CCC (United States of America Civilian Conservatkon Corps), Camp # 2761, Sidney, MT with photographs from the collection of Edwin Remmick from the years 1938 to 1940. A Remmick-Hubert Web Site. Poem: A Man All Alone On Christmas Eve
Remmick.Home.Site. CCC Camp Section. Page 61
A poem to save.....Creator of this poem is unknown
A Man All Alone On Christmas Eve
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. It seems 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 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. Please, do your small part to plant this small seed.
> >
> >
> >Executive Consultant .... mostly retired
> >Please note: if I fail to respond within 24 hrs, I'm probably fishing,
> >hunting, or playing golf in another state .... sorry> >
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