A Soldier, A Marine, A Sailor, or An Airman's Christmas

"A Different Christmas Poem"




The embers glowed softly, and in their dim light,
I gazed round the room and I cherished the sight.
My wife was asleep, her head on my chest,
My daughter beside me, angelic in rest.
Outside the snow fell, a blanket of white,
Transforming the yard to a winter delight.



The sparkling lights in the tree I believe,
Completed the magic that was Christmas Eve.
My eyelids were heavy, my breathing was deep,
Secure and surrounded by love I would sleep.
In perfect contentment, or so it would seem,
So I slumbered, perhaps I started to dream.


The sound wasn't loud, and it wasn't too near,
But I opened my eyes when it tickled my ear.
Perhaps just a cough, I didn't quite know,



Then the sure sound of footsteps outside in the snow.
My soul gave a tremble, I struggled to hear,
And I crept to the door just to see who was near.



Standing out in the cold and the dark of the night,
A lone figure stood, his face weary and tight.
A soldier, I puzzled, some twenty years old,
Perhaps a Marine, huddled here in the cold.
Alone in the dark, he looked up and smiled,
Standing watch over me, and my wife and my child.



"What are you doing?" I asked without fear,
"Come in this moment, it's freezing out here!
Put down your pack, brush the snow from your sleeve,
You should be at home on a cold Christmas Eve!"
For barely a moment I saw his eyes shift,
Away from the cold and the snow blown in drifts.


.
To the window that danced with a warm fire's light
Then he sighed and he said "Its really all right,
I'm out here by choice. I'm here every night."
"It's my duty to stand at the front of the line,
That separates you from the darkest of times.



No one had to ask or beg or implore me,
I'm proud to stand here like my fathers before me.
My Gramps died at ' Pearl on a day in December,"
Then he sighed, "That's a Christmas 'Gram always remembers."
My dad stood his watch in the jungles of ' Nam ',
And now it is my turn and so, here I am.



I've not seen my own son in more than a while,
But my wife sends me pictures, he's sure got her smile.
Then he bent and he carefully pulled from his bag,
The red, white, and blue... an American flag.
I can live through the cold and the being alone,
Away from my family, my house and my home.



I can stand at my post through the rain and the sleet,
I can sleep in a foxhole with little to eat.
I can carry the weight of killing another,
Or lay down my life with my sister and brother..
Who stand at the front against any and all,
To ensure for all time that this flag will not fall."
" So go back inside," he said, "harbor no fright,
Your family is waiting and I'll be all right."
"But isn't there something I can do, at the least,
"Give you money," I asked, "or prepare you a feast?
It seems all too little for all that you've done,
For being away from your wife and your son.."



Then his eye welled a tear that held no regret,
"Just tell us you love us, and never forget.
To fight for our rights back at home while we're gone,
To stand your own watch, no matter how long.
For when we come home, either standing or dead,
To know you remember we fought and we bled.
Is payment enough, and with that we will trust,
That we mattered to you as you mattered to us."





PLEASE, would you do me the kind favor of sending this to as many
people as you can? Christmas will be coming soon and some credit is
due to our
U.S. service men and women for our being able to celebrate these
festivities. Let's try in this small way to pay a tiny bit of what we owe.
Make people stop and think of our heroes,
living and dead, who sacrificed themselves for us.

LCDR Jeff Giles, SC, USN
30th Naval Construction Regiment
OIC, Logistics Cell One
Al Taqqadum, Iraq

"Real Integrity is doing the right thing, knowing that no body's going to know whether you did it or not."

The MAD Mariner an internet magazine published an interview with us.
http://madmariner.com/podcasts

More information on Bob's house

Yesterday, several people showed up to help Bob start the rebuild. First, the mess has to be torm out. We thank each and every person. Also, his church took up a special offering. We thank each of them. They still have a long ways to go.

Anne, my wife, did set up a special account to receive any gifts. The special account is at Regions Bank. Persons wishing to make a gift of love to Bob and Jill, can contact any Regions Bank and tell them you want to make a gift. You will need Bob's address to do so. Or, you may simply mail him a check.

Bob and Jill Brown
1408 Earl Dr.
Merritt Island, FL 32952

Also, Bob had a lot of video from the recent voyage that may or may not be recovered. As well as his book. If anyone has any video or Hi Def pictures of our voyage we would like to have a copy of it.

