Great video from Baghdad:……

written by an Australian Peacekeeping soldier stationed overseas

Sorry. It was written by a United States’ Marine to celebrate Christmas in 1986! See here (link goes to snopes.com an urban legends website)

The full and original poem (as originally tacked onto the gymnasium door of 8th & I Marine Corps Barracks way back in 1986) is below and appeared in Leatherneck magazine in 1991.

Merry Christmas My Friend

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

As 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 a far distant land.

With medals and badges, awards of all kind,
a sobering thought soon came to my mind.
For this house was different, unlike any I’d seen.
This was the home of a U.S. Marine.

I’d 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.

He seemed so gentle, his face so serene,
Not how I pictured a U.S. Marine.
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 around the Nation, the children would play,
And grown-ups would celebrate on a bright Christmas day.
They all enjoyed freedom, each month and all year,
because of Marines 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 I started to cry.

He must have awoken, for 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, 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 covered this Marine from his toes to his head.
Then I put on his T-shirt of scarlet and gold,
with an eagle, globe and anchor emblazoned so bold.
And although it barely fit me, I began to swell with pride,
and for one shining moment, I was Marine Corps deep inside.

I didn’t want to leave him so quiet in the night,
this guardian of honor so willing to fight.
But half asleep he rolled over, and in a voice clean and pure,
said “Carry on, Santa, it’s Christmas Day, all secure.”
One look at my watch and I knew he was right,
Merry Christmas my friend, Semper Fi and goodnight.

May God Bless and watch over our men and women far from home on these, our holiest of days, and speed them home to those who love them with all due haste. Amen.

Thank-You for Guarding FREEDOM,and your SACRIFICE,

GOD BLESS YOU,and THANK-YOU:)

Merry Christmas and Godspeed!

Damn allergies actin’ up again.

He considered but did not make a run for Congress in CA this year. Im glad he didnt coz the dude has more juice
as a semi-private citizen/Iraqiphile than a dozen GOP Congresscritters.

…

It’s a Christmas miracle!

Subject: A special Christmas message

T’WAS 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  DISORDER,
 
NOT HOW I PICTURED,
 
A MILITARY 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 DID NOT 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 an Australian Peacekeeping soldier stationed overseas. The following is his request. I think it is reasonable
 

PLEASE. Would you do me the kind favour of sending this to as many people as you can? Christmas will be coming soon and some credit is due to all of the 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.
 

Did ya hear the little kid say in English “Thank you very much”?

Did Saddam’s troops ever do this? No, they tortured anybody who even looked at them the wrong way.

And to the principle who said “Praise Allah” … Allah the false moon god had nothing to do with it. If he was real and had it his way, those kind hearted soldiers who delivered these gifts would be burning in hell right now.

Well done. We always had faith in you.

God Bless You this Christmas. May you be safe and may your prayers be answered! Thank you for your sacrifice. May God keep you safe and bless you for the good work that you are doing.

Thank you for being the “heroes” you truly are!

Bob McCoy