211220 Sentinel, Christmas Far Away From Home

Christmas is never fun aboard ship.

Joyce's father's ship the USS Brownson was sunk on Christmas Day USA time in 1943 during the battle of New Britain in WW-2. He spent hours in shark infested water and was one of the lucky ones, only 108 out of over 300 ever made it out of the ship.They were lucky because the captains of the USS Daley and the USS Lamson stopped to pick up survivors, which was not what they were supposed to do. Ships were not to be stationary targets in a battle zone.

I was on Guam in 1965 and aboard ship on Christmas in 1067, 1968 and 1972.

This was me aboard the USS Kitty Hawk on Christmas 1967. I don't know who snapped the picture but had I known it was going to be taken, I would have tried to smile, but I was deep in thought at the time.

Christmas Onboard Ship

Christmas 1972 in the gulf of Tonkin
I was nearly as sad as I’d ever been
Onboard the aircraft carrier Enterprise
Away from all my family ties
The onboard delivery plane was about to land
The postal clerks were there at hand
The air group and sailors aboard
Eagerly awaited letters they adored
Billy Graham was aboard for a Christmas event
Midnight services on an open hangar bay without a tent
One of the world’s greatest preachers was there to see
For hundreds of sailors including me
I could have been tucked away in my bunk
Trying to sleep away my Christmas funk
There was a war going on and I was away
No family for me on Christmas Day
A Christmas without family, no decorations on a tree during a war
Just airplane equipment to repair on the flight deck 04
That was my last Christmas away
But I still think about it this very day 49 years ago and yet I must say
Soldiers and sailors still fight in lands far away
On the day we celebrate the Prince of Peace
The peace is never owned; it’s only on lease
Truth be told, I’ll be dead and gone
But the wars, well they will continue on