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This one comes through my email every year; This year it's for Bert Shober and the other FTE guys fightin the good fight.

This is a poem that was written by Air Force Lt. Col Bruce W. Lovely. The poem was in the Fort Leavenworth Lamp in 1995 and says Lovely wrote it in 1993 while stationed In Korea.

> Christmas Poem
>
> '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."
>
Happy Holidays, whatever you are celebrating and wherever you are, Thanks.


Don :-X12

 

that's a great poem, i remember reading it in high school. thanks for sharing it here.


chris

 

airborne! :-X12

 

thank you so much for sharing that. my family is mostly military
and that just about sums it up, especially now.
To be honest, I had to cry when I read it.

Over the years this family has lost several beloved soldier's
defending this country, and now we are faced with the possibility
that we may lose two more. One has already been deployed to the
Middle East, and one (especially dear to my heart) had already
ready recieved his alert.

Please remember all the soldier's in your prayers.

 

still a classic