I am VERY HONORED and PROUD to be the sister of a brother who is serving in Afghanistan. Lucky for me he will be back in the USA soon, February, but he won't be home in time for Christmas. We did get to spend time with him when we had our family "Christmas in July" so in my mind he was home for Christmas. He wrote this poem that I wanted to share with you because it is so real and touching. I hope you will enjoy it and if sometime during this holiday season you can take a little moment to say a prayer and / or give thanks to those, like my brother, that are serving and protecting the freedoms we get to enjoy this holiday season and every day I am sure he and they would appreciate it.
"Twas the Night Before Mission"
Twas the night before mission,
in their cold concrete room.
These soldiers done sleeping,
woken far too soon.
Their gear dirt covered,
showing signs of wear.
They dressed silently,
seeing their breath in the air.
Each soldier bundled up,
In his cold weather gear.
Huddled together for warmth,
awaiting a brief they soon would hear.
With the mission briefed
and plan set in place,
these soldiers set off,
not knowing what awaits.
They crept through the streets
knowing something was wrong.
Their instincts were right.
It didn't take long.
When out of the window
they saw a flash.
Right through their ranks,
a RPG passed.
Shouts rose up,
and mayhem awoke.
These soldiers were prepared
returning fire while popping smoke.
They fought on,
as more enemies came.
But they had no chance
against soldiers so trained.
Their leader stood up
and seeing them flee,
reloaded his gun
and yelled "follow me".
The battle was over
as the soldiers gave chase.
The day was theirs,
so they returned to the base.
No ribbons or banners,
or anything nice.
was prepared for these soldiers,
no one even thought twice.
These soldiers did not care.
This was nothing new.
They just wanted to shower,
and eat some warm food.
But neither they would get,
their leader then shout
"Pack up the trucks...
We have to go back out!"
So they put on their packs
and prepared to leave.
Worn down to the core,
on this Christmas Eve.
So they patrolled and pulled gaurd,
as the time slowly went.
Giving every last effort,
Their energy long spent.
After the long night,
they returned once again.
Hoping to find,
some mail in their tent.
A letter from home
is all a soldier needs.
To hear that he's loved,
From mother, brother, and cute little niece.
With a tear in his eye
and his big heart full,
a soldier pops in and says
"We've got another patrol."
So he sets off once again,
Heart filled with pride.
He feels recharged,
his heart open wide.
He walks with his men,
all ready to fight.
"Merry Christmas to you all" he says,
as they set off into the night.
Merry Christmas everyone.
