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Something to remember this Christmas


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>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,

>

>AWARD 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, Japan. The

>following is his request. I think it 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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