From the archives, Christmas Presence 2006…
She couldn’t fall asleep, excited with anticipation of his visit, wondering what she might find waiting under the tree in the morning. At the tender age of six, she absolutely loved this time of year. She loved the lights, the snow, the music, and the cookies. She loved not being able to sleep.
He tossed and turned, unable to find sleep. He was nervous, excited, and scared all at once. He normally loved this time of year, watching her bright, young, blue eyes fill with wonder at the sight of all the presents left beneath the tree, but tonight he was restless. He hated not being able to sleep.
She quietly looked in on her daughter, not really surprised to find she was still awake, curled beneath the blanket with her back to the door, staring wide eyed at the shadows on the far wall. She wondered what was running through her little girl’s mind, though she suspected it had something to do with who was to visit this night. She let out a heavy sigh, afraid she’d not been able to make this Christmas a special one.
He decided to get up, swinging his legs over the edge of his cot. After lacing up his boots, he checked his watch noting the time, 0300, two and a half hours until SP. He wondered if there was fresh coffee available in the mess tent.
She decided to sneak downstairs, leaping from her bed, tiptoeing ever so softly and just as she reached the last step, gasped at the sight of the pile of colorfully wrapped gifts stacked beneath the sparkling tree. She wondered how she could’ve missed his visit, she hadn’t fallen asleep. She wondered when her mom would wake so they could open the presents.
She lay in bed, holding tightly onto his pillow, staring at his picture on her nightstand through tear filled eyes. She couldn’t fall asleep on this eve of Christmas.
He reviewed the mission plan for the tenth or eleventh time. He thought it would work, but felt a nest of butterflies in his belly and wasn’t sure why. He’d been in country for almost nine months now, this mission was like any other, just a slight deviation was all.
“You look nervous sarge, what’s up?” his driver asked.
“It’s nothing,” he said. “I’m just a little concerned about our side trip during the mission today.”
“Don’t sweat it sarge, the network these knights have is solid.”
She sat holding a hot, steaming mug of coffee, wrapped in a pink terry cloth robe, her heart warm with delight at the sight of her little angel opening gifts, while it ached with pain at the thought of her soldier husband spending this day in harm’s way.
Her nose wrinkled and her brow rose in curiosity as she opened the final present. It was a phone. Nothing fancy, just a plain, beige telephone that plugs into the wall. She looked at her mom questioningly.
He jumped from the humvee before it stopped completely alongside a nondescript storefront, boarded up and closed for what seemed like a very long time. His heart raced as the convoy continued down the quiet, dark, Baghdad street ahead of them. He quickly unloaded boxes of food and medical supplies as a sheet of plywood on the storefront mysteriously opened, revealing several Iraqis who quietly received the boxes of supplies.
She asked what the phone was for.
He grabbed the arm of a man he knew only as Henri, and without speaking a word, handed him a large red sack, overstuffed with children’s toys. The Iraqi Christian known as Henri nodded his thanks with a tear in his eye and in the next second the sheet of plywood was again in place on the boarded up storefront. He jumped into the humvee and rejoined the convoy just several meters ahead.
She ran a long phone line to her daughter’s new telephone and set it under the tree. They stayed in their pajamas most of the day, playing with the girl’s new toys, making cookies, and watching Christmas movies. She avoided answering her daughter’s inquiries as to why a telephone, saying only, “Santa must want you to have it for a reason.”
He was covered with sweat and exhausted, but thankful the mission was a success.
She looked at her mom when her new phone rang.
She nodded and told her to answer it.
“Hello?” she asked, “Daddy!”
“Merry Christmas Angel, are you enjoying the holiday?”
She cried watching and listening to her daughter talk on the phone with her daddy.
He cried hearing his daughter’s sweet voice thousands of miles away.
“Oh yes Daddy, very much. Mom and I went caroling last night; we sang ‘Little Drummer Boy’,” she excitedly answered.
“Did you get a lot of presents?” he asked.
“Daddy, did you deliver the toys like I asked?”
“Yes Angel, I delivered your Christmas presents to some very special Iraqi Children.”
Christmas presence from a soldier and his family. Sgt Hook out.
