The RHS Class of `58
is asking everyone to remember our soldiers during the
holidays. They are far away from their homes, families,
and loved ones. These lonely and homesick soldiers are
out there defending the country we live in! All of our
soldiers are making tremendous sacrifices for us! When
you are making out your Christmas cards this year, please send
several cards to the following
address:
A
Recovering American Soldier c/o Walter Reed Army Medical
Center 6900 Georgia Avenue, NW Washington, D.C.
20307-5001 |
The Soldier`s Night Before
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."
~Author
Unknown~ |