A Very Desert Christmas (standard:non fiction, 977 words)
Author: pjlawton	Added: Apr 25 2003	Views/Reads: 3456/2216	Story vote: 0.00 (0 votes)
Being away from home is especially hard at Christmas, sometimes little things can made it easier. Desert Shield/Storm 1990

Click here to read the first 75 lines of the story

received a tape of Christmas music from home.  He put the tape on and 
we soon had Christmas music floating throughout the tent.  Another 
soldier decided to dress up like Santa, well, Santa in camouflage 
anyway.  Somewhere he had gotten something to make a big white beard.  
I don't know what was used to make that beard, and I really didn't want 
to know.  It looked good anyway. 

We borrowed a big pan from the kitchen trailer and all the soldiers
brought out packets of MRE, Meals Ready to Eat, Kool Aid.  We had 
lemon, grape, cherry and orange; it really didn't matter.  We simply 
mixed it all together and made Christmas Punch.  Then it was time for 
Cammo Claus to do his thing. 

First he gave out the packages that had been received from home.  Then
he gave out 'Any Soldier' packages to all the soldiers that had not 
received any from home.  After everyone had at least one package he 
divided out the remainder of the packages equally among all the 
soldiers.  Everyone waited till all had been distributed before opening 
the packages. 

With shouts and laughter, everyone began opening the packages at the
same time.  Then came the comparisons of what each had received and of 
course, as soldiers will, trading of presents. 

The festivities continued for some time. Finally, after the Christmas
punch was consumed the festivities began to wind down.  As the coldness 
started creeping into the tent the soldiers drifted away to their own 
areas, the warm sleeping bags and thoughts of home. 

I decided to leave the tiny tree lighted all night.  No one seemed to
mind. 

End 


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