During my twenty years of military service I was fortunate enough to spend only a couple of Christmases overseas, away from my loved ones.
Even during those holiday seasons I was assigned to peacetime duties in friendly countries, among people who loved and respected Americans, America and our way of life.
Thus, I cannot even begin to fathom the emotions that tens of thousands of our brave men and women serving in hostile territory—among people who would do them and us harm—must be feeling as they attempt to celebrate this most joyful and most sacred of all holidays.
Thousands of them are spending their second or third Christmas far from home, away from their fathers, mothers, husbands, wives, sons and daughters, brothers and sisters.
Many of them, newlyweds, are spending what would have been their first Christmas as a married couple, thousands of miles away from their new wife or husband.
Many others, Dads and Moms, are spending this holiday season away from their young, precious ones—for many it would have been their first Christmas together as a new family.
Too many of them are celebrating the birth of the Newborn King, away from their own newborn. Some have not even had the chance to see their newborn, to hold him or her in their arms.
Our brave men and women in places such as Iraq and Afghanistan are attempting to celebrate Christmas while fighting those who not only have utter disdain for such a celebration, for our beliefs and religion, but who would also do everything in their power to, on this most holy of days, do our troops harm.
I can only imagine the emotions, the sadness, the loneliness our troops will experience this Christmas, but I do know for a fact that every American will be thinking of them throughout the holiday season, praying for them, thanking them for their sacrifice and wishing them as Merry a Christmas as possible. Most of all, Americans will be wishing them a safe and speedy return home, to their loved ones, so they will be able to celebrate every Christmas henceforth as they celebrate this one in their thoughts, in their dreams and in their prayers.
A Merry and safe Christmas to all our soldiers, sailors, airmen, Guardsmen and Marines—our heroes—serving us once again in harm’s way.
Image: Courtesy ourliberty1776.blogspot.com
The author is a retired U.S. Air Force officer and a writer.