A Very Serenity Night Before Christmas (A Christmas story for Halloween)

 Christmas, Holidays, Our Toops, Seasons, Uncategorized, Winter, Wounded Warriors  No Responses »
Oct 152025
 

Welcome to my blog Y’all. Here’s a Christmas story for Halloween. Best read at night when the moon is full . 1 2  3 4

I am Serenity from Alien Dreams and for those of you that remember, Bell-Gab. I have had a few nicknames in the course of  my life but mostly called Snoopy or Spooky to close friends and fellow warriors. I am retired from the United States Army. I was placed on the Army’s Retired list in October of 2013 after 38 years of Active, Reserve and a bit of IRR service.5 Retirement from the Service was a very proud moment for me. I have my flag and retired pin as well as the other benefits that come with military retirement. I have been in the military most of my adult life and thinking about it even before I graduated high school.

In the course of 38 years of service and some of the positions I was assigned I have developed some habits both good and bad. Some of which are still with me to this day. One of those habits is a quirk of my hyper vigilance. Every night I will walk the perimeter of the compound down here on the Bayou for security and/or unwanted activity. The walk also lets me commune with the Commander in Chief. All in all, it quiets me and eases the stresses of the day. In short, I feel better when I’m done and back under cover.

Having re-connected through social media with people I knew throughout my time in service, I began thinking of some of my old brothers that have passed to that big parade field in the sky. Some through missions and some after service. Some of those I was close to and as I get older I find myself thinking about them more often. Mostly those that left us on missions we were on. Not to the point of sadness. Just a bit of melancholy now and again. No, no survivors guilt. Just missing the chess games or the beer at the O-Club. And the BBQ’s! Good times.

So it’s Christmas eve. In addition to my security check, I do as I always do on Christmas Eve, I search the sky for that old man in the red suit and 8 reindeer.6 As I was going around the east side of the house I thought I caught a glimpse of something out of the corner of my eye. But then I saw headlights and knew it was just a car coming down the road. Thinking nothing more about it I grabbed a cup of deer corn that I throw out for the small animals and of course the deer and continued down the east side of the fence. I finished up that side of the fence, checked the batteries on the game camera, poured the corn on the ground and started back.

As I was coming to the end of the fence I heard the unmistakable sound of a slide being racked back on what sounded like a large caliber handgun. I closed quickly with the house and drew my own sidearm. I saw a brief flash of light and smelled cigarette smoke. I peaked around the corner and that’s when I saw him. Kneeling on the ground near my flag pole was a figure. He seemed to be dressed in fatigues and had a beret on his head. I could almost see through him and there was a faint glow surrounding him. He looked vaguely familiar but couldn’t quite make out who he was. I left the cover of the side of the house and started to creep towards him. He was crouched on one knee and his head was slowly scanning up and down the road, swirls of smoke drifting off on the breeze. “Hey Chief, nice night huh?” He seemed to know who I was. ” Come sit by me a bit” Not knowing what else to do I stood up straight and walked slowly over to him and sat on the grass. “Do I know you” I asked. I still couldn’t make out his face.”Oh, we may have met once or twice.” he said. ” The others are busy tonight. I was by myself with nothing going on so I asked if I could watch over you and your family”. He was looking at me with a smile on his face. “HE thought it was a great idea. I hope you don’t mind” he said.”No not at all. ” I said. Not sure about what was going on and I wasn’t sure what else to say except “Thank you”.

He took another drag and threw the butt towards the street. It was gone before it reached the sidewalk. “With everything you and others have done and go through every day “HE” wants to give you and those like you and your loved ones some relief and a feeling of safety at least on this one night.” At that he stood up and started to walk towards the fence. “Well, back to work. You and your family sleep easy tonight. I have your 6.” He started to dim and the last that I saw him before he faded from sight he was turning the corner by the fence. “Merry Christmas Chief. and your brothers that went before send their best. ” And he was gone.

