I was busy today trying to finish up on a couple of the reports and due out that I had to finish up and with it being rather quiet as the Iraqi's are still coming back after their Eid festivities. It was nice to sleep in then get to work around 1000 hrs. For lunch the DFAC served a huge Christmas day lunch with decorations and there even was a Santa with his female elves, us guys didn't want to sit on his lap instead we preferred to sit with the elves but Santa said they were off limits for obvious reasons! Larry the AMC PMO will be leaving us in a couple of day so I got a chance to give him a MNSTC-I coin and say a few words. He has been a great help these past 6 months and has been the steady factor on the project, especially when I get all riled up with some of the BS that gets thrown our way, he's level headed and was always able to get my head back in the game! I told him that if I ever get to Texarkana we're gonna hit a nice BBQ site and enjoy some nice Texas brisket and beer, something which is missing out here!
I was able to speak to the family early this morning while they were at Mom and Dads eating their Christmas Eve dinner, they sounded like they were having lots of fun. Late tonite I finally got hold of them and got the play by play as they opened up some of the presents. I later called my brother Roy and spoke to him and the kids.
We had Christmas eve mass on Saturday evening at Church with the Chaplain out visiting the other FOB's our Christmas day mass will be held tomorrow the 26th. And yes Javi and Ascension we sang all of my favorite Christmas songs during mass and yes I still sing off key!
Before I close for the night I want to wish all of you a Merry Christmas and for all of us over here next year we will be back home with our families and more importantly if the success of the surge and the counterinsurgency continues the number of Soldiers who are over here now will be reduced and not so many of them will have to spend Christmas away from their families.
I will leave you all with a poem that was written by a Marine in the 1990's and is appropriate this Christmas Day 2007.
The Colonel
A Soldier's 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."
AND I KNEW HE WAS RIGHT.
"MERRY CHRISTMAS MY FRIEND,
AND TO ALL A GOOD NIGHT."
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