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A Different Christmas Poem
The embers glowed softly, and in their dim light,
I gazed round the room and I cherished the sight.
My wife was asleep, her head on my chest,
My daughter beside me, angelic in rest.
Outside the snow fell, a blanket of white,
Transforming the yard to a winter delight.
The sparkling lights in the tree I believe,
Completed the magic that was Christmas Eve.
My eyelids were heavy, my breathing was deep,
Secure and surrounded by love I would sleep.
In perfect contentment, or so it would seem,
So I slumbered, perhaps I started to dream.
The sound wasn't loud, and it wasn't too near,
But I opened my eyes when it tickled my ear.
Perhaps just a cough, I didn't quite know, Then the
sure sound of footsteps outside in the snow.
My soul gave a tremble, I struggled to hear,
And I crept to the door just to see who was near.
Standing out in the cold and the dark of the night,
A lone figure stood, his face weary and tight.
A soldier, I puzzled, some twenty years old,
Perhaps a Marine, huddled here in the cold.
Alone in the dark, he looked up and smiled,
Standing watch over me, and my wife and my child.
'What are you doing?' I asked without fear,
'Come in this moment, it's freezing out here!
Put down your pack, brush the snow from your sleeve,
You should be at home on a cold Christmas Eve!'
For barely a moment I saw his eyes shift,
Away from the cold and the snow blown in drifts..
To the window that danced with a warm fire's light
Then he sighed and he said 'Its really all right,
I'm out here by choice. I'm here every night.'
'It's my duty to stand at the front of the line,
That separates you from the darkest of times.
No one had to ask or beg or implore me,
I'm proud to stand here like my fathers before me.
My Gramps died at ' Pearl on a day in December,'
Then he sighed, 'That's a Christmas 'Gram always remembers.'
My dad stood his watch in the jungles of ' Nam ',
And now it is my turn and so, here I am.
I've not seen my own son in more than a while,
But my wife sends me pictures, he's sure got her smile.
Then he bent and he carefully pulled from his bag,
The red, white, and blue... an American flag.
I can live through the cold and the being alone,
Away from my family, my house and my home.
I can stand at my post through the rain and the sleet,
I can sleep in a foxhole with little to eat.
I can carry the weight of killing another,
Or lay down my life with my sister and brother..
Who stand at the front against any and all,
To ensure for all time that this flag will not fall.'
'So go back inside,' he said, 'harbor no fright,
Your family is waiting and I'll be all right.'
'But isn't there something I can do, at the least,
'Give you money,' I asked, 'or prepare you a feast?
It seems all too little for all that you've done,
For being away from your wife and your son.'
Then his eye welled a tear that held no regret,
'Just tell us you love us, and never forget.
To fight for our rights back at home while we're gone,
To stand your own watch, no matter how long.
For when we come home, either standing or dead,
To know you remember we fought and we bled.
Is payment enough, and with that we will trust,
That we mattered to you as you mattered to us.'
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.
LCDR Jeff Giles, SC, USN
30th Naval Construction Regiment
OIC, Logistics Cell One
Al Taqqadum , Iraq
Thomas Hannafin and family
Placed Here: October 22, 2001
IN A BROTHER'S FOOTSTEPS
(The link above opens in new window)
National Military Appreciation Month:
IF YOU ARE SO INCLINED, VISIT THE "DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE" WEB PAGE BELOW
AND SIGN A BRIEF MESSAGE THANKING THE MEN AND WOMEN OF THE U.S. MILITARY SERVICES
FOR DEFENDING OUR FREEDOM. THE COMPILED LIST OF NAMES WILL BE SENT OUT TO OUR SOLDIERS AT THE END OF THE MONTH.
~REMEMBERING 9/11/2001 THREE YEARS LATER
SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS/SHARE THIS PAGE WITH A FRIEND
(This link has not yet been added to the drop-down menu)
(Page Created On 9/10/2004)
~REMEMBERING 9/11/2001 ONE YEAR LATER
SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS/SHARE THIS PAGE WITH A FRIEND
(This link has not yet been added to the drop-down menu)
(Page Created On 9/7/2002)
~REMEMBERING 9/11/2001 WITH POETRY~
(UPDATED ON 5/28/2003)
~9/11 MEMORIAL QUILT PATCHES~
(Placed Here On 9/1/2002)
~link no longer available~
Waleed J. Iskandar and family
Placed Here: January 6, 2002
In Loving Memory Of Waleed J. Iskandar ~9/11/2001~
(This link can also be found in the drop-down menu)
Christine Hanson and family
Placed Here: January 10, 2002
In Loving Memory Of Christine Hanson ~9/11/2001~
(This link can also be found in the drop-down menu)
Todd Beamer and family
Placed Here: March 13, 2002
In Loving Memory Of Todd Beamer ~9/11/2001~
(This link can also be found in the drop-down menu)
WORDS FROM
Thomas (Linz/Austria), Michael (Berlin/Germany)
We are deeply shocked by the terrible acts of aggression.
