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Date: Fri, 24 Dec 2004 09:36:02 -0800 (PST)
From: Military-Brats Registry &lt;news@military-brats.com&gt;
To: synrik@earthlink.net
Subject: A Soldier's Christmas
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Please visit http://www.militarybrat.com/SoldiersChristmas.html for a special Christmas greeting from the Military Brats Registry.
  
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&lt;head&gt;
&lt;meta http-equiv=&quot;Content-Type&quot; content=&quot;text/html; charset=iso-8859-1&quot;&gt;
&lt;title&gt;A Soldier's Christmas&lt;/title&gt;
&lt;/head&gt;

&lt;body&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Each year numerous requests are received for the following two poems.&lt;br&gt;
I hope you enjoy them!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Marc Curtis&lt;br&gt;
  Webmaster&lt;br&gt;
  &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.militarybrat.com&quot;&gt;Military-Brats Registry
  &lt;br&gt;
  http://www.militarybrat.com
&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3&gt;&nbsp;&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;h3&gt;A Soldier's Christmas&lt;br&gt;
  &lt;SPAN style=&quot;WIDTH: 500px&quot;&gt;&lt;FONT size=-1&gt; written by a Marine&lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;/SPAN&gt;&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p&gt; Twas the night before Christmas,&lt;BR&gt;
    &lt;SPAN class=hl&gt;He lived all alone &lt;/SPAN&gt;&lt;SPAN 
class=hl&gt;,&lt;/SPAN&gt;&lt;BR&gt;
   In a one-bedroom house made of&lt;br&gt;
  Plaster and stone.&lt;BR&gt;
  &lt;BR&gt;
 I had come down the chimney &lt;BR&gt;
 With presents to give,&lt;BR&gt;
 And to see just who &lt;BR&gt;
 In this home did live.&lt;BR&gt;
 &lt;BR&gt;
 I looked all about,&lt;BR&gt;
 A strange sight did I see,&lt;BR&gt;
 No tinsel, no presents,&lt;BR&gt;
 Not even a tree.&lt;BR&gt;
 &lt;BR&gt;
 No stocking by mantle,&lt;BR&gt;
 Just boots filled with sand,&lt;BR&gt;
 On the wall hung pictures&lt;BR&gt;
 Of far distant lands.&lt;BR&gt;
 &lt;BR&gt;
 With medals and badges, &lt;BR&gt;
 Awards of all kinds,&lt;BR&gt;
 A sober thought &lt;BR&gt;
 Came through my mind.&lt;BR&gt;
 &lt;BR&gt;
 For this house was different,&lt;BR&gt;
 It was dark and dreary,&lt;BR&gt;
 I found the home of a soldier,&lt;BR&gt;
 Once I could see clearly.&lt;BR&gt;
 &lt;BR&gt;
 The soldier lay sleeping,&lt;BR&gt;
 Silent, alone &lt;SPAN class=hl&gt;,&lt;/SPAN&gt;&lt;BR&gt;
 Curled up on the floor &lt;BR&gt;
 In this one-bedroom home.&lt;BR&gt;
 &lt;BR&gt;
 The face was so gentle,&lt;BR&gt;
 The room in such disorder,&lt;BR&gt;
 Not how I pictured &lt;BR&gt;
 A United States Soldier.&lt;BR&gt;
 &lt;BR&gt;
 Was this the hero &lt;BR&gt;
 Of whom I'd just read?&lt;BR&gt;
 Curled up on a poncho,&lt;BR&gt;
 The floor for a bed?&lt;BR&gt;
 &lt;BR&gt;
 I realized the families &lt;BR&gt;
 That I saw this night,&lt;BR&gt;
 Owed their lives to these soldiers&lt;BR&gt;
 Who were willing to fight.&lt;BR&gt;
 &lt;BR&gt;
 Soon round the world,&lt;BR&gt;
 The children would play,&lt;BR&gt;
 And grownups would celebrate &lt;BR&gt;
 A bright Christmas day.&lt;BR&gt;
 &lt;BR&gt;
 They all enjoyed freedom, &lt;BR&gt;
 Each month of the year,&lt;BR&gt;
 Because of the soldiers,&lt;BR&gt;
 Like the one lying here.&lt;BR&gt;
 &lt;BR&gt;
 I couldn't help wonder, &lt;BR&gt;
 How many lay alone &lt;SPAN 
class=hl&gt;,&lt;/SPAN&gt;&lt;BR&gt;
 On a cold Christmas eve, &lt;BR&gt;
 In a land far from home.&lt;BR&gt;
 &lt;BR&gt;
 The very thought, &lt;BR&gt;
 Brought a tear to my eye,&lt;BR&gt;
 I dropped to my knees, &lt;BR&gt;
 And started to cry.&lt;BR&gt;
 &lt;BR&gt;
 The soldier awakened, &lt;BR&gt;
 And I heard a rough voice,&lt;BR&gt;
&quot;Santa don't cry,&lt;BR&gt;
 This life is my choice;&lt;BR&gt;
 &lt;BR&gt;
 I fight for freedom,&lt;BR&gt;
 I don't ask for more,&lt;BR&gt;
 My life is my God,&lt;BR&gt;
 My Country, my Corps.&quot;&lt;BR&gt;
 &lt;BR&gt;
 The soldier rolled over, &lt;BR&gt;
 And drifted to sleep,&lt;BR&gt;
 I couldn't control it,&lt;BR&gt;
 I continued to weep.&lt;BR&gt;
 &lt;BR&gt;
 I kept watch for hours,&lt;BR&gt;
 So silent and still,&lt;BR&gt;
 And we both shivered, &lt;BR&gt;
 From the cold night's chill.&lt;BR&gt;
 &lt;BR&gt;
 I didn't want to leave, &lt;BR&gt;
 On that cold, dark night, &lt;BR&gt;
 This guardian of honor, &lt;BR&gt;
 So willing to fight.&lt;BR&gt;
 &lt;BR&gt;
 Then the soldier rolled over,&lt;BR&gt;
 With a voice soft and pure,&lt;BR&gt;
 Whispered, &quot;carry on Santa ,&lt;BR&gt;
 It's Christmas day, &lt;SPAN 
class=hl&gt;all is secure &lt;/SPAN&gt;.&quot;&lt;BR&gt;
 &lt;BR&gt;
 One look at my watch,&lt;BR&gt;
 And I knew he was right.&lt;BR&gt;
&quot;Merry Christmas my friend,&lt;BR&gt;
 And to all a good night.&quot;&lt;FONT size=-1&gt;&lt;BR&gt;
 &lt;BR&gt;
 &lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3&gt;Remember Them&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p&gt;The embers glowed softly, and in their dim light, I gazed round the&lt;br&gt;
room and I cherished the sight.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;My wife was asleep, her head on my chest, my daughter beside me,&lt;br&gt;
