A veteran’s Christmas memory

As you read this I hope you are enjoying the Christmas holiday (and if you are uncertain as to what is the most appropriate greeting, I invite your attention to

Let’s keep in our prayers all the members of the U.S. military, especially the thousands who are overseas this Holiday season. If you want the details, take a look at journalist Morgan Phillip’s reportHere’s a part of it:

As millions of Americans gather together with loved ones to celebrate the Christmas holiday and ring in the new year, hundreds of thousands of American men and women in uniform will mark the holidays away from family in decidedly less festive corners of the world. 

As of June, 165,830 U.S. service members were on deployment across the Middle East, Indo-Pacific region and Europe. That figure has likely ticked higher amid recent unrest across the Middle East, and it doesn’t include service members working at U.S. bases over the holidays and civilian personnel on overseas contracts.

In a real way, they and all the troops everywhere have given us a gift of their service, and that helps keep us all free.  That gift extends to many of our allies, as the  U.S. is bound by treaties to defend a quarter of humanity.  Fortunately, unlike so many of our adversaries, the U.S. is blessed with the opportunity to serve alongside terrific allied militaries.

The military has many traditions, including several associated with this Holiday. If you want to know more about these traditions, check out the Department of Defense website found here. And for some major U.S. military events that happened on Christmas, take a look here.

Everyone who served has their own memories of Christmas(es) far from home.  I spent several Christmases overseas, but my favorite, though not dramatic, is one that took place in Kenya.  At my retirement ceremony in 2010, I reflected on that particular Christmas.  Those remarks were later published in  the Air Force JAG Reporter in an article entitled a “A Wonderful Life“, and here’s an extract from it:

I can well remember my first deployment for Operation PROVIDE RELIEF/RESTORE HOPE. It was during Christmas, and most of the headquarters element to which I was assigned were Marines. The operation was an urgent one. There were thousands of people dying as a result of a civil war; the sheer chaos of a violent, imploding country dominated by squabbling warlords. A drought had destroyed crops. I saw some terrible things during that deployment and even just thinking about the smell of rotting bodies makes me gag.

But, Christmas was a respite from what we were seeing in Somalia. The Kenyan priest said Mass in a tent on our little compound. His accent was strong, but his energy really communicated. There [also] was a Christmas party. Despite the 90-degree heat, someone dressed up in a Santa outfit and asked what we wanted for Christmas. Well, don’t ask a bunch of people deployed what they want for Christmas. Everybody wants to go home! But it was a lot of fun.

The most memorable part was Christmas dinner. It was set up outside under a dazzling, clear, African night. Believe me, in that part of Africa, there isn’t much competition for the stars by artificial light. Our African food contractors often served us gazelle and other kinds of weird food, but, for that particular night, the menu they came up with was Italian food. At the dinner, kind of ironically, some Germans joined us. They were deployed with us for that operation. In fact, it was the first time they had served in Africa since Rommel was there.

Somebody arranged to have an African band to play. They knew a lot of African music, which was interesting, but not exactly seasonal for most of us. In fact, the repertoire of U.S. tunes seemed to be nonexistent until, that is, they got to the very last one. Completely unexpectedly, they started playing one piece of music familiar to all Americans: Amazing Grace.

It struck me then, and it still strikes me now, what a wonderful life the military can be. There I was a Philadelphia lawyer, in Africa, eating Italian food with a bunch of Marines and some Germans, listening to Amazing Grace—and all outside under a spectacular Christmas night sky. What an adventure!!!

Life can be strange. When I first put on the Air Force uniform in 1970, I never envisioned myself ending up where I was that day in Africa or in the years to come. I treasure those memories. I have always believed that serving in the military is not just a living, it’s having a life. There is a difference. It’s a life, when you look back on it, [and] it means something… I can’t speak for anyone else, but having a “life” means having the opportunity to serve. It is challenging yourself over and over again. It is to have adventure after adventure. And it’s to have the privilege to meet and work with people who are so terrific and wonderful.

Peace is something we think a lot about in connection with national security.  We hope and pray for peace with other countries, but also in our country, in our communities and in our homes – and lives.  This holiday season we at Lawfire wish you peace – and a time of enjoyment and cheer!

Have a wonderful Holiday Season, Merry Christmas, and all the best for the New Year!

 

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