Christmas Eve Memories

[ZenDog]

Once I was in a PX in Germany on Christmas eve- it was about 1 hour before closing, so whoever was there was doing very last minute shopping. I was trying to find a couple more gifts for my wife. I was in the women's lingerie department. I stopped shopping for a minute and just looked around- there were about 20 guys besides me all in Woodland Camo BDU's all shopping in the lingerie department.

Warriors shopping frantically for panties, bras, and other underthings. Surreal.

I love Christmas eve.

[Guest Bronker]

Quite the visual!

Heart of a lion, and a lamb...all wrapped in one!

Merry Christmas, Zen.

[TripleDigitRide]

I miss the Christmas Eve nights in Chicago. There was always TONS of snow, and we'd trek out to look at all the Christmas lights. I've tried this a few times over the last 13 or so years of living in Nashville, but without the snow, it's just not the same experience.

[DaveTN]

In the early morning hours of December 23, 1972 our ship went to general quarters.

A 6.2 earthquake had hit Managua, Nicaragua.

We put 800 Marines on the beach, supplying medical assistance, food and water. We were landing helicopters on our flight deck non-stop with causalities for our Doctors to take care of.

The death toll was 5000. It would have been much higher had it not been for the Navy and Marines.

While many at home had heard about the quake; they didn’t know we were there.

It would have been nice to spend Christmas at home but I am proud of what we did there.

In 1973 a Canadian named Gordon Sinclair did a piece on his radio show called the “The Americans†and he mentioned it.

Bryon Macgregor later put it to music.

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[Guest tnmale46]

great vid

[Guest tlondon]

as a child we would get to open one gift on Christmas eve. The excitment a kid displays at this magical time is so heart warming. But lets not forget the real meaning of why we celebrate CHRISTmas.

[Punisher84]

I just miss being a kid. These last several years the Christmas season spirit has totally abandoned me.

[strickj]

But lets not forget the real meaning of why we celebrate CHRISTmas.

To get drunk,and T-bag cousin Mal?

I as a kid also had the pleasure of opening one present on Xmas eve.As we got older,and mom got lazier,we started opening all our presents on eve.Mom said Santa would stop by the really,really good kids house the night before to lighten his load because there were so many stops.Thats when I knew she was full of **** cause we were anything but "good"

Edited December 24, 2008 by strickj

[Guest bkelm18]

I have many fond memories when I was a child. But nowadays, as I'm not a religious person, the day really has no meaning to me anymore. Its just another over commercialized holiday where people go nuts and literally kill each other to buy the latest hot gift. I look forward more to eating some good food and maybe spending time with some family.

[towerclimber37]

Once I was in a PX in Germany on Christmas eve- it was about 1 hour before closing, so whoever was there was doing very last minute shopping. I was trying to find a couple more gifts for my wife. I was in the women's lingerie department. I stopped shopping for a minute and just looked around- there were about 20 guys besides me all in Woodland Camo BDU's all shopping in the lingerie department.

Warriors shopping frantically for panties, bras, and other underthings. Surreal.

I love Christmas eve.

hahahha now that's funny!

I remember my first and last Christmas in Germany. My unit patronized an orphanage down in Bindlach, so I went with them on one of their "days on the town"...mainly a bunch of nuns and orphans would walk through the marktplatz and windowshop. I tagged along and bought about 800 dollars worth of stuff for some of the little pirates...I figured if I couldn't spend Christmas with my family, I'd spend it with those who had no family.

we had a great time and ran the nuns ragged.

My next Christmas was spent on the Al Dibdibar plain.