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Warrior-Mentor
12-24-2009, 12:31
To all our Brothers and Sisters deployed overseas right now, MERRY CHRISTMAS!

We appreciate your service and sacrifice.

You are carrying on an American Tradition.

God Bless and Godspeed.




“And remember… people will want to know:

“What is it Americans once did?”

“How is it we became Americans?”

On Christmas Day 1776, Washington’s Army had collapsed from 30,000 in Brooklyn in September, to 2,500.

Less than 1 out of every 1,000 Americans had the courage to be with Washington Christmas Day.

Of that 2,500 - one third did not have boots.

They wrapped their feet in burlap and they left a trail of blood marching the 9 miles to Trenton.

Washington decided to cross an icy river, at night, in a snow storm, to march at night in order to surprise 800 professional German Soldiers, win a surprise victory, capture all 800 Soldiers and reestablish the legitimacy of the American Revolution.

Two weeks later, he had 15,000 volunteers.

The password that night was “Victory or Death.”

I want you to go from here and look every successful person you know in the eye,
And look every Patriot you know in the eye and tell them:

“There are young men and women risking their lives all around this planet in uniform,
in the State Department, in our Intelligence Community,
so we can be free.

“Don’t tell me how much you’re giving.

“Don’t tell me how tired you are.

“Don’t tell me how frustrating it is.”

This country was created by people who were willing to say “Victory or Death” while marching in burlap bags in the middle of a snow storm.

… This is work George Washington would have approved of. And this is work you need to take seriously for the next three years so we can give our children and grand children the greatest, freest and most prosperous country in history.”

- Newt Gingrich

VIDEO:
http://atlasshrugs2000.typepad.com/atlas_shrugs/2009/12/madness.html


_________________________________

George Washington's Christmas 1776
Crossing The Delaware Wrapped Perfect Gift to Raise the Spirit of 76

Dec 14, 2007
Roger Saunders

General Washington and Colonel John Glover beat the Hessians in the Battle of Trenton, giving the best Christmas gift ever to the 13 brand new United States of America.

The only thing normal about this Christmas Morning in 1776 was the smell of an abundance of food being prepared. Was General Washington planning a celebration? He was not! This little military encampment on the Pennsylvania side of the Delaware River did not have much to celebrate. They had just been through 4 months of defeat in this American Revolution. This included a grueling and harrowing flight across New Jersey that began with a midnight boat ride from Brooklyn on Aug 29th. Their joy when the statue of King George was torn down after hearing the Declaration of Independence seemed a memory too far recessed to be illuminated by any new Christmas light.

A Christmas Card?

George Washington had formed a plan to attack the town of Trenton on the New Jersey side of the Delaware. Trenton was occupied by mercenary Hessians commanded by Col. Johann Rall. On Christmas Eve, Dr. Benjamin Rush, a Continental “surgeon” saw General Washington writing short notes on several scraps of paper. One might surmise that he was writing Christmas notes to members of his military “family”. This may have seemed even more likely when he called a messenger to deliver the slips to his staff. Dr. Rush noticed one of the slips of paper fall to the floor. When he picked it up and read it, there was no Christmas cheer. Instead it was a stark statement; a child of their stark situation. “Victory or Death!” Washington had decided to use this as the password for the day as his intrepid plan was unwrapped.

The Plan

Washington and his staff had planned this assault very carefully. They had very good intelligence from a small network of spies (they even knew that Col. Rall usually slept until 9am). It was to be a three pronged attack. Col. John Cadwalader would take 1800 Philadelphia Associators and New England Continentals and cross the Delaware south of Trenton. Militia General Ewing would take about 800 Pennsylvania Militia and to a crossing point directly across from Trenton. Washington would take the remaining 2400 Continentals and cross ten miles north and march to a pre-dawn meeting with the others and take Trenton by surprise.