We are personally concerned and we would like to show our sympathy
from deep within our hearts to our US-friends and the american people.
Especially many many people here in Berlin are in grateful sorrow.
We have done the song America the Beautiful
from our hearts and we canceled all our works in the sound studio
and business dates - this song is only for the victims,
not for ourselves. We don't want any promotion.
- Its a small light of hope from Berlin in memory of the painful tragedy
and a sign, that our friends in the United States of America are not alone!
Here is the mp3 music link, you can use it for free,
its our present to the people of the USA:
http://www.nordwestmusic.com/michael_tyronne___america_the_beautyful.mp3
MP3 TAKES A FEW MINUTES TO LOAD, BUT IS WELL WORTH THE WAIT
In silent memory,
Thomas (Linz/Austria), Michael (Berlin/Germany)
   
On September 11, an act of hate changed all our lives. But amid the horror of those moments, and in the days and weeks since, there have been thousands--millions--of individual acts of bravery and generosity, acts that testified to our profound sense of community. Ordinary people made extraordinary contributions. America's elected officials rose to the challenge. Spiritual leaders brought comfort and wisdom. A renewed sense of patriotism united the country, reaffirming our shared values of kindness, tolerance, diversity and liberty.
In words and pictures, we tell the stories that have touched all of us: of the workers, the leaders, the heros, the citizens around the country and the world who gave of themselves. Together, they brought hope and healing. Remembrances of September 11, 2001. A day that will live on in all our hearts. Thousands of lives--each life--and each loss--was unique.
Just like every other American, I felt compelled to do something. This is one of the many ways that we can send our thoughts and prayers to the families that have lost loved ones, to the firefighters that seem to never rest, to the emergency personal & police officers, thank you for all you have done & continue to do. To everyone who has given of their time, money, blood, sweat & tears. We all have heavy hearts & we all will remember September 11, 2001
WE WILL MOURN TOGETHER, STAND TOGETHER
AND SOME HOW WE WILL GET THROUGH ALL THIS TOGETHER
UNITED AS A NATION
Some of the words above were written by: Richard M. Smith chairman & editor-in-chief of newsweek
 GREAT STORY
~Sent To Me By A Dear Friend~
Every U down in Uville liked U.S. a lot,
But the Binch, who lived Far East of Uville, did not.
The Binch hated U.S! the whole U.S. way!
Now don't ask me why, for nobody can say,
It could be his turban was screwed on too tight.
Or the sun from the desert had beaten too bright
But I think that the most likely reason of all
May have been that his heart was two sizes too small.
But, Whatever the reason, his heart or his turban,
He stood facing Uville, the part that was urban.
"They're doing their business," he snarled from his perch.
"They're raising their families! They're going to church!
They're leading the world, and their empire is thriving,
I MUST keep the S's and U's from surviving!"
Tomorrow, he knew, all the U's and the S's,
Would put on their pants and their shirts and their dresses,
They'd go to their offices, playgrounds and schools,
And abide by their U and S values and rules,
And then they'd do something he ! liked least of all,
Every U down in U-ville, the tall and the small,
Would stand all united, each U and each S,
And they'd sing Uville's anthem, "God bless us! God bless!"
All around their Twin Towers of Uville, they'd stand,
and their voices would drown every sound in the land.
"I must stop that singing," Binch said with a smirk,
And he had an idea--an idea that might work!
The Binch stole some U airplanes in U morning hours,
And crashed them right into the Uville Twin Towers.
"They'll wake to disaster!" he snickered, so sour,
"And how can they sing when they can't find a tower?"
The Binch cocked his ear as they woke from their sleeping,
All set to enjoy their U-wailing and weeping,
Instead he heard something that started quite low,
And it built up quite slow, but it started to grow--
And the Binch heard the most unpredictable thing..! .
And he couldn't believe it--they started to sing!
He stared down at U-ville, not trusting his eyes,
What he saw was a shocking, disgusting surprise!
Every U down in U-ville, the tall and the small,
Was singing! Without any towers at all!
He HADN'T stopped U-Ville from singing! It sung!
For down deep in the hearts of the old and the young,
Those Twin Towers were standing, called Hope and called Pride,
And you can't smash the towers we hold deep inside.
So we circle the sites where our heroes did fall,
With a hand in each hand of the tall and the small,
And we mourn for our losses while knowing we'll cope,
For we still have inside that U-Pride and U-Hope.
For America means a bit more than tall towers,
It means more than wealth or political powers,
It's more than our enemies ever could guess,
So may God bless America! Bless us! ! God bless!"
 THE GRINCH
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