alexpgp | To: Any service member

On this Christmas Eve, you might consider sending a message of support to the kids who are out defending our country as members of the Armed Forces. If you go to this site, it won't even cost you a stamp!

My note, addressed to a member of my old "outfit":

Greetings from an old jarhead, who went through boot camp before many of you gyrenes were born.

This year, Christmastime finds you on the other side of the world, away from your homes and your families. There's a bunch of us that know that feeling, and we know there's little we can say or do to take the edge off of that ache, except possibly to note that the job you've got needs doing, and that there are no better men around to do it.

A pair of lines from an old poem written by a guy watching an artillery barrage a long time ago helped me during my time in the Corps. They go like this:

"Oh! thus be it ever, when free men shall stand
Between their loved homes and the war's desolation!"

The author of the poem was a guy named Key, and we sing the first stanza of his poem before every ball game. :^) The lines above are from the last stanza, which speaks of the worth of placing your young body in harm's way to protect that home and family you're missing.

One could argue that,* given the circumstances, there are few better ways to spend Christmas, but you won't hear a very convincing argument from me.

Take care of yourselves, stay on the bounce, kick butt, and then come home! Meanwhile, all you guys will be in my thoughts and prayers.

The limit on the size of the message is 1000 characters; unfortunately, the site doesn't warn you if your message is over the limit (mine is, apparently; the asterisk marks the cutoff).

Cheers...