The Signs of Christmas
December 24, 2002

A couple of weeks ago I decided my room in the BOQ (Bachelor Officer Quarters, sometimes simply called "the Q") needed to be festive for the Christmas season. In typical Marine Corps fashion, Camp Pendleton was established in 1942 as a major training command.

Interpretation: austere. I like Webster's definition number 3: Lacking adornment or ornamentation: simple or plain. That pretty well describes a Marine Corps base.

So I ventured on a quest to brighten up my room at the Q. I
purchased a stuffed white dog wearing a Santa hat; a ceramic trio of angels singing joyfully (or so I imagine); a beanbag Santa; and an eighteen-inch potted (fake) Christmas tree with bulbs that light once plugged into the wall. That's it. But it's a vast improvement.

The Q is located on a bluff overlooking the Oceanside
Marina. Each morning as I leave my room I pause for a few moments to enjoy the view where sailboats are tied to the docks. Early in December I noticed that Christmas lights began to appear on the sailboats, strung to the top of the mast, then down at an angle both fore and aft, creating a triangle of light. As I write this only days before Christmas, I see that at least half of the boats are festooned in this manner.

The Marine Corps Exchange, a place on base for tax-free
shopping for military personnel and their families, has been in full swing with Christmas sales and decorations. Last Sunday I stood in line for two hours at the Exchange waiting to have some publicity photos signed by R. Lee Ermey, the latest pop cult figure to make it to television. He's a former Marine who hosts the program, Mail Call, on the History Channel. The man is a real character! Ermey also played the Drill Instructor in the movie, Full Metal Jacket. I mention this because the Marine Corps has a program that has been in place for a number of
decades called Toys for Tots. Each year presents and/or cash are collected to provide toys for children who would otherwise have a bleak Christmas. Ermey was signing the photos in exchange for a new toy or cash to help in this most worthwhile project.

Marines, like all of our American military, are suckers for
kids. It is heartwarming to see the outpouring of compassion by our military and their families, many strapped financially, giving
sacrificially to help brighten some child's Christmas. Then I am
humbled, realizing that these same people are in the military
voluntarily in order to defend you and me against those who threaten our freedom and our very existence.

So, this Christmas, please take a moment to thank the Lord
for those who protect our freedoms.

God bless you and have a Merry Christmas!