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This post is filed under: Homefront & The Soldier
From the archives, Christmas Presence 2005…
He woke up early, just before sunrise, roughly 0600 hours. He was in his parent’s bed, next to his mom, she had let him sleep there last night because he was so excited about Santa’s impending visit. He climbed down from the high mattress, grabbing onto the soft, down-filled comforter as he stretched his tiny toes to the hardwood floor. He was three. In the dark pre-dawn hours he made his way down stairs to the living room, his eyes sparkling with the reflection of the tree’s colorful holiday lights and his smile broadened by the sight of a pile of brightly wrapped presents beneath the tree. He turned quickly and ran up the stairs to tell his mother, “Mom, mom, wake up, there’s a lot of Christmas downstairs!”
She woke, tired from the late night of wrapping presents and placing them beneath the tree just so. Though her eyes were puffy from hours of crying, she smiled at her little coconut catching his infectious enthusiasm, and pleaded with him to show her what he had found. He complied, eagerly.
He woke up early, 0300 hours local time, put on his boots, splashed some water on his face, and grabbed a cup of coffee. “Merry Christmas sergeant,” the soldier/cook in the mess tent said. “Merry Christmas Jones,” he replied, sipping the steaming hot coffee. It was time to make his rounds, checking the soldiers on the perimeter. The desert air was cold and crisp, the sky brilliant with sparkling stars. Dressed in his full battle rattle and carrying his M4 carbine, he thought about the irony of spending Christmas in this part of the world, and longed to see the look on his young son’s face as he opened Santa’s gifts.
They opened presents and took pictures and hugged and laughed and then mother and son cried, just a little, tightly holding dad’s picture wishing he could’ve been home for Christmas.
He finished his rounds, checking on his soldiers then grabbed a bag of toy beanie babies and hard candies making his way to the front gate of the FOB where he handed out the goodies to the children of the nearby town. His wife and son had sent the gifts last week so that he could play Santa and maybe bring a little joy to the kids in Iraq. He did. He wiped away a couple of tears as he watched the smiling children playing with their toys and savoring their candies.
They waited by the phone all day, carrying the cordless with them out front as he rode his new bicycle on the sidewalk for the first time. It finally rang in the late afternoon, it was daddy calling from Iraq. They all laughed and cried and shared twenty minutes of Christmas together over the phone. It was the best twenty minutes of their day.
Christmas presence from a soldier and his family. Sgt Hook out.
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This post is filed under: Homefront & The Soldier
A Candle in the Window
There’s a candle in the window
For our soldier off at war,
Standing constant vigil ’til
His foreign tour is o’er.
The sentinel stands faithfully
Through day and dark of night,
Reminding all who look its way,
To pray for Freedom’s fight.
For safety and for courage,
And for wisdom do we pray;
That God may grant him all these things
As his Comrade day by day.
Now stand, O Candle, bright and tall,
Alert us all, each one,
That the price of freedom is not cheap,
And its battle not yet done.
So light his way and burn for him,
And for his safe returning;
Our love will be the fuel that keeps
Our soldier’s candle burning.
by Chaplain Larry Connelly
Thanks Sherri. Sgt Hook out.
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This post is filed under: Homefront & The Soldier
I was finally able to get a call through, all is well. Power has been restored and the merry band of pirates are having a grand time of living in the ice age.
Some of our families are not so lucky, however, and are now staying in shelters and hotels in the area. It’s incredibly hard for soldiers to be so far away when their family is in crisis back home. Any shaman out there care to assist with thawing the midwest? I know a group of soldiers who’d be much appreciative for the help. Sgt Hook out.
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This post is filed under: Homefront & Mother Nature
A group of Soldiers deployed to Iraq from Fort Campbell, KY recently listened to their sons win the Kentucky State Championship. The football game was played in Louisville and broadcast over the world wide web.
FORT CAMPBELL, Ky. (Army News Service, Dec. 10, 2007) - Twelve Soldiers in Iraq were not able to see their sons win the Kentucky Class 2A state football championship Saturday as the Fort Campbell High School Falcons defeated highly-favored Newport Central Catholic 21-7.
Even though they have not been able to see their sons play football this season, the Soldiers have been able to listen to the games via the Internet at www.oldies1480.com, a local radio station out of nearby Cadiz, Ky. These Soldiers and many others were gathered Saturday to listen to the state championship game online.
“This victory means so much to so many, and we are very excited over here about Fort Campbell being state champions,” said Lt. Col. Chris Croft, father of Falcons quarterback C.J. Croft, by telephone from Iraq immediately following the game. “We had a packed house listening to the game, and it was absolutely fantastic.
