Many of you can clearly recall a Christmas evening spent many years ago on watch at an outpost or on a night patrol near the Border. Even now when you are outdoors in the country on a cold night you are likely to be somehow reminded of that time and place. Among your memories might be the sight of a flare that was fired on the other side or the sound of a distant church bell on our side calling villagers to Christmas Mass. If there was a flare on the other side that night, and it was not accompanied by the sound of action to capture someone trying to gain freedom in the West, its appearance in the night sky east of your position might have briefly reminded you of a very old story - about a "Star in the East".
We can also recall other important duties on Christmas Eve and New Years Eve - duties such as radio watch, CQ, and messhall shift if you were lucky enough to be indoors. If you were out in the fresh air there was guard duty at posts on the combat vehicle hardstand, in the fuel and ammo truck compound, at an ammunition storage bunker or out at the airfield. On those posts it was probably cold and windy and the snow may have been about the deepest you have ever had to cross. No doubt it was equally challenging for our fellow Americans who were standing watch in positions along the DMZ in Korea, in submarines deployed in the Atlantic and Pacific, and out where the B52s were parked at the northern tier of SAC bases in America. We all had our duty to do, we did it, and we have earned a right to enjoy the warmth of our home on this first Christmas of the 21st century.
Recalling those times when we were thousands of miles from our homeland and realizing that duty still calls for the younger generations, we would like to extend special gratitude to your children and grandchildren who may be far from home this Christmas in the service of our country. We can not expect that there will be no further call to battle in the defense of freedom, but we can believe that the danger is much diminished as a result of the stand that we and our fellow Troopers took during the Cold War.
We were highly privileged to serve with you in the
FOURTEENTH and we look forward to reunions at which we can get together
again.
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and to the Soldiers of the units that served with us we wish A joyous Holiday Season with
your family and friends
The 14th ACR Committee Adrian St.John, Bud Clark, Frank Varljen, Mack VanHook and Paul Henry |
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On 11 September 2001, nine months after this card was sent, America's "further call to battle" DID come. By Christmas of 2003 the 1st Squadron was in action north of Baghdad. Next Christmas will probably find the 2nd Squadron deployed far from home.
Whenever you gather with your loved ones at Christmas
please, all of you, keep our troopers in your prayers.