The Christmas Gift

The ambitious and complicated plan began to unravel from the start. It had been very cold and ice had already begun to form on the river. Yet, in the last few days, a premature thaw had loosened great chunks of ice and sent them hurtling downstream. This was a disaster on a night when timing was so critical to the plan’s success. The worst blow was that the ice was so bad in the two crossing locations to the south that they did not succeed. For the Continentals it was a Christmas nightmare. They were hours behind but Col. John Glover’s Marblehead mariners once again showed their character and skill by bringing soldiers across a river under extreme circumstances, without any loss of life. The rest of the grueling march in a mixture of snow sleet and rain finally ended, not with a pre-dawn raid but with an all out assault of the Hessian positions in Trenton. Even without two thirds of the attacking force, these Continental Soldiers gave a priceless Christmas gift to their commander and the rest of the new nation.
Victory … finally … after so many defeats.

The Spirit of 76 was resucitated in the Battle of Trenton that began on Christmas Day in 1776. That same spirit would face many more challenges but its indomitable character was cemented into the American psyche and has still not been shaken loose today!

SOURCE:
http://americanhistory.suite101.com/article.cfm/the_christmas_spirit_of_76

Dozer523
12-24-2009, 12:46
The story, often told (on PS.com) about the Soldiers' Christmas Truce during the First World War reminds me of the honor and duty of service and the unity that can come among Soldiers. Warrior Mentor's thread seems a good place to revitalize that truth. Merry Christmas to all.

The first truce began on Christmas Eve, 24 December 1914, when German troops began decorating the area around their trenches in the region of Ypres, Belgium, for Christmas. They began by placing candles on trees, then continued the celebration by singing Christmas carols, most notably Stille Nacht (Silent Night). The British troops in the trenches across from them responded by singing English carols.
The two sides continued by shouting Christmas greetings to each other. Soon thereafter, there were calls for visits across the "No Man's Land" where small gifts, were exchanged, such as whisky, jam, cigarettes, and chocolate. The artillery in the region fell silent that night. The truce also allowed a breathing spell where recently-fallen soldiers could be brought back behind their lines by burial parties. Proper burials took place as soldiers from both sides mourned the dead together and paid their respects.
In many sectors, the truce lasted through Christmas night, but in some areas, it continued until New Year's Day.

The truce occurred in spite of opposition at higher levels of the military. Earlier in the autumn, Pope Benedict XV had begged for an official truce between the warring governments, "that the guns may fall silent at least upon the night the angels sang." It was considered possible by the Germans but angrily denounced by the British who blithely ignored any further peace overtures made by Benedict - although the pope's ten conditions for a lasting peace were largely subsumed by Woodrow Wilson in his "14 Points".

British commanders Sir John French and Sir Horace Smith-Dorrien vowed that no such truce would be allowed again[citation needed], although both had left command before Christmas 1915. In all of the following years of the war, artillery bombardments were ordered on Christmas Eve to try to ensure that there were no further lulls in the combat. Troops were also rotated through various sectors of the front to prevent them from becoming overly familiar with the enemy.

On Christmas Day 1915, after some shouting between both trenches, the Royal Welch Fusiliers got out of their icy trench and greeted the Germans. Bertie Felstead, a Corporal in the Fusiliers, recalled that the Germans probably were already out of their trench before the British got out. He claimed that nothing was planned and that what happened was entirely spontaneous.[1] A football was produced from somewhere – though none could recall from where. "It was not a game as such – more of a kick-around and a free-for-all. There could have been 50 on each side for all I know. I played because I really liked football. I don’t know how long it lasted, probably half-an-hour, and no-one was keeping score.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christmas_truce

Warrior-Mentor
12-24-2009, 15:30
Added a fuller version of the story here:

http://www.professionalsoldiers.com/forums/showpost.php?p=304256&postcount=1

T-Rock
12-25-2009, 01:13
Merry Christmas!!!

Thank you all for your service and sacrifice…

wet dog
12-25-2009, 02:01
The story, often told (on PS.com) about the Soldiers' Christmas Truce during the First World War reminds me of the honor and duty of service and the unity that can come among Soldiers. Warrior Mentor's thread seems a good place to revitalize that truth. Merry Christmas to all.

The first truce began on Christmas Eve, 24 December 1914, when German troops began decorating the area around their trenches in the region of Ypres, Belgium, for Christmas. They began by placing candles on trees, then continued the celebration by singing Christmas carols, most notably Stille Nacht (Silent Night). The British troops in the trenches across from them responded by singing English carols.
The two sides continued by shouting Christmas greetings to each other. Soon thereafter, there were calls for visits across the "No Man's Land" where small gifts, were exchanged, such as whisky, jam, cigarettes, and chocolate. The artillery in the region fell silent that night. The truce also allowed a breathing spell where recently-fallen soldiers could be brought back behind their lines by burial parties. Proper burials took place as soldiers from both sides mourned the dead together and paid their respects.
In many sectors, the truce lasted through Christmas night, but in some areas, it continued until New Year's Day.

