A special message

[keithvan]

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,

AN AUSTRALIAN 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,
A ND 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.

[Vernonv]

If you do a google search, it seems that this exact same poem has been attributed to a British peace keeper, a US Marine and possibly others.
Unless you actually received the message from the peace keeper in question, I would doubt the veracity of the claim and their wish for you (or anyone else) to forward it on to others.
It's unfortunate that these types of messages end up adding to the huge volume of spam email traveling the web.

[Bob38S]

It appears that it is true - only from a different source.

Irrespective of its source I can still appreciate the sentiment.

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

[Vernonv]

Irrespective of its source I can still appreciate the sentiment.

Yes, certainly I agree with the sentiment.

I just don't agree with the bit attached to the end ...

PLEASE. Would you do me the kind favour of sending this to as many people as you can?

... anything with this type of message attached should be treated with suspicion and certainly shouldn't be forwarded to everyone under the sun.

Sure if you like the content then forward that on to someone who you think will appreciate it ... just remove the "forward this to everyone you know" line.

[Bob38S]

Yes, certainly I agree with the sentiment.

I just don't agree with the bit attached to the end ...

... anything with this type of message attached should be treated with suspicion and certainly shouldn't be forwarded to everyone under the sun.

Sure if you like the content then forward that on to someone who you think will appreciate it ... just remove the "forward this to everyone you know" line.

Vernon, I totally agree with what you have stated and neglected to add similar to my initial reply in this thread. Thanks.

When I first came into contact with the internet I quickly discovered this so called "good type of spam" was in fact no different to any other kind of spam and should be treated in the same manner.

Regards and best for the coming season to you and yours,
Bob