This email is dedicated to all the members of the Canadian Forces wherever
they may be.
Donna King
----- Original Message -----
From: Murray Hatt <hatt(a)travel-net.com>
To: Al Stewart <trawets(a)pacificcoast.net>; Bob Watson <watsongc(a)magma.ca>;
Brian & Monica Hatt <31750481(a)3web.net>; Brian Hatt
<Brian.Hatt(a)foothillspipe.com>; Celeste & Bruce Stoddart
<celbr(a)ns.sympatico.ca>; Diane & Dale Lang <lang(a)theboss.net>; Donna King
<nking(a)bconnex.net>; Jacques & Nancy Beland <beland9171(a)home.com>; Michel
&
Margaret Degrace <degracem(a)istar.ca>; Michele Cliff <adrob(a)istar.ca>; Mike
&
Liz Black <MEKSTexas(a)aol.com>; Mike & Louise Soloski
<soloski(a)intranet.ca>;
Mike Murphy <mike.murphy(a)sympatico.ca>; Pascale Plastre <pplastre(a)home.com>;
Phil & Shiela Wall <pwall(a)pacificcoast.net>; Ron & Brenda Harder
<rbharder(a)bunt.com>; Terry and Jo Levasseur <tlevasseur(a)encode.com>
Sent: Saturday, December 11, 1999 10:58 AM
Subject: Some Christmas Thoughts
THE SOLDIER
>> >>>
>> >>> 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 CANADIAN 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 SOLDIER stationed in Germany .
>> >>> 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 our Canadian 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.