The truce occurred in spite of opposition at higher levels of the military. Earlier in the autumn, Pope Benedict XV had begged for an official truce between the warring governments, "that the guns may fall silent at least upon the night the angels sang." It was considered possible by the Germans but angrily denounced by the British who blithely ignored any further peace overtures made by Benedict - although the pope's ten conditions for a lasting peace were largely subsumed by Woodrow Wilson in his "14 Points".

British commanders Sir John French and Sir Horace Smith-Dorrien vowed that no such truce would be allowed again[citation needed], although both had left command before Christmas 1915. In all of the following years of the war, artillery bombardments were ordered on Christmas Eve to try to ensure that there were no further lulls in the combat. Troops were also rotated through various sectors of the front to prevent them from becoming overly familiar with the enemy.

On Christmas Day 1915, after some shouting between both trenches, the Royal Welch Fusiliers got out of their icy trench and greeted the Germans. Bertie Felstead, a Corporal in the Fusiliers, recalled that the Germans probably were already out of their trench before the British got out. He claimed that nothing was planned and that what happened was entirely spontaneous.[1] A football was produced from somewhere – though none could recall from where. "It was not a game as such – more of a kick-around and a free-for-all. There could have been 50 on each side for all I know. I played because I really liked football. I don’t know how long it lasted, probably half-an-hour, and no-one was keeping score.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christmas_truce

Dozer -

I've always liked this story and I told it to my boys earlier today.

One of the many truths of WWI is, we faught a noble foe, who had honor, who loved God, and who were Christians my birth and behavior, who loved family, and who loved the Spirit of Christmas.

Things sure have changed,...

WD

frostfire
12-25-2009, 02:32
Merry Christmas to all! Wishing you a joyful end of 2009 and a blessed beginning into 2010 :)

JJ_BPK
12-25-2009, 05:30
Merry Christmas to All,,
If your still serving, Thank You,,
If your in one of our current conflicts,, Stay Safe..

God Bless
Jean & Jim
A Couple of Old Parrot Heads
In The Conch Republic
Just South of Reality

Dozer523
12-25-2009, 06:39
Freakin' elves just finished putting together the Arcade Hoops Basketball game. (0625 Local)
Little twit started around 0300 Local.
Looks like he's headed for the Cabinet where the Oban 14 YO is stored.


Merry Christmas to all . . .

and to ME . . . Good F-ing night!




:D

Surgicalcric
12-25-2009, 07:53
Merry Christmas everyone.

Kyobanim
12-25-2009, 08:07
Merry Christmas all!

armymom1228
12-25-2009, 08:08
Merry Christmas to all!!

FireInside
12-25-2009, 08:36
Merry Christmas to all and thank you for all you give.

albeham
12-25-2009, 08:43
Merry Christmas everyone.

18DWife
12-25-2009, 08:56
Merry Christmas <3

longrange1947
12-25-2009, 09:01
MERRY CHRISTMAS Everyone!!!!! :)

Gypsy
12-25-2009, 09:32
Merry Christmas one and all! Special wishes out for those far from home, and for your families too. Here's to a great 2010!

Goggles Pizano
12-25-2009, 09:39
Merry Christmas everyone! To all of you overseas; thank you and be safe!

Tatonka316
12-25-2009, 09:50
Merry Christmas to ALL our SF family - downrange to CONUS! Thank you ALL for the gift of having you in my life and my heart! I can never thank you ALL enough, but will spend the rest of my life trying!

molon labe:lifter

Roguish Lawyer
12-25-2009, 09:51
Merry Christmas!

bluebb
12-25-2009, 10:01
Merry Christmas.

Warrior-Mentor
12-25-2009, 10:01
Merry Christmas to ALL our SF family - downrange to CONUS! Thank you ALL for the gift of having you in my life and my heart! I can never thank you ALL enough, but will spend the rest of my life trying!

molon labe:lifter

Thank you my Friend!

