[MR] Fw: Soldier Christmas

[Stan Harmon]

In your service
Lord Galen Storm

The secret to fencing consists of two things: to give and to not 
receive....Moliere [Jean Baptiste Poquelin] (1622-1673), French...




>From: "Barbara Harmon" <barbph at hotmail.com>
>To: vickie at rpmachine.com, kryton2 at energyunited.net, JNELSONBC at aol.com, 
>Kathy at crowellandporter.com, judykinley at kewaunee.com, mary_luann at yahoo.com, 
>jackieb at statesville.net, stan_harmon at hotmail.com
>Subject: Fw: Soldier Christmas
>Date: Sun, 31 Oct 2004 18:39:43 -0500
>
>
>
>
>
>Barbara
>
>
>
>
>>From: "Amy Padgett" <amypad at salisbury.net>
>>To: "Annette Winecoff" <awinecoff at syratech.com>
>>Subject: Fw: Soldier Christmas
>>Date: Sun, 31 Oct 2004 16:32:28 -0500 (Eastern Standard Time)
>>
>>
>>
>>Subject: Fw: Soldier Christmas
>>
>>
>>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,
>>ON THE WALL HUNG PICTURES
>>OF FAR DISTANT LANDS.
>>
>>WITH MEDALS AND BADGES,
>>AWARDS OF ALL KINDS,
>>A SOBER THOUGHT
>>CAME THROUGH MY MIND.
>>
>>FOR THIS HOUSE WAS DIFFERENT,
>>IT WAS DARK AND DREARY,
>>I FOUND THE HOME OF A SOLDIER,
>>ONCE 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 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 NIGHT'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. service men 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.
>>
>>
>>
>>
>