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.