Twas The Night Before ... In A Soldier's Small House

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."

According to the email, this poem was written by a Marine stationed in
Okinawa Japan.

May God watch over all of our military members, past and present, and their families. May every American take a moment on Christmas, Hannakah, Kwanza or whatever holiday they celebrate to say a prayer of thanks for these very special men and women who volunteer to protect our country and our freedom. Better yet, may every American say a prayer every day for our Heroes of Freedom and their families.
Judi & Jeff

A Christmas Poem To Be Shared With All

A Different Christmas Poem - To Share With All You Know


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

Winter Storm Knocks United We Roll Off The Air

DUE TO THE ICE STORM HITTING THE MIDDLE OF THE COUNTRY TODAY, WE WILL NOT BE ABLE TO GO LIVE WITH THE UNITED WE ROLL WORLD TOUR SHOW. THE STORM HAS TAKEN DOWN ELECTRICAL POWER TO THE STARDUST RADIO STATION AND TO THE INTERNET.

PLEASE JOIN US NEXT TUESDAY 3PM - 5PM CENTRAL TIME!

FOR EVERYONE CAUGHT IN THE PATH OF THIS WINTER STORM, WE WISH YOU SAFE KEEPING!!

GOD BLESS,
JUDI & JEFF

Pain Legislation For Military & Vets Needs Your Support

I received this information today from the American Pain Foundation and I cannot encourage everyone enough to contact your legislators to get on board with this legislation! As one American who is living with debilitating chronic pain due to a fractured wrist, nerve damage and delayed treatment, I understand all too well how very important this legislation is to the welfare of so many of those who protect our freedom. PLEASE CONTACT YOUR LEGISLATROS TODAY!!!

American Pain Foundation on Pain Legislation
http://www.painfoundation.org/page.asp?file=Veterans/Intro.htm

The American Pain Foundation
A United Voice of Hope and Power over Pain
Military/Veterans and Pain

NEW! Veterans Pain Care Act of 2007 (S 2160) Passed by the Senate Affairs Committee!
o TAKE ACTION NOW! To help this bill pass, urge your Senators to co-sponsor this important legislation!
o Brenda Murdough, MSN, RN-C, Coordinator of the APF’s Military/Veteran in Pain Initiative, testified before the U.S. Senate Committee on Veterans’ Affairs on October 24th in support of the Veterans Pain Care Act of 2007. Read Brenda's testimony, see pictures and read the bill.

Legislation:
o Military (draft) Veterans (S 2160)
o Summaries: Military Veterans
o Veterans Pain Care Act Consensus Statement
o Freedom from Pain Panelist Bios
o Testimony of Dr. Lema on behalf of the Pain Care Coalition
o Testimony of Brenda Murdough on behalf of the American Pain Foundation
Freedom from Pain Campaign 2007

We honor the men and women of the military by calling attention to untold stories of unrelenting pain and trauma - scars that rob veterans of their quality of life long after returning home. As part of this tribute, APF has created the "Freedom from Pain" media campaign, as part of ongoing efforts to raise awareness of resources for veterans in pain, members of the military and their families. Click here to see recent photos of our media event on Capitol Hill, calling attention to the toll of pain on injured members of the military. Click here to read facts, news, and legislation concerning this initiative.

Coming Soon! Exit Wounds
o ARTICLES by Veterans
o Fact Sheet and Information Sheet
o MEDIA NEWSROOM
o NEWS
o PAINAID Online Community
o RECREATION and SPORTS
o RESOURCES
o TRANSITION ADVISORS
o VETERANS of IRAQ and AFGHANISTAN
o VOICES of Veterans in Pain

PAINAID for Military/Veterans
Give it a try. Talking to other people can help lessen your sense of isolation and you can get great tips. You can also participate at any time of day or night, so if something is keeping you awake, try talking to others who may also be sleepless. Click here to find out more about PainAid for Military/Veterans.

* If you are a member of the military or a veteran and have pain, could you please complete this confidential survey? It will take you only a couple of minutes and there are no gimmicks; we just need information so we can better understand the needs of service members with pain. So far, over 750 veterans or members of the military have completed our survey. THANK YOU! Click here to read the survey highlights.


The American Pain Foundation (APF) thanks the Disabled American Veterans (DAV) Charitable Service Trust and other foundations and corporations for supporting this initiative to reach out to active military and veterans who are in pain and provide them with educational information, and support to improve their pain care, decrease their sense of isolation, and encourage them in their pursuit of a better quality of life for themselves and their families.

©2002-2007 American Pain Foundation
201 N. Charles Street, Suite 710, Baltimore, Maryland 21201-4111
http://www.painfoundation.org

God Bless America! God Bless Those Who Protect Our Freedom and Our Country!
Judi and Jeff
Stardust Radio