Calm washed over me and I felt a sense of ease I haven’t felt in years. I knew then that he was like me, maybe a fellow warrior I had walked with in the past in some far off land and at least for tonight I could relax. As I walked towards the house I could still smell the smoke from his cigarette as I thought of those Heroes that I served with. A small rabbit ran in front of me, stopping and looking up at me for a second before he resumed his run towards where I threw the grain. As I opened the front door I thought I heard a voice saying “Hey little guy, Merry Christmas. Come eat there’s plenty and no hunters”. I looked to the sky once more, whispered “Thank you” and threw a salute as I went inside.

I often wonder who he was, how he died. Was I there, could I have done something to help him? Is there anything I can do now? Is he at peace? Questions I may never be able to answer I suppose. I was given a gift. One I shall never forget. Christmas day was wonderful. Filled with laughter, food, family and fellowship. As the children left and went back to their own lives that night I waved goodnight and before going inside I looked to the sky with a smile and a new sense of awe and an abundance of gratitude .7 I hope other warriors both serving and in civilian life can have at least 1 day of peace away from whatever demons they carry. Bless you all! Merry Christmas and Happy Hanukkah my friends. May you all be blessed and remember the true reason for the season.

Serenity (Spooky CW4 USA Retired)

NSDQ

Publius says:
  1. NOTE: This may have happened on Christmas Eve of 2018 and this is the first telling of the story [↩]
  2. NOTE #2: I had a complete computer meltdown before Christmas in 2022 and was able to recover this and a few other stories from my database backup. Whew!! [↩]
  3. NOTE #3 This is 2024. A lot has happened since this first came out. 3 Hurricanes that hit this homestead and right now the Sgt Maj is in Hospital. It has been a lone and arduous rode. The bright spot is that she is in the rehab wing doing PT so she can come home. Hopefully by the 30th. Just in time for Halloween!   [↩]
  4. NOTE #4: It’s 2025. I left Lowes for my third retirement The second being a Gulf of America Pilot for many years.. Not quite ready but I was needed more at home. *sigh* There wont be a scheduled radio station this year as I have my hands full but the random station is running and it’s on the Holiday rotation  [↩]
  5. Individual Ready Reserve. Not active but on standby for call up at any time. No pay unless I was called but still ready and willing. [↩]
  6. An old saying I heard somewhere. May you never be so old that you don’t search the sky on Christmas Eve [↩]
  7. Was Christmas Eve a dream or did it really happen? I may never know. It could just be a story from the fertile mind of an old warrior. [↩]
So say we all

Yes Virginia, there is a Santa Claus

 Christmas, Holidays, traditions, Winter  No Responses »
Dec 242024
 

Eight-year-old Virginia O’Hanlon wrote a letter to the editor of New York’s Sun, and the quick response was printed as an unsigned editorial Sept. 21, 1897. The work of veteran newsman Francis Pharcellus Church has since become history’s most reprinted newspaper editorial, appearing in part or whole in dozens of languages in books, movies, and other editorials, and on posters and stamps

The Editorial

DEAR EDITOR: I am 8 years old.
Some of my little friends say there is no Santa Claus.
Papa says, ‘If you see it in THE SUN it’s so.’
Please tell me the truth; is there a Santa Claus?

VIRGINIA O’HANLON.
115 WEST NINETY-FIFTH STREET.

VIRGINIA, your little friends are wrong. They have been affected by the skepticism of a skeptical age. They do not believe except they see. They think that nothing can be which is not comprehensible by their little minds. All minds, Virginia, whether they be men’s or children’s, are little. In this great universe of ours man is a mere insect, an ant, in his intellect, as compared with the boundless world about him, as measured by the intelligence capable of grasping the whole of truth and knowledge.

Yes, VIRGINIA, there is a Santa Claus. He exists as certainly as love and generosity and devotion exist, and you know that they abound and give to your life its highest beauty and joy. Alas! how dreary would be the world if there were no Santa Claus. It would be as dreary as if there were no VIRGINIAS. There would be no childlike faith then, no poetry, no romance to make tolerable this existence. We should have no enjoyment, except in sense and sight. The eternal light with which childhood fills the world would be extinguished.