angelic in rest.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;Outside the snow fell, a blanket of white, Transforming the yard to&lt;br&gt;
a winter delight.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;The sparkling lights in the tree, I believe, Completed the magic&lt;br&gt;
that was Christmas Eve.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;My eyelids were heavy, my breathing was deep, Secure and surrounded&lt;br&gt;
by love I would sleep in perfect contentment, or so it would seem.&lt;br&gt;
So I slumbered, perhaps I started to dream.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;The sound wasn't loud, and it wasn't too near, But I opened my eye&lt;br&gt;
when it tickled my ear.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;Perhaps just a cough, I didn't quite know, Then the sure sound of&lt;br&gt;
footsteps outside in the snow.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;My soul gave a tremble, I struggled to hear, and I crept to the door&lt;br&gt;
just to see who was near.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;Standing out in the cold and the dark of the night, A lone figure&lt;br&gt;
stood, his face weary and tight.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;A soldier, I puzzled, some twenty years old perhaps a Marine,&lt;br&gt;
huddled here in the cold.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;Alone in the dark, he looked up and smiled, standing watch over me,&lt;br&gt;
and my wife and my child.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;&quot;What are you doing?&quot; I asked without fear &quot;Come in this moment,&lt;br&gt;
it's freezing out here!&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;Put down your pack, brush the snow from your sleeve, you should be&lt;br&gt;
at home on a cold Christmas Eve!&quot;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;For barely a moment I saw his eyes shift, away from the cold and the&lt;br&gt;
snow blown in drifts, to the window that danced with a warm fire's&lt;br&gt;
light then he sighed and he said &quot;Its really all right, I'm out here&lt;br&gt;
by choice. I'm here every night&quot;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;&quot;Its my duty to stand at the front of the line, that separates you&lt;br&gt;
from the darkest of times.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;No one had to ask or beg or implore me,&lt;br&gt;
I'm proud to stand here like my fathers before me.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;My Gramps died at 'Pearl on a day in December,&quot;&lt;br&gt;
then he sighed, &quot;That's a Christmas 'Gram always remembers.&quot;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;My dad stood his watch in the jungles of 'Nam and now it is my turn&lt;br&gt;
and so, here I am.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;I've not seen my own son in more than a while, but my wife sends me&lt;br&gt;
pictures, he's sure got her smile.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;Then he bent and he carefully pulled from his bag, the red white and&lt;br&gt;
blue... an American flag.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;&quot;I can live through the cold and the being alone, away from my&lt;br&gt;
family, my house and my home,&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;I can stand at my post through the rain and the sleet, I can sleep&lt;br&gt;
in a foxhole with little to eat,&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;I can carry the weight of killing another or lay down my life with&lt;br&gt;
my sisters and brothers who stand at the front against any and all,&lt;br&gt;
to insure for all time that this flag will not fall.&quot;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;&quot;So go back inside,&quot; he said, &quot;harbor no fright Your family is&lt;br&gt;
waiting and I'll be all right.&quot;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;&quot;But isn't there something I can do, at the least, &quot;Give you money,&quot;&lt;br&gt;
I asked, &quot;or prepare you a feast?&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;It seems all too little for all that you've done, For being away&lt;br&gt;
from your wife and your son.&quot;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;Then his eye welled a tear that held no regret, &quot;Just tell us you&lt;br&gt;
love us, and never forget to fight for our rights back at home while&lt;br&gt;
we're gone. To stand your own watch, no matter how long.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;For when we come home, either standing or dead, to know you remember&lt;br&gt;
we fought and we bled is payment enough, and with that we will trust.&lt;br&gt;
That we mattered to you as you mattered to us.&lt;/p&gt;


&lt;p&gt;God Bless them and God Bless America!&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;Wishing you and yours a happy holiday season &lt;br&gt;
  from the &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.militarybrat.com&quot;&gt;Military-Brats Registry&lt;/a&gt;
&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/body&gt;
&lt;/html&gt;

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