The Holidays overseas
Let me say that there are a lot of people spending the holidays overseas. Foreign service, military, etc. there are also a lot of people working during the holidays, from medical to running a register.
Salute to all 🫡
Having spent 3 holiday seasons overseas, with aged reflection on my side, I can honestly say it sucked. The Army tried its best to make Thanksgiving as much like home as possible but you can’t.
I pretty sure I spent a Christmas in a guard tower at an ammo dump. I know I spent my last New Year’s Eve in Germany in one.
A lot of soldiers younger than me kept opening Christmas presents as they received them. I told them that was a mistake. Sure enough on Christmas morning, me with a few gifts to open, became a watch party. One guy asked if he could have a gift. I handed what was obviously a wrapped frisbee.
I served with a guy who was an orphan. Lived in an actual orphanage (this was 1990-93) where he met his wife. They had absolutely zero gifts coming in from the States. I gave up a spot in the NCO training school because he was next on the list. He literally had nowhere to go and I knew I wasn’t staying in the Army.
