A soldier's story (Christmas)

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 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 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. I think it is  reasonable.....              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 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.