Greene County, Ar. Website http://www.rootsweb.com/~argreene/greenecountyindexpa.htm Come Take a Trip in History !!!!! -----Original Message----- From: Tina Easley <tina@grnco.net> To: ARGREENE-L@rootsweb.com <ARGREENE-L@rootsweb.com> Date: Monday, November 13, 2000 6:50 PM Subject: [ARGREENE] Something Dear to me >Hello Everyone >This was sent to me by a soldier friend it brought tears to my eyes . I know >the holidays are almost upon us and we do have Our American Soldiers to be >so thankful to for letting us be safe and with are loved ones . From our >families past to our present time.So please don't forget to say thanks for >our U.S. Soldiers giving us peace and freedom and most of all being safe >here at home with our loved ones.Please read on. >tina > > >'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 STOCKINGS BY THE 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: >PLEASE. Would you do me the kind favor of sending this to as many people >as you can? 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. > > >Greene County, Ar. Website >http://www.rootsweb.com/~argreene/greenecountyindexpa.htm >Come Take a Trip in History !!!!! > > >==== ARGREENE Mailing List ==== >To unsubscribe send a message to ARGREENE-L-REQUEST@ROOTSWEB.COM with >only the word "unsubscribe" in the message. > >============================== >The only real-time collaboration tool that allows you and other family >members to create a FREE, password-protected family tree. >http://www.ancestry.com/oft/login.asp