TWAS THE NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS(Military Version)
 

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.....
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:)

http://www.snopes.com/holidays/christmas/soldier.asp

Was written by a Marine, not by a Marine in Okinawa, but by Lance Corporal James Schmidt stationed in DC.

It's also been changed from the original as Marines do not call themselves "soldiers"

I hate "pass on this email" stuff, but if it's good enough to actually pass on it's good enough to check into.

True.
Following are links that include the one above as well as others.
And I thought I should also include links to sites that we can help those in service though the Holidays:
http://mrmom.amaonline.com/asoldier.htm

http://mrmom.amaonline.com/asoldierschristmas.htm

Sites which help Support our Troops:
http://www.americasupportsyou.mil/americasupportsyou/index.aspx
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/6568316/
http://anysoldier.com/index.cfm
http://www.oidelivers.org/http://www.adoptaplatoon.org/
http://www.gi-bracelet.org/GIBracelet/index.html
http://www.uso.org/
http://www.letssaythanks.com/Home1024.html
http://www.defendamerica.mil/
http://www.centcom.mil
AFES Gift Certificates
www.aafes.com/docs/homefront.htm
<http://www.aafes.com/docs/homefront.htm>
The Army and Air Force Exchange Services is where most servicemen and
women do their shopping. You can purchase gift certificates for those
in Iraq and those hospitalized.

Appreciate Our Troops
www.appreciateourtroops.org <http://www.appreciateourtroops.org>
Purchase a Support Our Troops mug and a free personalized mug will be
given to a current or former service member.

Blue Star Mothers
www.bluestarmothers.org <http://www.bluestarmothers.org>
The Blue Star Mothers was founded by service members' moms during World
War II. Any mother with a son or daughter in the military can join.

Books For Soldiers
www.booksforsoldiers.com/ <http://www.booksforsoldiers.com/>
Help the troops escape boredom by donating some books. You can also
donate DVDs and CDs requested by soldiers.

Camp Doha
www.campdoha.org/ <http://www.campdoha.org/>
Camp Doha provides valuable information for those about to deploy, their
friends and families and anyone who wants to support the troops.

Cell Phones for Soldiers
www.cellphonesforsoldiers.com/pages/1/index.htm
<http://www.cellphonesforsoldiers.com/pages/1/index.htm>
Donated cell phones are recycled and turned into cash. The cash is used
to purchase calling cards for soldiers in Iraq.

Defend America
www.defendamerica.mil/nmam.html <http://www.defendamerica.mil/nmam.html>
Thank any service member stationed throughout the U.S. and the world
with
an e-mail.

Fisher House
www.fisherhouse.org <http://www.fisherhouse.org>
The Fisher House Foundation donates comfort homes, built on the grounds
of major military and VA medical centers. These homes enable family
members to be close to a loved one during hospitalization for an
unexpected illness, disease, or injury.

Freedom Calls
www.freedomcalls.org <http://www.freedomcalls.org>
The Freedom Calls Foundation is helping families videoconference with
their loved ones in Iraq. You can donate money to help keep this project
going.

Groceries for Families
www.commissaries.com/certificheck
<http://www.commissaries.com/certificheck>
The men and women who lay down their lives for us are terribly
underpaid.
Help a family by purchasing gift certificates to the commissary.

Homes for Our Troops
www.homesforourtroops.org <http://www.homesforourtroops.org>
Homes for Our Troops assists injured veterans and their immediate
families by building new or adapting existing homes with handicapped
accessibility.

Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund
www.intrepidmuseum.org/pages/intrepidfoundation
<http://www.intrepidmuseum.org/pages/intrepidfoundation>
The Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund provides grants to the families of
servicemen and women who died in Iraq. You can donate online, through
mail or by calling a toll-free number.

Military Moms
www.militarymoms.net <http://www.militarymoms.net>
This site provides support to all of the moms out there who has a son or
daughter in the military.

MarineParents
www.marineparents.com <http://www.marineparents.com>
MarineParents is a place for parents of Marines to meet up. You'll find
advice, support and information.

Operation: A Bit of Home
www.operationabitofhome.com <http://www.operationabitofhome.com>
Operation: A Bit of Home supports over 150 different soldiers per day by
providing necessary and hard-to-get toiletries.

Operation Air Conditioner
www.operationac.com <http://www.operationac.com>
Operation Air Conditioner provides not only air conditioners but space
heaters (the desert is cold in the winter) for soldiers in Iraq and
Afghanistan.

Operation Dear Abby
www.anyservicemember.navy.mil <http://www.anyservicemember.navy.mil>
The U.S. Navy and Dear Abby have teamed up. Their site allows you to
send e-mail messages of support to service members.

Operation Give
www.operationgive.org <http://www.operationgive.org>
Operation Give provides toys, clothing and school supplies primarily to
the children of Iraq and Afghanistan.

Operation Gratitude
www.opgratitude.com <http://www.opgratitude.com>
Operation Gratitude provides a way for you to show your respect and
appreciation for the troops. It sends care packages and letters to
troops stationed overseas.

Operation Hero Miles
www.heromiles.org <http://www.heromiles.org>
You can donate your unused frequent flier miles to help soldiers travel
on emergency leave. They are also used to help families fly to
hospitalized soldiers.


Operation Iraqi Children
www.operationiraqichildren.org <http://www.operationiraqichildren.org>
Many soldiers are rebuilding schools in Iraq and scrounging around for
school supplies. Help by donating a school supplies kit.

Operation Kids for Troops
www.kids4troops.com <http://www.kids4troops.com>
Write directly to men and women serving overseas in combat areas. Or
place the names of loved ones serving overseas on the "OKFT Hero List"
to receive encouraging mail.

Operation Uplink
www.operationuplink.org <http://www.operationuplink.org>
Donate money to Operation Uplink. The money is used to purchase phone
cards so servicemen and women can call home.

Packages From Home
www.packagesfromhome.org <http://www.packagesfromhome.org>
Packages From Home sends personal care and comfort items to U.S. troops
deployed overseas. Find out how to donate time, money or items to this
non-profit organization.

Soldiers' Angels
www.soldiersangels.org/heroes/index.php
<http://www.soldiersangels.org/heroes/index.php>
Become some soldier's angel by adopting a service member.

Treats for Troops
www.treatsfortroops.com <http://www.treatsfortroops.com>
Treats for Troops helps get you provide packages to your loved ones
overseas. If you don't know anyone, the Foster-A-Soldier Program matches
you with a registered soldier by branch of service, home state, gender,
or birthday - or you can choose to sponsor a group of soldiers.

USO Cares
www.usocares.org <http://www.usocares.org>
You can sponsor care packages provided by the USO with a $25 donation.

Voice from Home
www.voicesfromhome.org/home.html
<http://www.voicesfromhome.org/home.html>
Voices From Home allows military members and their families and friends
to send and receive immediate voice e-mail messages in remote locations
around the world.

holy crap man where did you find these i am going to post these on my mil spouse group link :D

Started to collect them several years ago.
All are welcome to make use of them.

Both my girl-friend and I wear GI bracelets.

Thank you alot of military spouses such as myself will find these very helpful

Note on the Intrepid Fallen Heros Fund--they just built an incredible rehabilitation center here in San Antonio at the Brook Army Medical Center to help teach injured soliders/sailors/Marines/airmen to adapt to life with their injuries, mostly amputations. I highly this organization and the Fisher Houses if you want to help those returning from war with injuries.