{"id":33363,"date":"2012-12-24T18:17:52","date_gmt":"2012-12-24T22:17:52","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/valorguardians.com\/blog\/?p=33363"},"modified":"2012-12-24T18:19:29","modified_gmt":"2012-12-24T22:19:29","slug":"a-soldiers-night-before-christmas-3","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.azuse.cloud\/?p=33363","title":{"rendered":"A Soldier’s Night Before Christmas"},"content":{"rendered":"

I\u2019d guess we\u2019ve all seen one of the multiple versions of this poem at some point in time. It\u2019s based on the famous Christmas poem by Clement Clarke Moore, tailored to reflect that reality experienced by all too many in the military over the years: a Christmas spent far from friends and family.<\/p>\n

I said \u201cmultiple versions\u201d because I\u2019ve personally seen at least four: one specific to three different services, and at least two different versions for the Army. I\u2019d guess there are dozens if not hundreds of different versions.<\/p>\n

Indeed, even the authorship of this particular work has been variously attributed to individuals from multiple different services \u2013 \u201ca Marine Stationed in Okinawa\u201d and \u201ca USAF LtCol stationed in Korea\u201d being two. The best claim to original authorship seems to belong to USMC LCpl James M. Schmidt, who apparently wrote the first known version in Washington DC in the 1980s.<\/p>\n

In the end, it doesn\u2019t matter all that much. The basic idea is constant: voluntary service in the defense of others causing family separation at Christmas.\u00a0 My background is Army \u2013 and I\u2019m writing this article \u2013 so I\u2019m using an Army version. (smile)<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

The Soldier’s Night Before Christmas<\/a><\/p>\n

‘Twas the night before Christmas, he lived all alone.
\nIn a no bedroom house made of plaster and stone. <\/p>\n

I had come down the chimney with presents to give,
\nAnd to see just who, in this small house did live. <\/p>\n

I looked all about, a sad sight did I see,
\nNo tinsel, no presents; not even a tree. <\/p>\n

By the mantle, no stockings; by the door, boots on sand.
\nOn the wall hung some pictures of a far distant land. <\/p>\n

Seeing medals and badges, awards of all kind,
\nNo thoughts of Christmas would stay in my mind. <\/p>\n

For this house was different, it was dark; it was dreary,
\nI’d found the house of a soldier, once I could see clearly. <\/p>\n

The soldier lay sleeping, silent, alone,
\nCurled up on the floor in this no bedroom home. <\/p>\n

The face was gentle, the room in disorder;
\nNot how I’d pictured a United States soldier
\n.
\nWas this the hero of whom I had read?
\nCurled up on a poncho, just the floor for his bed? <\/p>\n

I knew most the families I’d see on this night,
\nOwed their lives to these soldiers, who were willing to fight. <\/p>\n

Soon, round the world, the children would play,
\nAnd grownups enjoy a bright Christmas day. <\/p>\n

They all had their freedom each month of the year,
\nBecause of these soldiers, like the one lying here. <\/p>\n

I couldn’t help wonder how many lay alone,
\nOn this cold Christmas Eve, in a land far from home. <\/p>\n

The thought of their service brought a tear to my eye,
\nI dropped to my knee and started to cry. <\/p>\n

The soldier awakened, and I heard a rough voice:
\n“Santa, don’t cry, this life is my choice; <\/p>\n

I fight for freedom, I don’t ask for more,
\nMy life is my God, my country, my Corps.”<\/p>\n

The soldier rolled over and drifted to sleep.
\nI couldn’t control it, I started to weep.
\nI
\n kept watch for hours, silent and still,
\nAnd both of us shivered from that cold night’s chill. <\/p>\n

I hated to leave, on that long, dark night,
\nThis Guardian of Peace, with his Honor so bright. <\/p>\n

The soldier rolled over, and his voice soft and pure,
\nWhispered, “Carry on, Santa, all is secure.” <\/p>\n

I looked at this soldier, on this cold Christmas night.
\nI thought of his comrades, and knew he was right. <\/p>\n

The world is freer, for they’re willing to fight,
\nFor Freedom and Christmas, and all that is right. <\/p>\n

So to all you, my friends, to U.S. soldiers in all lands,
\nKnow that you are remembered, by family and friends. <\/p>\n

For this one special night, may you rest without fight,
\nWith a Merry Christmas to all, and to all a Good Night!<\/i><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

A very Merry Christmas to all my brothers- and sisters-in-arms, past and present.\u00a0 And for those still serving who are spending this Christmas away from home and hearth:\u00a0 a fervent hope that next year finds you spending Christmas at home with your family.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

I\u2019d guess we\u2019ve all seen one of the multiple versions of this poem at some point … A Soldier’s Night Before Christmas<\/span>Read more<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":623,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[26],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-33363","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-blather"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.azuse.cloud\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/33363","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.azuse.cloud\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.azuse.cloud\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.azuse.cloud\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/623"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.azuse.cloud\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=33363"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.azuse.cloud\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/33363\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.azuse.cloud\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=33363"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.azuse.cloud\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=33363"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.azuse.cloud\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=33363"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}