Christmas for a Sailor

It was around 1998 and our unit was required to patrol through Christmas and the New Year.

The United States Coast Guard falls under the Department of Transportation but abided by Navy underway requirements. Ships must sail for 6 months out of the year or a minimum of 230 days per year. The Coast Guard breaks up their patrols, so we sail 45 days per patrol so the time away is far more tolerable when compared to the US Navy.

There program referred to as the Ombudsman Program is a social organization and is the major conduit providing communication among wives of married sailors as well as to include any significant relationship like girlfriends or boyfriends, mothers, fathers, and the like. The lead of this group is usually the responsibility of the Commanding Officer or Executive Officers wife.

While a Coast Guard Unit is away from port the wives will have social gatherings where all are invited to participate. Sometimes it is a formal meeting and other time it is just socializing but the goal is to provide open communication directly to unit command.

On this particular Christmas I would have the most special and memorable moment of my married life outside of our wedding and my children. In the middle of the Caribbean Ocean on Christmas evening the 1MC blared out (a bull horn heard through the entire ship) All Hands Lay to the Mess Decks for Muster, all of the crew gathered on the Mess Deck (this is where sailors eat meals) the captain arrived dressed as Santa Claus and the junior officers were dressed as elves, Santa began handing out gifts, each of us being called up one at a time to receive our gift from Mr. Claus, Everyone received a gift even the single sailors.

Once a sailor received a gift they went off to a table or corner and opened it. Some people had one or two gifts and others had many small gifts inside a larger box. Santa called my name, and I was greeted by an Elf who had a relatively large, heavy box to hand me. It was too big to fit in Santa’s bag. I began to tear the wrapping paper away slowly and then I open the flaps of the box and inside the box was full to the brim with many other gifts.

I would pull one gift at a time out of the box and unwrap the paper it was Chapstick, so I pulled out a bit of a bigger beautifully wrapped box and this was candy. This kept going for more what seemed like fifteen to twenty minutes, grabbing a gift, and opening a gift I do not remember how many there were as I did not count them. When all the other sailors’ gifts were opened, they would gather around me to watch me open the gifts I had received. Each time I finished opening a gift the others would cheer and call out what the gift was that I had opened.

This was a moment in my life that just blew me away, I remember this day fondly and think of it often. To this day I well up with tears of great joy knowing one person could give so much love and make me feel so special when we are so far apart.

I knew this was the person I wanted to be with for the rest of my life. I was 22 years old when I made that decision and I have never regretted one minute of it. We have now been married for close to forty years and that day will live with love in my memory for as long as I am alive.

Remember the military is made up of people who dedicate their time to make sure our country remains safe and secure from others who want to destroy what we have.

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