San Juan Bautista Marine Corps Lt. Col. Richard Johnson,
stationed in Kuwait, will be sending occasional dispatches
reflecting soldiers’ lives in the Middle East as America prepares
for a possible conflict. In this report, Johnson makes do for the
holidays.
Holidays are the toughest times. Being away from home on deployment is difficult during most times, but the holidays are the hardest.
After two months here in Kuwait, some of the more significant parts of the year are coming around — Christmas, New Year’s, my son’s and wife’s birthdays, and more – and I’m not there to share them with the family. Family separations are one of those things that we all know about when we sign up for this duty, but that doesn’t make them any easier.
The military does take good care of us during the holidays, striving to make them an event at least something like what we might have at home. Thanksgiving was an absolute event with a real feast. The chow hall on base was decorated like some big fancy hotel. It’s a large, cafeteria-style setup that serves a huge number of meals every day and it can be described as very utilitarian. The staff closed it early the night before Thanksgiving to decorate, and I couldn’t believe what they’d done by the next morning. Large cornucopias of fresh fruit and vegetables set up with a traditional straw background, huge breads the size of watermelons, sheet cakes decorated with photos of American scenes, a cake sculpture that was about three feet tall, gingerbread houses, ice sculptures from the Sheraton downtown, and even live turkeys in a pen by the main entrance. Going through the serving line, there were all the traditional choices: turkey with stuffing, cranberry sauce, gravy, even shrimp cocktail. In the days leading up to the holiday, they’d teased us with a menu that included “champagne,” a major big deal here since no liquor is allowed. It turned out to be sparkling cider from Martinelli’s in Watsonville.
Despite the great spread the Army was providing at my camp, I chose to travel to the Marine camp out in the desert to spend the meal with friends. We all joined in a formation and prayed, then formed a line for our meal. Passing through one tent, we were handed a box with salad and pie (I don’t think it was pumpkin, but it could have been) and a soda. We moved on to another tent, where we were served a plate with turkey, stuffing, yams, and gravy. Officers and senior NCOs served the troops, carving turkeys and scooping mashed potatoes. Sitting in that tent, hot and dusty, full of food, and a long way from home, the Marines talked, laughed, and shared in the day. It was much less elaborate than the set up at the base at which I work, but much more meaningful because of the chance to be among friends.
Preparing for Christmas means planning ahead a little more than normal. I found some small items for the family here, but because they had to be mailed by the end of November, I think some folks will be getting them a little late. My wife and I were able to collaborate on e-mail and by phone about what to get the kids. And, thanks to the Internet, my wife will be getting something from me that will (I hope) be a surprise – and it won’t be something that I run out to get at the mall the day before Christmas like I usually do. (I’d tell you, but she reads The Pinnacle)
Signs of the season are up here in Kuwait, just as they are in many offices back home. Small fake Christmas trees, the occasional strand of tinsel hanging from the ceiling, doors with wrapping paper on them. (The doors could use some work – imagine a double door set with a single strip of wrapping paper on each door that doesn’t quite make it to the bottom.) The mail is really picking up as friends and family send their packages. My boss from Kelly Services in Hollister sent a huge tin of cookies that everyone I work with enjoyed tremendously; cookies and other goodies are freely shared as we all try to enjoy the season. There is a Christmas party planned at the local recreation spot, another great feast planned for Christmas itself, and a 5K fun run to celebrate the beginning of the New Year.
Ultimately, though, it’s all a reminder of where you’re not. You’re not at the Christmas play at school. You’re not at the mall trying to figure out what to get the impossible-to-buy-anything-for Dad. You aren’t watching your daughter march in the Lights On parade in Hollister. You’re not going out with friends and coworkers and celebrating the season with them. You’re not waiting for the kids to go to bed so you can get presents out of their hiding places and put them under the tree. You’re not trying to get those same kids to sleep in past 5 a.m. on Christmas morning when they want to go open presents. You’re not driving around to see the rest of the family. And you’re not holding your family close in your arms. You’re here and you make the best of it.
This season is a lesson in appreciation for me. As a reservist, it’s been a long time since I deployed with the Marines; this is the first time I’ve missed the holidays like this. But this is what some of our soldiers, sailors, airmen, and Marines do every year. Many of the people I’m serving with right now are missing their second consecutive holiday season since they were here last year running the war in Afghanistan. I think I’ve taken their sacrifices over many years too much for granted; I won’t in the future.
The views expressed in this article are solely those of the author. They do not necessarily reflect the views of the Department of Defense or of the United States Marine Corps. The Marine Corps public affairs office reads Johnson’s reports before he sends them to The Pinnacle. Look for his occasional dispatches in The Pinnacle as America prepares for war.
