Posted on 12/08/2003 4:41:16 AM PST by Aquamarine
|
|
|
|
|
With Military Monday presentations, I can't help but think of our troops serving in far away places during the Christmas Holidays.
Takes me back a few years remembering Christmas in Subic Bay, PI 1965. Newly married in June, deployed in Sept. for a 6 month WESTPAC cruise.
I worked in the Pipe Shop at the time. In the evenings, we'd hang around the shop, playing records and tapes on newly purchased stereo equipment. Someone had a Christmas album and as we played it, some of us began singing along with the record. Soon, more guys showed up and joined in our make-shift choir. If the song wasn't on a record, we sang a cappella.
A few days later, we took a length of 3" pipe and stuck it in the pipe bender and put a 180 bend on one end. We welded it to the deck, painted it white with a red candy-stripe. A sign was welded to the side of our new candy cane with the words, "Season's Greetings from Shop 56A."
That prompted other shops to create their own decorations. Sheetmetal ornaments from the tinners, a homemade Christmas tree from the Shipfitter shop, and the Machine Shop, found a small tree, decorated it with curly metal shavings of brass, copper, steel and aluminum.
Not the same as bein' home, but still, the "Can Do" attitude proved to be a morale booster.
Just wish more people felt like this and I'm glad that you all do. My husband and I helped clean up our neighborhood after a tornado went through one time. The good feeling you get is reward enough.
Hope no one ever hesitates to send the name of a loved one along to be added in with the others.
Absolutely, I couldn't have said it better! :)
When you hit preview didn't occur to you something was wrong? LOL!
I just again proves that there is one in every crowd.
It's your turn in the barrel Cal. :(
A U.S. Army soldier from the 1-22 Battalion of the 4th Infantry Division
shoots the ball during a basketball game inside one of ousted Iraqi leader
Saddam Hussein's former palaces in Tikrit on Nov. 23.
Think that was a new song playing in the background, hadn't heard that one before.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.