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

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 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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