Christmas with G.I.'s, December 1970
Out of the darkness of war, there was a bright spot--Christmas 1970. We didn't worry about being "politically correct" in those days--we didn't say, "Happy Christmas, Hanukkah, and Kwanzaa to all!" Nope, it was just "Merry Christmas!" And, yes, there was a G.I. Santa. He wandered around and "Ho! Ho! Ho!"ed to the sick boys before and after the Bob Hope show. I don't know how much they liked it, but the little Vietnamese kids who peered through the chain link fence were wholly enthused. I'm not sure if there's a Vietnamese version of Santa.
Despite what some people will tell you, I actually got along with the boys. I told it like it was to them, and to anyone who asked. If there's one thing soldiers hate, it's sugarcoating. And I shared the chocolate my friends sent to me. So, when December 25 rolled around, they got me a little something--a compass. Which, if I remember correctly, was against Army policy; their gear is stamped "G.I." (government issue) for a reason. Even so, it felt nice to receive a gift from someone standing right in front of you, and not in a box shipped from halfway around the world.