William H Standley (CG 32) - Naval Cruise Book

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Ll LE CHRISTMAS IN KISMAAYO 24 DEC 92 by Chaplain Rondall Brown Dear GOD' This Christmas' my lime b0Y, age five, and my little girl of twenty months will have a wonderful Christmas. But I won't be there. Lord, I am going to miss them t 'bl M 1111 ' . . . the phone from Singapore, that HI Wish you would h ho fern y i e boy told me, while talking to him on I would be home Soon' my U16 r0m t at Navy, because I miss you daddy. I said that . My children probably had their picture taken with Santa Claus again this year, and my little boy probably pinched the devil out of him, just to see if he was real. But just a few miles west of us a starving child had his picture taken with a Marine. My little boy thinks Santa is big and fat, wears a red and white furry suit, comes down the chimney, and brings lots of toys..But the starving children and parents just west of us saw Old Saint Nicholas arrive in Cobra's, armored personnel earners, and G.I. trucks, dressed in U.S. Marine uniforms. . My children, Lord, will receive so many toys, just more to add to the truck load they already have. But a just few miles west of here, most of the kids, have probably never seen a toy. Especially like G.I. Joe, Batman, Turtles, and thousands more. My kids, Lord, eat well every day, and on Christmas Day at Grandmothers, the table will almost collapse under the weight ofthe turkey and dressing, ham and sweet potatoes, vegetables, casseroles, and there will be no room for all the desserts, and fruit salads, and pumpkin rolls, and more. My little boy will eat all he wants, and rush back to play with his toys, and my little girl, will do just as she wants, as usual. My kids will feed the dog and cat so much they can hardly move. But just west of us, some of these people and their kids will eat a high protein gruel, because they are to weak to chew, and be extremely thankful they have it. The kids won't rush to play with their toys, they don't have any. The won't feed their pets, for long since past, they are dead, by some means or another. Lord, I sure will miss being at home this Christmas. Why in the world am I here any way? Why is it always the Americans? VVhy has it been so, throughout our recent history, that seemingly the people of the world have looked for the Americans to come and help right the wrongs? With all our problems at home, and our faults, the people of the world still see, that to live in America is the land of hope. Maybe, its because you have blessed us with more than any other nation on earth, with freedom, food in abundance, military power unequaled by any. Blessed like no nation has ever been blessed on the face of this planet. Maybe, because we still bow our hearts and knees to the giver of all good and perfect gifts. Why did this gamer, Mohammed Nup Aden, cry out when he heard in the night sky the sound of a helicopter coming, It's the Americans, we knew they were coming to protect us. Why didn't he cry the Russians, or Chinese, or Arabs, or British, or French, or Canadians, or someone else? We don't even know these people from Adam's house cat. Why is it us that seemingly has to spur the world on? Where are all the good samaritans gone? Maybe in Somalia they are all dead, if there were any, or in the world, if there are any left. Maybe they are too busy celebrating Christmas to come. Why did we go to Kuwait? To free people from a dictator of death? To put a king back on his throne? Or maybe we went so black gold could flow more cheaply into my gas tank, or so the rich could become richer. Why does it always seem that Americans have to stir the world to do something, and our sons and daughters are sent into harms way? For whatever reasons others may have had, we were there and here because it is our job, and we get paid for it. But there are common men, women and children like the Kurds, and the Kuwaities living in freedom because we came. Hopefully, they will never again see their families falling lifelessly upon the ground because of Saddam Hussein's poison gas. An just maybe, millions of Somalis will live because we are here. But the Marines are getting all the glory and combat pay. Why do we need to be here? A couple of years ago, I was in France and was returning from a tour of the beaches of Normandy, where almost 10,000 Americans died in one days battle. I peered out the bus window, as we wound down the mountain road into Cherebourg, and in the harbor, was a gray ship with an american flag waving boldly against the Carolina blue sky, and for a traveler in a strange land, that ship was home. That was U.S. soil and one day it would take me home. Maybe, just maybe, when those Marines, in a strange land, missing Christmas with family and friends, see that flag waving freely over an island sailing the vast seas, maybe home will seem a little closer. Maybe, if they fall back from an onrush of enemy troops, tomorrow they will be comforted as jets streak from the carrier deck and rounds roar from our gun. I le will eat tonight, with hope that there will be a tomorrow, For whatever reason we are here, some starving peop because the Americans CStandleyJ are here. Thank you Lord, Amen. This cruisebook is dedicated to the people of Somalia, and all of us who help to bring hope for a better world. n HEI