Franny Wishing *YOU* A Merry Christmas and the Best of the New Year to come!!! Please scroll down A SOLIDER'S CHIRSTMAS 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, our Fire
fighters, and Police officers 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. _______________ Chaplain Breyer BBCFD |
