LOG CABIN CHRONICLES
Remembering Christmas
ARTHUR GREAVES, MSgt, USAF, Retired
OSAN, KOREA | During a 20-year military career with more Christmases away from my family than I care to remember, one Christmas that stands out as the most memorable was during a tour in Korea.
First, I have to back up by about seven months when I received word from my brother-in-law that his wife Sandy, after four years of marriage, was pregnant. Congratulations were in order and I mentioned that I would be lighting a candle in hopes that the blessed event would result in twins. The candle was duly lit and we all continued on with our lives. I was reassigned from a RCAF base in Northern Quebec to Montana and subsequently in early December sent for a six month tour to Osan, Korea.
On Christmas day, with the outside temp hovering around 20 below and feeling sorry for myself at being separated from my own family who remained in Montana, I made my way to the mess hall for the usual Christmas dinner. When I returned to the barracks an airman from the communications unit approached looking for Sgt Greaves.
I identified myself and he handed me a telegram -- upon opening it, there where only six words "Candles worked, Sandy and babies fine." Twins had been born Dec 24th, a boy and a girl ( Brett and Stephanie ).
Not a Christmas has passed during these last 38 years that I haven't relived that Christmas day in1968. Arthur Greaves is a retired USAF M/Sgt, now living in Northampton, Massachusetts. Copyright © 2006 Arthur Greaves/Log Cabin Chronicles/12.06 |