December, 1967

I wrote this article in 1996 for the Scriptoria, our school newspaper at Hanks High School.  I just discovered it tucked away and though you might enjoy reading it.  I worked as a school counselor at HHS until my retirement in 2002.

     In December, 1967, I was with the U.S. Army in Bangkok, Thailand.  During that time period several things happened that made our Christmas both memorable and bittersweet.  It literally brought all the elements together that make this holiday special.  
     We had arrived in Bangkok three months earlier.  My wife, Diane, was pregnant with our first child.  Soon after we arrived the Thai government put a freeze on all incoming U.S. household goods.  We had brought with us on the plane only the bare necessities and when we discovered we would not be getting our household shipment we had to scrounge on the economy to pull our home together.  We were thousands of miles away from home, alone, pregnant and very unsettled.  In November, Diane was rushed to the hospital where our first child was born dead.  We cried, hugged one another, and wondered how we would ever survive Christmas in our bare apartment.  In was the lowest of times.
     During the brief time we had been there we had become friends two people in our apartment.  John was from New York state and Katie from Wisconsin.  They were both single and lonely as well.  We decided we would share Thanksgiving and Christmas bringing together all our traditions.  We even managed to get three friends from Viet Nam to get their R & R at Thanksgiving so they could celebrate with us.  
     During December it was my duty assignment to help co-ordinate the Bob Hope Christmas tour in Southeast Asia.  Diane traveled with them as an assistant in wardrobe and I made arrangements with the various bases and posts for their arrival.  It was a hectic time.  The Christmas season began to blur together.  
     Our housekeeper, Yupin, had a three year old daughter named Mam.  We decided we needed a child to concentrate on for Christmas and Mam was the logical choice.  Santa went to work preparing a wonderful holiday for her.
     We stayed very busy.  Diane was flying all over Thailand with the show and I was in constant turmoil trying to keep track of all the shows and the stars.  Diane's parents managed to get us a very tiny artificial  tree and a few decorations.  We were determined to make this Christmas special.  
     The day arrived.  We were exhausted, but arose that morning to check if Santa had arrived.  Sure enough, he had found us even there!  Mam walked in with her mom and the light that beamed from her face outshone even the Christmas lights on the tree.  Our friends came up and we went into an orgy of remembrance of Christmas Past.  We decided this one was the best.  We had seen the joy of a child, the looks of sweet sadness on the troop's faces as the Hope stars sang "Silent Night," the terribly wounded soldiers in the hospital beds lighting up as Raquel Welch approached them, and our two new best friends sharing this holiday with us in our bare apartment.  
     We had given this Christmas.  We had lost a child, but had gained an insight into the true meaning of the season.  It's not about isolation or receiving gifts, it's about sharing, loving, and crying together.
     We stayed in Thailand for two years.  We worked with the Hope show another Christmas and gained some satisfaction.  Seven weeks before we came home our first daughter, Melissa, was born.  She was our gift along with her younger sister, Pamela, who was born here in El Paso, who are our great joy to this day.