The FReeper Foxhole Wishes Everyone A Merry Christmas - Dec. 25th, 2002

December 7th, 2000 | Michael Marks

[Jen]

Thanks for the link to the story about David Letterman visiting our troops in Afghanistan. I'm glad some celebrities willingly give up time with their loved ones to bring some holiday cheer for our soldiers.

[Jen]

Your graphics today are so beautiful!

[Jen]

Those entertainers who travel overseas to perform for our troops deserve thanks and recognition for their self-less efforts. I'm glad you mentioned them!

[MistyCA]

Thanks, Jen. Help yourself. :)

[Jen]

Many thanks for the daily history!

1818 1st known Christmas carol ("Silent Night, Holy Night" by Franz Joseph Gruber & Joseph Mohr) sung (Austria)

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"Silent Night" by Emily Richards

[sistergoldenhair]

I don't often have a contribution to the thread.
But, I read it every day and appreciate your hard work.
My best to all.
Great job; keep it up.

[Jen]

Merry Christmas! Thanks for the encouragement and for stopping in the Foxhole today. It's good to see you. :-)

[Jen]

Merry Christmas Pippin! It's good to see you here today. Are you in your new apartment now? Did you move to a new town? I'm sure you mentioned it, but I don't remember the details. Thanks for your good wishes for the Foxhole! I'm so glad you enjoy the threads and visit us often even if you don't always post. God bless you and I hope you have a fantastic 2003!

[Jen]

Merry Christmas Aeronaut. I look forward to your daily morning greetings, even if I don't respond to you until much later. Life has been busy lately!

[Jen]

That's a great letter by that deployed soldier. Thank God for men like him who serve our country and stand ready to do their duty and defend us even on Christmas Day. Many thanks for your post!

[Jen]

Merry Christmas to you too my foxhole friend, from Jen from Georgia!

[Jen]

Merry Christmas to you and thanks for honoring our Veterans today!

[Jen]

Merry Christmas to my favorite Smack Chatter! RACKKKKK ITTT!

I hope you have a great time with your parents, and I will look forward to your news reports when you return.

[Jen]

I love your politically incorrect greeting and Christmas card! Thanks for posting it at the Foxhole. Merry Christmas Mayor, and God bless you and your family.

[Jen]

Merry Christmas to you and your loved ones. Thank you for your post!

[Jen]

You are very welcome for the ping! Merry Christmas BIS! Hope you had a wonderful day.

[SAMWolf]

Glad you enjoy the thread, sistergoldenhair. Thanks for dropping in today to let us know.

[SAMWolf]

On the home front: Local Marine families exemplify bravery

Published Wed, Dec 25, 2002
By MICHAEL KERR

Christmas is a time for family.

But for the wives of Marines and Sailors stationed aboard the Navy aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Truman and elsewhere across the globe, the holidays can be a little lonely.

Earlier this month, the Marines and Sailors of Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 115, the "Silver Eagles," stationed at Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort, left wives, husbands and children behind as they embarked on a six-month deployment aboard the Truman, bound for the Arabian Sea and Persian Gulf.

While they're off fighting the war on terrorism, their loved ones will spend the holidays alone.

Chief Warrant Officer 2 Robert Boyero and his wife, Michelle, have been married for three years. This is his fourth deployment since they were married, but the first time he's left Michelle for so long.

"He's been gone a lot," Michelle said. "But the other ones were short -- three months here or three months there. He's always away for our anniversary, but never before for the holidays."

Boyero, an aviations officer with the Silver Eagles, missed his anniversary in October because he was on a training mission aboard the Truman.

With three young children -- 6-year-old daughter, Ryley, and sons, Ryan, 8, and Jake, 2 -- to take care of, Michelle has to put on a brave front around the house, she said.

"I'm upset inside, I just don't let it show," she said. "You've got to keep up the smiles for these three."

The nights, when the kids are asleep and the house is quiet, are the hardest part of the day for Michelle. The holiday season makes it just a little harder.

"With the holiday season happening, you're always sad with him being gone, but you stay so busy," she said.

Seda Shook will spend this Christmas and celebrate her first anniversary in March without her husband, Lt. Marshall Shannon Shook.

"This is the first time he's been deployed since we've been married," Seda said. "And the last time, I hope."

This actually is the good time of the deployment, because she's able to talk to her husband a few times a week and e-mail several times each day, she said. There might come a time when phone calls only come every few weeks and e-mail is completely shut down.

"You wake up in the morning, check the e-mail and reply," she said. "If you go out and come back in, the first thing you do is check the e-mail and reply. Before you go to bed you check the e-mail to say 'good-night.'"

At first, Shook purposely didn't check her e-mail so her husband would have to call, she said.

"I wanted to hear his voice," Shook said. "If I'm out and miss a phone call, my heart just drops. But you can't just sit in the house all day and wait for a phone call. If you miss two calls, you can hear the disappointment in his voice."

Shook and Boyero both celebrated Christmas with their husbands before they were deployed. Both families had a nice dinner, decorated and opened presents a few weeks early this year.

Both women will celebrate at home, not wanting to travel for the holidays. Plus, Boyero didn't want her kids to miss Santa's visit.

"Tonight we'll go to the church down the road and sing carols," Boyero said Tuesday. "Then we have to come home and leave reindeer food out in the yard and cookies and milk for Santa. (Christmas Day) I'm going to cook a tiny, tiny ham -- a little Christmas dinner. I want a normal Christmas for the kids. If it were up to me, I'd order pizza."

Shook was invited up to New York to spend Christmas with her family and to Maryland to spend the holiday with her in-laws, but chose to stay home instead.

"My girlfriend is having dinner with her family downstairs, so I might do that," Shook said. "If I don't feel well, I might just stay home and think about him."

[Jen]

Merry Christmas Jim, and thank you, thank you, thank you for our cyber foxhole!

[MistyCA]

I hope your day went well. Prayers for your Dad.