Thoughts and Prayers for a happy and healthy new year for you and your family!

PedOncoDoc
12-25-2009, 10:10
Merry Christmas everyone!

Special prayers out to a certain Chaplain stuck in a German transitional medical facility delayed again on her way home for further care.

Thank you all for your service and sacrifice that allows us the quiet holiday back home!

greenberetTFS
12-25-2009, 10:11
Merry Christmas to all..............:D:D:D

Big Teddy :munchin

booker
12-25-2009, 10:28
Merry Christmas! :)

TrapLine
12-25-2009, 11:04
Merry Christmas all! Prayers out for all those serving, especially those far from loved ones. Thank you and God bless.

TrapLine

wet dog
12-25-2009, 12:10
FYI - Santa left ammo in our stockings!

mojaveman
12-25-2009, 12:40
Feliz Navidad!

Frohe Weihnachten!

mojaveman
12-25-2009, 12:44
The story, often told (on PS.com) about the Soldiers' Christmas Truce during the First World War reminds me of the honor and duty of service and the unity that can come among Soldiers. Warrior Mentor's thread seems a good place to revitalize that truth. Merry Christmas to all.

The first truce began on Christmas Eve, 24 December 1914, when German troops began decorating the area around their trenches in the region of Ypres, Belgium, for Christmas. They began by placing candles on trees, then continued the celebration by singing Christmas carols, most notably Stille Nacht (Silent Night). The British troops in the trenches across from them responded by singing English carols.
The two sides continued by shouting Christmas greetings to each other. Soon thereafter, there were calls for visits across the "No Man's Land" where small gifts, were exchanged, such as whisky, jam, cigarettes, and chocolate. The artillery in the region fell silent that night. The truce also allowed a breathing spell where recently-fallen soldiers could be brought back behind their lines by burial parties. Proper burials took place as soldiers from both sides mourned the dead together and paid their respects.
In many sectors, the truce lasted through Christmas night, but in some areas, it continued until New Year's Day.

The truce occurred in spite of opposition at higher levels of the military. Earlier in the autumn, Pope Benedict XV had begged for an official truce between the warring governments, "that the guns may fall silent at least upon the night the angels sang." It was considered possible by the Germans but angrily denounced by the British who blithely ignored any further peace overtures made by Benedict - although the pope's ten conditions for a lasting peace were largely subsumed by Woodrow Wilson in his "14 Points".

British commanders Sir John French and Sir Horace Smith-Dorrien vowed that no such truce would be allowed again[citation needed], although both had left command before Christmas 1915. In all of the following years of the war, artillery bombardments were ordered on Christmas Eve to try to ensure that there were no further lulls in the combat. Troops were also rotated through various sectors of the front to prevent them from becoming overly familiar with the enemy.

On Christmas Day 1915, after some shouting between both trenches, the Royal Welch Fusiliers got out of their icy trench and greeted the Germans. Bertie Felstead, a Corporal in the Fusiliers, recalled that the Germans probably were already out of their trench before the British got out. He claimed that nothing was planned and that what happened was entirely spontaneous.[1] A football was produced from somewhere – though none could recall from where. "It was not a game as such – more of a kick-around and a free-for-all. There could have been 50 on each side for all I know. I played because I really liked football. I don’t know how long it lasted, probably half-an-hour, and no-one was keeping score.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christmas_truce


Thanks for the story Dozer, it's enough to make one's eyes misty...

dennisw
12-25-2009, 13:28
Merry Christmas! God bless and keep safe all ours in harm's way.

Cynic
12-25-2009, 13:43
Merry Christmas everyone! Thank you all for your service; past and present.

The Reaper
12-25-2009, 14:54
We are all truly blessed.

Merry Christmas to all!

TR

MK262
12-25-2009, 15:00
Merry Christmas all.

Thank you to those that serve and are keeping us safe.

Warrior-Mentor
12-25-2009, 16:51
Ronald Reagan's Christmas address from December 24, 1983:

My fellow Americans:

Like so many of your homes, the White House is brimming with greens, colorful decorations, and a tree trimmed and ready for Christmas day. And when Nancy and I look out from our upstairs windows, we can see the National Christmas Tree standing in majestic beauty. Its lights fill the air with a spirit of love, hope, and joy from the heart of America.

