A Marines Christmas

[acoenfam1]

Along the lines of the last poem, an oldie but goodie:

A MARINE'S NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS


'TWAS THE NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS, THE STARS SHINING
BRIGHT,
THE SENTRY WAS WALKING, HIS LEFT, THEN HIS RIGHT.

HIS RIFLE IT SWUNG FROM HIS SHOULDER WITH EASE,
HIS HEAD KEPT ALERT FROM A CHILL IN THE BREEZE.

THE TROOPS WERE ALL NESTLED AND WARM IN THEIR RACKS,
WHILE HE STOOD HIS DUTY, HIS FEET MAKING TRACKS.

FOR HE, IN HIS HELMET, WITH HIS RIFLE AT SIDE,
HAD JUST SETTLED DOWN IN THAT 12 TO 4 STRIDE.

THEN WHAT TO THE SHOCK OF THE SENTRY APPEARED,
WAS A LITTLE GREEN SLEIGH PULLED BY CAMOUFLAGED DEER,

WITH A LITTLE OLD DRIVER IN DRESS BLUES AND SWORD.
THE SENTRY JUST STOOD THERE NOT SAYING A WORD,

HE WATCHED IN AMAZEMENT WITH EYES ALL AGLOW,
AS THE REINDEER, IN SILENCE, PULLED THE SLEIGH LOW.

WITH A WINK FROM THE DRIVER, A TIP FROM HIS COVER,
THE SLEIGH LIKE A HUEY, JUST PULLED UP AND HOVERED.

THE SENTRY WAS STARTLED, BEWITCHED, AND IN DOUBT,
BUT DUTY PREVAILED AND THESE WORDS RANG OUT:

"NOW WAIT A MINUTE - HALT WHO GOES THERE!?"
BUT THE LITTLE MAN SMILED, "YOU'VE NOTHING TO FEAR,

FOR AS SURE AS IT'S CHRISTMAS, AND AS SURE AS YOU'RE
HERE,
I'VE STOPPED ON MY ROUTE JUST TO BRING YOU GOOD
CHEER!"

"NOW ATTENTION TO ORDERS!" HE SAID WITH A FLAIR,
THEN READ FROM A PAGE THAT HE HELD IN THE AIR:

"FOR ATTENTION TO DUTY WHILE WALKING YOUR POST,
ON THE DAY OF THE YEAR THAT WE CHERISH THE MOST,

HERE IN THIS PLACE ON THIS SOLEMN OCCASION,
I THANK YOU, MARINE, ON BEHALF OF THE NATION!"

HE SALUTED THE SENTRY, AND CUT SHARP AND CLEAR,
THEN HE TOOK UP THE REINS AS HE CALLED TO HIS DEER,

"ON BELLEAU, ON IWO, ON AN-HOA AND CHOSIN,
ON YOU NAMED-FOR-PLACES BOTH HELL-HOT AND FROZEN!

AND HE CALLED OUT ONCE MORE AS HE SPED OUT OF SIGHT,
MERRY CHRISTMAS, MARINES, CARRY ON AND GOOD NIGHT!"

SEMPER FI!!!!! (Author Unkown)

MERRY CHRISMAS MARINES!!

Gunny
(MSgt Select)

[sjammer]

Like it!

[acoenfam1]

The more famous one:

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 MARINE, ONCE I COULD SEE CLEARLY.

THE MARINE 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 MARINE.

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! SOLDIER S 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 MARINES, 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 MARINE 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 MARINE 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 MARINE ROLLED OVER, WITH A VOICE SOFT AND PURE, WHISPERED, "CARRY! ON SANT A, 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."

SEMPER FI

[sk8boardereman]

very nice

[sjammer]

again, very good!

[warpedx]

Take care in the sandbox gunny, have as Merry a Christamas as it gets over there. And congrats on your selection!

[DeadlyUSMC]

Semper Fi GySgt and congrats on MSgt!!! I may be seeing you over there if your still there in 5 months. Also, hopefully I should be getting some word back on my remedial package sometime soon, I'll let ya know what happens with it.

I do need one thing though. My sister is looking for address's of units over in Iraq to send them cookies and other stuff to. I have sent some packages out already to alot of my buddies that are over there from 1stMarDiv and my sister has mailed out damn 21 BOXES of 15 DOZEN EACH, HOLY MS. BETTY FREAK'N CROCKER, LMAO!! If you could, could you send me your mailing address to either "TerrillER@iiiMEF.USMC.MIL" or to "RAM_DeadlyUSMC@MSN.COM" and I'll get her the address and anything else you need I can launch it right over to you, GOTTA TAKE CARE OF EACH OTHER YA KNOW!!?? If you dont have the new APG I could launch ya one. We dont get Face Full or any other mags except for SPLAT mag. But anyway, anything you need PLEASE just give me a shout MSgt!!!!

Semper Fi, Godspeed and WATCH YOUR ASS OVER THERE AND MAKE IT BACK HOME!, WE STILL GOTTA LINK UP FOR A GAME WHEN I GET BACK STATESIDE!!!!

Sgt T.
Camp Hansen
Okinawa Japan

[p8ntbllr2001]

very good, those are awsome

[acoenfam1]

Deadly check your military e-mail.

[DeadlyUSMC]

Gotcha Gunny!!! Thanks!!