“Obviously, I’m very proud of C. J., and all that he has accomplished, but there is also a lot of pride among all Fort Campbell Soldiers for this football program. This team represents our community extremely well every time they take the field, and this is just a great way to wrap up a wonderful season, and we just want to say ‘way to go Falcons!’”
Such is the life of your Soldiers and their families. Congratulations Falcons! Sgt Hook out.
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This post is filed under: Heroes & Homefront & Iraq
Today he turns fifteen. He’s probably entering the final year that the lovely and talented and downright sexy Mrs. Hook and I will have any influence on the formation of his character. His core values.
Like most parents, I worry that we’ve done a good job of preparing him for what lay ahead. I know that life has a lot of decisions for him to face, and that the tough ones are just around the corner. Our oldest boy has had his share of challenges and has fought through them. I suspect he’ll continue to fight and succeed. He is a good kid and I know he’ll become a great man.
Renegade Ryan is the type of person that runs into a burning building, leaving the task of calling 911 to someone else. He does so not because of some weird fascination with fire, but to help others. Almost to a fault, he is always there to lend a hand.
Happy Birthday Son, I love you and I’m very proud of you. I hope that I’ll be home for the next one. Sgt Hook Dad out.
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This post is filed under: Homefront & My Swashbucklers
grat·i·tude /ˈgrætɪˌtud, -ˌtyud/ [grat-i-tood, -tyood] noun: the quality or feeling of being grateful or thankful: He expressed his gratitude to everyone on the staff.
[Origin: 1400–50; late ME, ML grātitūdin- (s. of grātitūdō) thankfulness, equiv. to grāt(us) pleasing + -i- -i- + -tūdin- -tude]
Synonyms: thanks, thankfulness, appreciation, gratefulness.
Have you ever noticed a Soldier, Marine, Coast Guardsmen, Sailor, or Airmen walking through the airport and wanted to stop and say, “Thank You” but didn’t because you were late for a flight, felt awkward, or just weren’t sure if it was appropriate? Well, here’s an idea that just might work…
Thank you from the bottom of my heart.
The Gratitude Campaign. I like it. Sgt Hook out .
Hotel Tango Prochein Amy.
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This post is filed under: Americana & Heroes & Homefront
pamibe linked with
Tuesday Inspiration
Once again, the courageous and talented men and women of the National Guard have answered the call to duty…
VERNONIA, Ore. (Army News Service, Dec. 7, 2007) — The Oregon National Guard this week assisted in the rescue of between 200 and 400 residents of the coastal town of Vernonia, Ore., after heavy rains Sunday and Monday caused extensive flooding.
The Oregon National Guard mobilized the 125th Special Tactics Squadron Dec. 3 to assist first responders in Vernonia.
Due to extreme weather conditions and obstacles on the ground, rescue by air was too risky, officials said. The 125th STS, with support from the 141st Support Battalion, arrived in Vernonia overnight and quickly deployed four Zodiac boats. Making their way through the flooded streets and residences of Vernonia, the National Guard members brought welcome relief.
The Oregon National Guard continues to support response and recovery efforts in the wake of sever winter storms that struck the Pacific Northwest, officials said.
Where would we be without our citizen soldiers? I hope we’ll never have to find out. Sgt Hook out.
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This post is filed under: Army Times & Homefront & Mother Nature
We’re surrounded by them. We have the walls of our homes, rooms, and offices. Maybe a stone wall around the yard outside. There are walls in memoriam, walls of fame, walls of shame and walls no one can see. We paint our walls, plaster them, hang pictures and wallpaper them. You can’t escape walls.
Hospital walls are no different. I imagine that after a long period of time inside of a hospital room’s four walls they might seem to move in on the occupant. I would venture a guess that many of our wounded warriors at Walter Reed Army Medical Center spend countless hours staring at walls. Imagine if you could put something worth staring at on those walls for our heroes. Imagine no more…
Calendar girl Gina Elise is heading to WRAMC in just a few days to deliver as many of her 2008 Pin Ups for Vets Calendars that we can purchase. Please consider donating a calendar to one of your wounded warriors and give them something to hang on that hospital wall and brighten their room. There’s only a few shopping days left before Gina brings her Christmas presence to Walter Reed. Sgt Hook out.
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This post is filed under: Heroes & Homefront & The Soldier
