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 HOUSE 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 SOBERING THOUGHT
RUSHED 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 FOR 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, AND ALL IS SECURE."

ONE LOOK AT MY WATCH,
AND I KNEW HE WAS RIGHT.
"MERRY CHRISTMAS YOUNG SOLDIER,
AND TO ALL A PEACFUL NIGHT."


God Be With You All  ! ! !

And this is posted in the AR forum because?


IBTL

Gotta do it.  

IBTL

Simply because there are a lot of military members on this board and I think we should all remember those who are serving our country.
 Every year I was deployed in some god forsaken dirt hole during Christmas I remember this poem showing up in our daily briefs.  It helped me remember what I was doing there and gave me a bit of comfort.    
 If it gives one other person some sense of comfort or patriotism, then I am satisfied.
No flame intended here, but if the mods don't want it here, then can move it.  I have plenty of other ways I pay tribute to my fellow bretheren in uniform.

Somehow I don't think thy will mind. After all, it IS Christmas.

God Bless America and those that defend her. Merry Christmas to our men and women in uniform. We support you. We love you. Thank you.

You're a dick.

To any uniformed member of America's armed forces, know that we keep you close to our hearts, in our thoughts and our prayers.
Thank you for doing what you do. And know that while you do your thing their, we'll try our best to keep yours safe here.
If a member of your family is in our armed forces and away from home, or you have a friend that is, especially during this holiday season, please know we appreciate their sacrifices and yours, and we thank you, for supporting them, so they can keep us safe, please extend our thanks and blessings to them for us.
Fight the good fight, shoot straight and watch six.  God bless you all each and everyone of you.

Merry Christmas.

/S2

SULACO2, Very well said Sir. My Son's unit ships out to Iraq next month. My son is forth generation Regular Army. God bless and protect them all.