Our soldiers

[Mr.Kitch'nPass]

I don't know if any of you have seen this poem before, but I thought it was a good time to share it now.

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

May God bless all our soldiers this Christmas!

[SPAZZ]

Mr.kitchen pass, Thank you for reminding me of our men and women overseas. May god be with each and every one of them. My thoughts and prayers are with them- Brian

[bait dunker]

id like to thank all of those who have, and continue to serve! because of you we have the freedom to keep fishing and hunting while others are dying to keep us safe, keep the war over there and not here in our hometowns, on american soil.
to me it seems truely amazing how these brave men and women can be away from their families, loved ones and all that they know so that we may continue our lives uninterrupted, and they do this voluntarily, no one was drafted or chose to enlist rather than serve time. these people are doing this becase they know its the right thing to do, they love their country and their fellow man.
i recently sent a couple of my friends a small taste of home, smoked salmon, steelhead, sturgeon, some duck jerky and elk pepperoni. each got about 50 lbs, one in afghanastan and one in iraq. i hope they will get them in time for x-mas, and i do hope they know how much i appreciate them being there, and the sacrafices they, and their families are making! god bless!


"if your under 25 and a conservative, you dont have a heart, if your over 25 and a liberal, you dont have a brain" winston churchill

[STGRule]

Actually, bait dunker the correct quote is:

Any man who is under 30 , and is not a liberal, has not heart; and any man who is over 30, and is not a conservative, has no brains....

[KChookem]

KnP... thank you for sharing.

We really do not hear much negative from the folks doing the heavy lifting. Considering their job, that is pretty amazing.

My gratitude to all serving now, regular, Guard and Reserve; to those who served in the past; and to those who will serve their country in the future.