I have known Bob a long time, 50 years. He always smiles and trys to look at the bright side. Sunday, underneath that smile I saw tears. He really needs help if It can fit into your budget or time. When I heard about it, I stopped what I was doing packed up my family and drove three and a half hours to just be there.

P.S. Please forgive my grammar.

Bob's House Burnt Down

Bob's house burnt down. Yesterday, while Bob and his family were at church his house burnt down. Bob, Jill, and Johnathan lost everything and really need some help.

My wife, Anne, is out opening a special account to recieve any donations anyone wishing to donate can. They may also contact Georgiana United Methodist Church on South Tropical Trail in Merritt Island Florida.

Or you can mail Bob and Jill a check at:
1408 Earl Drive, Merritt Island, Florida 32952.

Bob is the kind of guy that will always help, now he needs help.

We opened a web site http://www.BobBrownFamilyFund.com

Note. While it has been labled a "Suspicious" fire. The official cause is "electrical" until evidence to the contrary is found. However, it is the second recent fire in that neighborhood. It has been brought to my attention that I did not state the facts correctly, so I want to make the corrections necessary.

Thanks

Ralph

Your Hero... Wallace " Skeeter" Leeper

Posted by Charolette Bratlie

After several years following the last time I looked up the soldier who's MIA bracelet I had worn since 1968, I decided to go on a search to see if he was still MIA.

After looking at a few sites I found that he was on a list of "remains" found and returned. It was for me a feeling I can't explain when I saw his name on that list. I had to keep looking at it and the year he was found. 2002. 41 years since I first started wearing his bracelet and repeating his name in my head and in my heart. Who was this man withs such an odd name, CW3 Wallace"Skeeter" W. Leeper. Wallace "Skeeter" Leeper. It wasn't until 8 or 9 years ago that I located information about what had happened to my soldier boy. He was on a rescue mission in a Huey along with 2 other soldiers and the Huey went down.


That was the only information they had on that site about him. Over the next several years I thought of him often. About 6 years ago a thief stole some belongings of mine including my precious soldiers bracelet. I have felt guilty since because I was not wearing it. Now today I find him on the KIA list and it only matters to me that his family and loved ones are at least in peace no longer wondering. My stolen bracelet may never be returned to me but he has been returned to his family and that is what is important. Matter of fact, my bracelet was stolen near the time his "remains" were returned .


Now as I sit in front of the computer with tears on my face and an unexplained feeling in my heart, I am relieved of the question I always wondered, "Where is he, my "Skeeter" Leeper, my missing soldier?" Now I feel I have to find his family and let them know how much they mean to me to spare their son so I can live.

If only I could see what he looked like and where is he buried. What did he like to do and did he have a girlfriend or siblings? Do they want to know about me? Should I look for them or not? How can I get the money to at least go to the Viet-Nam Memorial and see his name finally on The Wall? To put my finger on the engravement dedicated to the man who has been the love of my life and my hero since I was 10 years old. My mother came in and saw me weeping in front of the computer.

When I told her why and about the thief who stole my bracelet, at first she was angy with the thief who stole it, then her anger was directed at the other thief, the thief who stole this man from his family. The thief who took this mans life and the lives of many others and for what. He was only one person in this myrid of others who have come and gone. I believe that it's not so much about dying for your country but putting your life before others because of the love in your heart for mankind and the desire to protect others.

As I ran down the love letters from others who have these bracelets and are still waiting and wondering like I did for 40 years, I looked thru all in the year they found him, I saw his name in a letter. I stopped and read the love letter and found that another one of my soldiers who is alive had posted a letter and had also been wearing "Skeeter" Leepers name on his heart since 1972. Now I feel I must search him out and hope his e-mail is still valid. I want to hear how he has lived with Wallace Leeper and when did he find out about the recovering of ou soldiers "remains".

Has he been to The Wall, has he contacted the family and so many otherquestions. I was born in Colorado whe Leeper was from, isn't that something of a connection too.From this moment on, a feeling of something different will be in my heart regarding the war which took my potential mate from me, which took the innocence of a girl by wondering most of her life, what happened? Now I will be at peace that he's not just forgotton and decaying in a place lonely and far away.

Now my soldier has come home.

Mad Mariner Internet Magazine

Yesterday,
Bob and I did a internet radio interview. They will post it on the Mad Mariner Internet Magazine on Wednesday. Tomorrow, I will do a ESPN radio interview with Johnny D.

Last Wednesday I spoke at the Seven Springs VFW on Veterans Day. I will be speaking and showing pictures at their Turkey Shoot on Saturday, November 21, 2009.

