for our soldiers?

Question

THE SOLDIERS NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS

By Major Bruce W. Lovely


(With Apologies to Clement Moore Who First Wrote the Story for His Children in 1822 also credit given to M/Sgt Noah Brazos Ross, RA18033195, a USArmy 18th Field Artillery survivor of Utah Beach, France, Luxembourg, Belgium, Battle for the Ardennes, Deutschland wrote "Daddy's Christmas" (Soldier's Christmas)" as a Bonita, Montague County, Texas, high school exercise in 1937)


THE SOLDIERS NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS


Twas the night before Christmas, he lived all alone,
In a one bedroom house made of plaster & 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 the fire, just boots filled with sand,
On the wall hung pictures of far distant lands.

With medals and badges, awards of all kind
A sober thought came through my mind.
For this house was different, so dark and dreary,
I knew I had found the home of a soldier, once I could see clearly.

I heard stories about them, I had to see more
So I walked down the hall and pushed open the door.
And there he lay sleeping silent alone,
Curled up on the floor in his one bedroom home.

His face so gentle, his room in such disorder,
Not how I pictured a United States soldier.
Was this the hero of whom I'd just read?
Curled up in his poncho, a floor for his bed?

His head was clean shaven, his weathered face tan,
I soon understood this was more than a man.
For I realized the families that I saw that night
Owed their lives to these men who were willing to fight.

Soon `round the world, the children would play,
And grownups would celebrate on a bright Christmas day.
They all enjoyed freedom each month of the year,
Because of soldiers like this one lying here.

I couldn´t help wonder how many lay alone
On a cold Christmas Eve in a land far from home.
Just 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."

With that he rolled over and drifted off into sleep,
I couldn´t control it, I continued to weep.
I watched him for hours, so silent and still,
I noticed he shivered from the cold night´s chill.

So I took off my jacket, the one made of red,
And I covered this Soldier from his toes to his head.
And I put on his T-shirt of gray and black,
With an eagle and an Army patch embroidered on back.

And although it barely fit me, I began to swell with pride,
And for a shining moment, I was United States Army deep inside.
I didn´t want to leave him on that cold dark night,
This guardian of honor so willing to fight.

Then the soldier rolled over, whispered with a voice so clean and pure,
"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!

Answer 1

Thank you, i appreciate it, coming to you from baghdad. To alphamale, who posted a comment. Go hug a tree you whiny little hippie, and your welcome for your freedom of speech.

Answer 2

I don't see how keeping soldiers in Iraq or Afghanistan is protecting anything other than oil profits. The soldiers are Americans too, and they certainly aren't any safer. The largest single loss of American freedoms came not from fictional "terrorists" but from a couple of little things called "the Patriot Act" and "the Homeland Security Act" . The real shame of all this is the complacency of the average American in all this. The Afghan war has been going on for 10 years now, and we still aren't clear as to what the objective is! You can't win a war against abstract enemies like "terror", and with no enemy, there can be no objective and ultimately no victory. To clarify for Katsumi, we no longer have a right to privacy thanks to the domestic spying provisions in the patriot act, you can google "drift netting" to see how bad it really is. Also there is no clear legal definition of a "terrorist", but if you should be unlucky to be classified as one, you lose all rights to due process, meaning that the government can literally arrest you, seize your property, hold you indefinitely without charge or trial, they don't even have to let you communicate with the outside world or tell anyone they have you...that's what rights we lost.

Answer 3

God Bless Them

Answer 4

On behalf of soldiers everywhere I would like to say Thank You.& Merry X -Mas To You

Answer 5

Bring them peace

Answer 6

I must've missed the part where he breaks into someones house, murders a 14-year old girls parents and little sister, then gang-rapes her with a bunch of fellow soldiers, kill her and burn her body.

Answer 7

Thanks. Warning: though I won't report you, know that someone might. This is not a question. It is special nonetheless.

Answer 8

As sweet as it is....

It isn't a question.