The Sands of Christmas

I had no Christmas spirit when I breathed a weary sigh,
and looked across the table where the bills were piled too high.
The laundry wasn't finished and the car I had to fix,
My stocks were down another point, the Dolphins lost by six.

And so with only minutes till my son got home from school,
I gave up on the drudgery and grabbed a wooden stool.
The burdens that I carried were about all I could take,
and so I flipped the TV on to catch a little break.

I came upon a desert scene in shades of tan and rust,
No snowflakes hung upon the wind, just clouds of swirling dust.
And where the reindeer should have stood before a laden sleigh,
eight hummers ran a column right behind an M1A.

A group of boys walked past the tank, not one was past his teens,
Their eyes were hard as polished flint, their faces drawn and lean.
They walked the street in armor with their rifles shouldered tight,
their dearest wish for Christmas, just to have a silent night.

Other soldiers gathered, hunkered down against the wind,
To share a scrap of mail and dreams of going home again.
There wasn't much at all to put their lonely hearts at ease,
They had no Christmas turkey, just a pack of MRE's.

They didn't have a garland or a stocking I could see,
They didn't need an ornament-- they lacked a Christmas Tree.
They didn't have a present even though it was tradition,
the only boxes I could see were labled "ammunition".

I felt a little tug and found my son now by my side,
He asked me what it was I feared, and why it was I cried.
I swept him up into my arms and held him oh so near
and kissed him on the forehead as I whispered in his ear.

There's nothing wrong, my little son, for safe we sleep tonight,
our heroes stand on foreign land to give us all the right,
to worry about the things in life that really mean nothing at all,
instead of wondering each day if we will be the next to fall.

He looked at me as children do and said it's always right,
to thank the ones who help us and perhaps that we should write.
And so we pushed aside the bills and sat to draft a note,
to thank the many far from home, and this is what we wrote,

God bless you all and keep you safe, and speed your way back home.
Remember that we love you so, and that you're not alone.
The gift you give, you share with all, a present every day,
You give the gift of liberty and that we can't repay.



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America,

It’s been another tough week for us in the frontline. Below is a copy of the hand written letter by SPC David Mahlenbrock to his beloved engineer brothers of 1st squad. David wrote this 1JUL04. This letter was handed to me yesterday by my sister command Bravo “Blaster” Company, 65th Engineers.

Dear 1st Squad,
……If you’re reading this, then I’ve died for our country. I just hope it wasn’t for nothing.
After the IED went off yesterday, I wanted to write this in case something happens to me. There are a few more letters that I’d like you to give my wife and family.
I’d like to have a military funeral, but, if you can work please make sure that Toby Keith’s “American Soldier” is played at the ceremony in addition to the bagpipes. If they won’t let it happen, that’s ok, thanks for tying…...
I know that all the belongings I have here will go to Melissa, but there are a few more things I’d like for you guys to make sure she gets. I have a dog tag w/ our picture on it along w/ some pictures and an American flag in my left breast pocket. There is also a can that says “Son” on it that Melissa’s parents gave me that I’d like for them to have, and that angel stone should go to her grandma and grandpa Snow.
Now if I died w/ blue eyes (one blew that way and one blew the other way) and there’s nothing really left of me, that’s ok, I know you meant well.
Alright, enough with the dead guy’s last request, there’s a lot of thank you’s I wanna say to you fellas……

(SPC David Mahlenbrock, 21, was killed by an improvise explosive device (roadside bomb) on 3DEC04, Kirkuk, Iraq.)

We will hold a memorial service for him tomorrow and yes we will have the bagpipes and play Toby Keith’s “American Soldier.” David gave America his all and asked for so little. We will honor his memory by completing this mission. Pls. keep SPC David Mahlenbrock, and his Melissa in your prayers tonight; our condolences to our warrior brothers from B/65th Engineers. God bless our troops.

From Freedom’s Frontline – Iraq,

CPT Matt Marbella
Commander
Beast Battery, 1-62 ADA
winston.marbella@us.army.mil

FIGHT LIKE HELL!