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Question:

Good one Kenny — I work for a Marine. Just sent it along to him. Caroline – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – > A shipmate of mine sent this. I thought I should share it with you. Have > a great Veteran’s Day. > 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 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. > Visit the U.S.S. LOWRY Homepage at: > http://members.tripod.com/~HawgheadToo/index.html

Response:

A shipmate of mine sent this. I thought I should share it with you. Have a great Veteran’s Day. TWAS THE NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS, HE LIVED ALL ALONE, IN A ONE BEDROOM HOUSE MADE OF PLASTER AND STONE.