Not believe in Santa Claus! You might as well not believe in fairies! You might get your papa to hire men to watch in all the chimneys on Christmas Eve to catch Santa Claus, but even if they did not see Santa Claus coming down, what would that prove? Nobody sees Santa Claus, but that is no sign that there is no Santa Claus. The most real things in the world are those that neither children nor men can see. Did you ever see fairies dancing on the lawn? Of course not, but that’s no proof that they are not there. Nobody can conceive or imagine all the wonders there are unseen and unseeable in the world.

You may tear apart the baby’s rattle and see what makes the noise inside, but there is a veil covering the unseen world which not the strongest man, nor even the united strength of all the strongest men that ever lived, could tear apart. Only faith, fancy, poetry, love, romance, can push aside that curtain and view and picture the supernal beauty and glory beyond. Is it all real? Ah, VIRGINIA, in all this world there is nothing else real and abiding.

No Santa Claus! Thank God! he lives, and he lives forever. A thousand years from now, Virginia, nay, ten times ten thousand years from now, he will continue to make glad the heart of childhood.

The Night Before Christmas (Aviation Style)

 Aviation, Christmas, Funny, Holidays  No Responses »
Dec 162024
 

Fellow Pilots will understand

 

Twas the night before Christmas, and out on the ramp,

Not an airplane was stirring, not even a Champ

The aircraft were fastened to tie downs with care,

In hopes that — come morning — they all would be there.

 

The fuel trucks were nestled, all snug in their spots,

With gusts from two-forty at 39 knots.

I slumped at the fuel desk, now finally caught up,

And settled down comfortably, resting my butt

 

When the radio lit up with noise and with chatter,

I turned up the scanner to see what was the matter.

A voice clearly heard over static and snow,

Called for clearance to land at the airport below.

 

He barked his transmission so lively and quick,

I’d have sworn that the call sign he used was “St. Nick.”

I ran to the panel to turn up the lights,

The better to welcome this magical flight.

 

He called his position, no room for denial.

“St. Nicholas One, turnin’ left onto final.”

And what to my wondering eyes should appear,

But a Rutan-built sleigh, with eight Rotax Reindeer!

 

With vectors to final, down the glideslope he came,

As he passed all fixes, he called them by name:

Now Ringo! Now Tolga! Now Trini and Bacun!

On Comet! On Cupid!” What pills was he takin?

 

While controllers were sittin’ and scrathin’ their heads,

They phoned to my office and I heard it with dread,

The messae they left was both urgent and dour:

“When Santa pulls in, have him please call the tower.”

 

He landed like silk, with the sled runners sparking,

Then I heard, “Left at Charlie,” and “Taxi to parking.”

He slowed to a taxi, turned off of three-oh,

And stopped on the ramp with a “Ho! Ho! Ho! Ho!”

 

He stepped out of the sleigh, but before he could talk,

I ran out to meet him with my best set of chocks.

His red helmet and goggles were covered with frost,

And his beard was all blackened from Reindeer exhuast.

 

His breath smelled like peppermint, gone slightly stale,

And he puffed on a pipe, but he didn’t inhale.

His cheeks were all rosy and jiggled like jelly,

His boots were as black as a cropduster’s belly.

 

He was chubby and plump, in his suit of bright red,

And he asked me to “fill it, with hundred low lead.”

He came dashing in from the snow-covered pump,

I knew he was anxious for drainin’ the sump.

 

I spoke not a word, but went straight to my work,

And I filled up the sleigh, but I spilled like a jerk.

He came out of the restroom, and sighed in relief,

Then he picked up a phone for a Flight Service brief.

 

And I thought as he silently scribed in his log,

These Reindeer could land in an eighth-mile fog.

He completed his pre-flight, from the front to the rear,

Then he put on his headset, and I heard him yell, “Clear!”

 

And laying a finger on his push-to-talk,

He called up the tower for clearance and squawk.

“Take taxiway Charlie, the southbound direction,

Turn right three-two-zero at pilot’s discretion.”

 

He sped down the runway, the best of the best,

“Your traffic’s a Grumman, inbound from the west.”

Then I heard him proclaim, as he climbed through the night,

“Merry Christmas to all! I have traffic in sight.

Research indicates this was first published in 2002 and, sadly, the author is unknown.

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