGHT, THIS

> GUARDIAN OF HONOR SO WILLING TO FIGHT. THEN THE SOLDIER

> ROLLED OVER, WITH A VOICE SOFT AND PURE,

> WHISPERED, " CARRY ON SANTA, IT'S CHRISTMAS DAY, ALL IS

> SECURE. "

>

> ONE LOOK AT MY WATCH, AND I KNEW HE WAS RIGHT.

> " MERRY CHRISTMAS MY FRIEND, AND TO ALL A GOOD NIGHT. "

>

>

>

> This poem was written by a Marine stationed in Okinawa

> I think that his request is reasonable.

>

> Please....... Would you do me the kind favor of sending

> this to as many people as you can? Christmas will be

> coming soon and some credit is due to our U.S.

> servicemen and women for our being able to celebrate

> these festivities. Let's try in this small way to pay

> a tiny bit of what we owe. Make people stop and think of

> our heroes, living and dead, who sacrificed themselves

> for us. Please, do your small part to plant this small

> seed.

>

>

>

>

>

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