I shared that spirit recently when a young girl named Amy Benham helped me light our national tree. Amy had said that the tree that lights up our country must be seen all the way to heaven. And she said that her wish was to help me turn on its lights. Well, Amy's wish came true. But the greatest gift was mine, because I saw her eyes light up with hope and joy just as brightly as the lights on our national tree. And I'm sure they were both seen all the way to heaven, and they made the angels sing.

Christmas is a time for children, and rightly so. We celebrate the birthday of the Prince of Peace who came as a babe in a manger. Some celebrate Christmas as the birthday of a great teacher and philosopher. But to other millions of us, Jesus is much more. He is divine, living assurance that God so loved the world He gave us His only begotten Son so that by believing in Him and learning to love each other we could one day be together in paradise.

It's been said that all the kings who ever reigned, that all the parliaments that ever sat have not done as much to advance the cause of peace on Earth and good will to men as the man from Galilee, Jesus of Nazareth.

Christmas is also a time to remember the treasures of our own history. We remember one Christmas in particular, 1776, our first year as a nation. The Revolutionary War had been going badly. But George Washington's faith, courage, and leadership would turn the tide of history our way. On Christmas night he led a band of ragged soldiers across the Delaware River through driving snow to a victory that saved the cause of independence. It's said that their route of march was stained by bloody footprints, but their spirit never faltered and their will could not be crushed.

The image of George Washington kneeling in prayer in the snow is one of the most famous in American history. He personified a people who knew it was not enough to depend on their own courage and goodness; they must also seek help from God, their Father and Preserver.

In a few hours, families and friends across America will join together in caroling parties and Christmas Eve services. Together, we'll renew that spirit of faith, peace, and giving which has always marked the character of our people. In our moments of quiet reflection I know we will remember our fellow citizens who may be lonely and in need tonight.

``Is the Christmas spirit still alive?'' some ask. Well, you bet it is. Being Americans, we open our hearts to neighbors less fortunate. We try to protect them from hunger and cold. And we reach out in so many ways -- from toys-for-tots drives across the country, to good will by the Salvation Army, to American Red Cross efforts which provide food, shelter, and Christmas cheer from Atlanta to Seattle.

Churches are so generous it's impossible to keep track. One example: Reverend Bill Singles' Presbyterian Meeting House in nearby Alexandria, Virginia, is simultaneously sponsoring hot meals on wheels programs, making and delivering hundreds of sandwiches and box loads of clothes, while visiting local hospitals and sending postcards to shut-ins and religious dissidents abroad.

Let us remember the families who maintain a watch for their missing in action. And, yes, let us remember all those who are persecuted inside the Soviet bloc -- not because they commit a crime, but because they love God in their hearts and want the freedom to celebrate Hanukkah or worship the Christ Child.

And because faith for us is not an empty word, we invoke the power of prayer to spread the spirit of peace. We ask protection for our soldiers who are guarding peace tonight -- from frigid outposts in Alaska and the Korean demilitarized zone to the shores of Lebanon. One Lebanese mother told us that her little girl had only attended school 2 of the last 8 years. Now, she said, because of our presence there her daughter can live a normal life.

With patience and firmness we can help bring peace to that strife-torn region and make our own lives more secure. The Christmas spirit of peace, hope, and love is the spirit Americans carry with them all year round, everywhere we go. As long as we do, we need never be afraid, because trusting in God is the one sure answer to all the problems we face.

Till next week, thanks for listening, God bless you, and Merry Christmas.

lindy
12-25-2009, 17:07
The image of George Washington kneeling in prayer in the snow is one of the most famous in American history.

I couldn't remember that picture so I had to find it.

CoLawman
12-25-2009, 20:17
Merry Christmas to all on PS.com. And Merry Christmas to those who serve our great nation. Merry Christmas to our allies. And a very Merry Christmas to the families who have lost loved ones in recent wars.. My heart is with you this day.

MtnGoat
12-25-2009, 20:27
Merry Christmas all.

Thank you to those that serve and are keeping us safe. US, Allies and civillians.

Stay safe and blessing to your Families while your deployed. As your wife or love ones maintain a watch for your houses.

May God bless you in your hearts, body and minds.