--Previous Message--
: : >
: > '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.
: >
:
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