We are continuing to promote the Do More Campaign. There is a possiblity that we will do a Pacific Crossing. This trip was an overwhelming success in Media, it was an overwhelming success in completing the voyage, yet, it was a dismal failure as a fund raiser for the Do More Campaign.

I think that one of the reasons we did not get a great start in the Shirt program was that we were not believed. I think that if we did it again, people would believe us, want to wear our shirts, and the media would get more behind us from the beginning.

I am looking into the idea and talking to potential sponsors of the voyage.

Ralph

High Defination Pictures

I spent most of the day putting together high defination pictures and video. The video is for Discovery Channel UK. I am looking for high Def Pictures. If you happen to have any Hi Def pictures of our boat anywhere on the trip, I would sure like to have a copy.
Contact me by email and I will get you an upload address. Your help would be greatly appreciated. Any hi defination pictures are a giant help. My email is ralph@crosstheatlantic.com
Thanks
Ralph

Discovery Channel

Discovery Channel in the UK contacted us this week. They want more video for a Televison Series called Trawlers, Ships and Rescues. They have some part of the story where we refused to be towed in by the Royal National Life Boat in a storm off Yarmouth England.

We had asked for directions to the nearest harbor and they offered to show us in, but when they saw the boat they insisted that they tow us through the storm. We refused to be towed. They continued insisting, we continued to refuse. Finally, the Coast Guard Explained to them that we came all the way from Florida. They then showed us in. We did not know Discovery Channel was on the boat.

They filmed us coming in both from the vessel and from shore. The shore video I understand is pretty cool. It shows this large rescue vessel being tossed around and this tiny flats boat coming on through the storm.

Go Intruder Flats Boats!

I wanted to let you know that I am accepting speaking engagements on behalf of the DO MORE Campaign. I expect to get my travel expenses and I have to have the ability to promote the Do More Shirts.

Also, the boat was scheduled to arrive today. We currently do not have the funds to get it out. We still need to pay for shipping expenses. $5,700 plus an additional $300 in miscellaneous expenses. There ought to be a corporation who wants a lot of brownie points with the military for helping with the I AM SECOND Wounded Hero Voyage.

Ralph

Why The Trip

Hi Again,

Bob and I are back home in Florida after crossing the Atlantic Ocean in the smallest powerboat to ever make the crossing in human history. Bob is fast at work writing his book on the voyage and working his house painting business. I am continuing the Do More Campaign and working on Dream Boats, Inc.

I made the trip for three reasons,

The first one is a private reason, I will keep it private.

Two, to fulfill a 29 year old promise I made to God and to Sgt John Harvey, Cpl George Holmes, and SSgt Dewey Johnson the day after they were killed in Operation Eagle Claw. I was told I would be going to Iran to take back the Embassy. I did not go. They went they died. While I made the promise to the three marines it is really to all men and women who put on a uniform to protect others.

It is our goal to help wounded hero foundations in their names and to make sure their names are not forgotten. At this moment in time, more than 20 million people have heard their names because of our voyage. That number is still growing. The Do More Campaign is part of this.

Three, I wanted to show off my boats. We developed these boats that can operate in extremely shallow water and still be strong enough to cross the Atlantic Ocean. I did this to hopefully find some investors as well as to show the world the boat. There are several magazines articles coming out in November and December issues about our voyage.

I spoke at our church last night and am speaking for several VFW, Marine Corps League, and Rotary Club meetings as well as we are hoping for a national talk show like Oprah to promote the Do More Campaign.

I wanted to let each person who expressed an interest in our voyage know that we are looking for Investors for Dream Boats. Most people don’t realize how much money is involved in the boating industry or how big a deal the shallow draft and high seas stability will be once we get into production. I don’t know of another boat sold at any price that can run as shallow and still be stable in heavy seas.

My long term growth plans for the company indicate that ownership of Dream Boats stock could become a very precious possession. With a major portion of my share of the profits I want to build the Kristy Brown Memorial Hospital in Honduras.

Please don’t feel pressured to do anything. This is just an opportunity.

If this is something you would like more information on please let me know.

Ralph Brown
352-346-2365

Public Presentation

I will be showing pictures and telling the story at Northcliffe Baptist Church tonight, Sunday, October 18, at 6 pm. I hope you can join us.

Northcliffe Baptist church is on Northcliffe Blvd. Betewwn US 19 and Mariner Blvd.
Spring Hill is about 35 miles North of Tampa.