[Vision2020] Memorable Christmases

Tue, 23 Dec 2003 09:29:39 -0800

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Visionaries,

Would some of you like to share some memorable Christmases?

I have 2 that stand out. The first was when I was 4 or 5 years old. We =
lived on a farm and my dad was a share cropper, milked cows and skidded =
logs for a lumber company in the winter when he couldn't work the land. =
He made my brother and I a wooden gambrel roofed barn out of an orange =
crate. He had painted it red, the back side was open and there was a =
1/2" hole in the peak on each end. We played with that barn for years =
and I can still picture it in my mind. I made a similar one for my kids =
when they were small.

The second was Christmas Eve 1957. I was stationed at the Royal Naval =
Air Base, Hal Far Malta. I was a radioman for Fasron (Special) 201 and =
relieved the afternoon watch about 10:00 PM. I was the watch supervisor =
and had told the guy who would have been actually operating the radio to =
stay home as he had his wife and baby daughter there. We had nobody =
flying that night and I was sure that Santa wouldn't be calling. During =
the night several teletype "messages" came in which were actually =
pictures developed by people who had a lot of time on their hands of the =
three Wise Men on camels coming across the desert, a Christmas tree with =
decorations and several others. About midnight the crew at the Royal =
Naval Communications Center in Valetta called me and sang Silent Night =
to me over the telephone. To this day when I sing "Silent Night I =
sometimes get a lump in my throat remembering that night.

Dick Schmidt
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<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Visionaries,</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Would some of you like to share some =
memorable=20
Christmases?</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>I have 2 that stand out. The first was =
when I was 4=20
or 5 years old. We lived on a farm and my dad was a share cropper, =
milked cows=20
and skidded logs for a lumber company in the winter when he couldn't =
work the=20
land. He made my brother and I a wooden gambrel roofed barn out of an =
orange=20
crate. He had painted it red, the back side was open and there was a =
1/2" hole=20
in the peak on each end. We played with that barn for years and I can =
still=20
picture it in my mind. I made a similar one for my kids when they were=20
small.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>The second was Christmas Eve 1957. I =
was stationed=20
at the Royal Naval Air Base, Hal Far Malta. I was a radioman for Fasron=20
(Special) 201 and relieved the afternoon watch about 10:00 PM. I was the =
watch=20
supervisor and had told the guy who would have been actually operating =
the radio=20
to stay home as he had his wife and baby daughter there. We had nobody =
flying=20
that night and I was sure that Santa wouldn't be calling. During the =
night=20
several teletype "messages" came in which were actually pictures =
developed by=20
people&nbsp;who had a lot of time on their hands of the three Wise Men =
on camels=20
coming across the desert, a Christmas tree with decorations and several =
others.=20
About midnight the crew at the Royal Naval Communications Center in =
Valetta=20
called me and sang <EM>Silent Night</EM> to me over the telephone. To =
this day=20
when I sing <EM>"Silent Night </EM>I sometimes get a lump in my throat=20
remembering that night.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Dick Schmidt</FONT></DIV></BODY></HTML>

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