<P><FONT color=maroon>TWAS THE NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS,<BR>HE LIVED ALL ALONE<BR>IN A ONE BEDROOM HOUSE<BR>MADE OF PLASTER AND STONE.</FONT></P>
<P><FONT color=maroon>I HAD COME DOWN THE CHIMNEY<BR>WITH PRESENTS TO GIVE,<BR>AND TO SEE JUST WHO<BR>IN THIS HOME DID LIVE.</FONT></P>
<P><FONT color=maroon>I LOOKED ALL ABOUT;<BR>A STRANGE SIGHT I DID SEE:<BR>NO TINSEL, NO PRESENTS,<BR>NOT EVEN A TREE.</FONT></P>
<P><FONT color=maroon>NO STOCKING BY MANTLE,<BR>JUST BOOTS FILLED WITH SAND.<BR>ON THE WALL HUNG PICTURES<BR>OF FAR DISTANT LANDS…</FONT></P>
<P><FONT color=maroon>WITH MEDALS AND BADGES,<BR>AWARDS OF ALL KINDS…<BR>A SOBER THOUGHT<BR>CAME THROUGH MY MIND.</FONT></P>
<P><FONT color=maroon>FOR THIS HOUSE WAS DIFFERENT.<BR>IT WAS DARK AND DREARY.<BR>I FOUND A HOME OF A SOLDIER,<BR>ONCE I COULD SEE CLEARLY.</FONT></P>
<P><FONT color=maroon>THE SOLDIER LAY SLEEPING–<BR>SILENT, ALONE–<BR>CURLED UP ON THE FLOOR<BR>I! N THIS ONE BEDROOM HOME.</FONT></P>
<P><FONT color=maroon>THE FACE WAS SO GENTLE,<BR>THE ROOM IN DISORDER;<BR>NOT HOW I PICTURED<BR>A UNITED STATES SOLDIER.</FONT></P>
<P><FONT color=maroon>WAS THIS THE HERO<BR>OF WHO I’D JUST READ?<BR>CURLED UP ON A PONCHO;<BR>THE FLOOR FOR A BED?</FONT></P>
<P><FONT color=maroon>I REALIZED THE FAMILIES<BR>THAT I SAW THIS NIGHT<BR>OWED THEIR LIVES TO THIS SOLDIER<BR>WHO WAS WILLING TO FIGHT.</FONT></P>
<P><FONT color=maroon>SOON ‘ROUND THE WORLD<BR>THE CHILDREN WOULD PLAY,<BR>AND GROWNUPS WOULD CELEBRATE<BR>A BRIGHT CHRISTMAS DAY.</FONT></P>
<P><FONT color=maroon>THEY ALL ENJOY FREEDOM<BR>EACH MONTH OF THE YEAR<BR>BECAUSE OF THE SOLDIERS<BR>LIKE THE ONE LYING HERE.</FONT></P>
<P><FONT color=maroon>I COULDN’T HELP WONDER<BR>HOW MANY LAY ALONE<BR>ON A COLD CHRISTMAS EVE,<BR>IN A LAND FAR FROM HOME.</FONT></P>
<P><FONT color=maroon>THE VERY THOUGHT<BR>BROUGHT A TEAR TO MY EYE.<BR>I DROPPED TO MY KNEES<BR>AND STARTED TO CRY.</FONT></P>
<P><FONT color=maroon>THE SOLDIER AWAKENED;<BR>AND I HEARD A ROUGH VOICE,<BR>&nbsp;”SANTA, DON’T CRY.<BR>&nbsp;THIS LIFE IS MY CHOICE.”<BR>&nbsp;”I FIGHT FOR FREEDOM.<BR>&nbsp;I DON’T ASK FOR MORE.<BR>&nbsp;MY LIFE IS MY GOD,<BR>&nbsp;MY COUNTRY, MY CORPS.”</FONT></P>
<P><FONT color=maroon>&nbsp;THE SOLDIER ROLLED OVER<BR>&nbsp;AND DRIFTED TO SLEEP.<BR>&nbsp;I COULDN’T CONTROL IT;<BR>&nbsp;I CONTINUED TO WEEP.</FONT></P>
<P><FONT color=maroon>&nbsp;I KEPT WATCH FOR HOURS,<BR>&nbsp;SO SILENT AND STILL;<BR>&nbsp;AND WE BOTH SHIVERED<BR>&nbsp;FROM THE COLD NIGHT’S CHILL.</FONT></P>
<P><FONT color=maroon>&nbsp;I DIDN’T WANT TO LEAVE<BR>&nbsp;ON THAT COLD, DARK NIGHT–<BR>&nbsp;THIS GUARDIAN OF HONOR,<BR>&nbsp;SO WILLING TO FIGHT.</FONT></P>
<P><FONT color=maroon>&nbsp;THEN THE SOLDIER ROLLED OVER<BR>&nbsp;AND WITH A VOICE, SOFT AND PURE,<BR>&nbsp;WHISPERED, “CARRY ON, SANTA.<BR>&nbsp;IT’S CHRISTMAS DAY,&nbsp; ALL’S SECURE.”</FONT></P>
<P><FONT color=maroon>&nbsp;ONE LOOK AT MY WATCH<BR>&nbsp;AND I KNEW HE WAS RIGHT.<BR>&nbsp;”MERRY CHRISTMAS, MY FRIEND,<BR>&nbsp;AND TO ALL, A GOOD NIGHT.</FONT></P><FONT size=2>
<P>This poem was written by a Marine stationed in Okinawa, Japan. He makes the following request:</P>
<P>”Would you send this to as many people as you can? Christmas is coming soon and some credit is due to our U.S. service men and women for our being able to celebrate this and other holidays. Let’s stop and think of our true heroes who have sacrificed their lives or parts of their lives so that we may enjoy our many freedoms</P></FONT>