All, An old friend sent me this today and it really touched my heart because my Dad is a former United States Marine who served in Viet Nam. He missed a Christmas and two Thanksgivings because of his service to the United States. This story is a great reminder of the sacrifices our veterans have made for us and a commission to all of us to keep them in our prayers. Happy Holidays to all!! Shane Reidelberger Lt. Cdr. OP# 90 Percy Illinois >From: "Shane Reidelberger" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] >Subject: Fwd: Fw: Seasonal message >Date: Thu, 02 Dec 1999 14:16:43 CST > > > > >----Original Message Follows---- >From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] >To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] >Subject: Fw: Seasonal message >Date: Thu, 2 Dec 1999 14:07:14 -0600 >MIME-Version: 1.0 >From [EMAIL PROTECTED] Thu Dec 2 12:04:43 1999 >Received: (from [EMAIL PROTECTED]) by m5.jersey.juno.com (queuemail) id >ESUY2PB6; Thu, 02 Dec 1999 15:04:30 EST >Message-ID: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >X-Mailer: Juno 3.0.11 >X-Juno-Line-Breaks: 0-167,171 >X-Juno-Att: 0 >X-Juno-RefParts: 0 > > > >--------- Forwarded message ---------- >From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] >To: [EMAIL PROTECTED], [EMAIL PROTECTED] >Cc: [EMAIL PROTECTED], [EMAIL PROTECTED], [EMAIL PROTECTED], > [EMAIL PROTECTED], [EMAIL PROTECTED], [EMAIL PROTECTED], > [EMAIL PROTECTED], <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >Date: Thu, 2 Dec 1999 11:07:27 -0800 >Subject: Seasonal message >Message-ID: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > > > >--------- Forwarded message ---------- >From: "Dan and Lisa Shippey" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >To: "Sara & Todd Woodall" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>, > "Sandi Pearce" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>, > "Norm & Sharon Churchill" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>, > "Nancy Bartlett" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>, > "MaryAnn Ursua" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>, > "Marilyn Murphy" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>, > "Lou Harrison" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>, > "Linda Askari" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>, > "Karen Anderson" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>, > "Dawne Bloom" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>, > "Danette Gaulrapp" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>, > "Cindy Kuss" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>, > "Chris & Dave Wilsey" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>, > "Caroline Parsons" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >Date: Mon, 15 Nov 1999 17:29:43 -0800 >Subject: Fw: BAH HUMBUG!!! >Message-ID: <001701bf2fd2$12efb440$998491d0@dan4lisa> > > > > > > > > > >>>'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 ORDER, > >>>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 > >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. > >>> > >>> > >>> > >> > > > > > >___________________________________________________________________ Get >the Internet just the way you want it. Free software, free e-mail, and >free Internet access for a month! Try Juno Web: >http://dl.www.juno.com/dynoget/tagj. > >________________________________________________________________ >Get free e-mail you don't need Web access to use -- >Or get full, reliable Internet access from Juno Web! >Download your free software today: http://dl.www.juno.com/dynoget/tagh. > > ______________________________________________________ Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com _______ To unsubscribe, send "unsubscribe rangernet" to [EMAIL PROTECTED] "Eat the hay & spit out the sticks! - A#1's mule" RTKB&G4JC! http://rangernet.org Autoresponder: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
