24 December 1954, Fort Chronkite, CA

 It was Christmas Eve.........almost midnight and here I was, 19 year old, Pfc. Andreacchio, on guard duty, on Point No Where, at the end of the earth, standing in the cold, wind and rain........dark as the devil’s asshole, and feeling homesick and sorry for myself.

Hey, won’t hard to do.

Suddenly I could see vehicle head-lights—like two blazing eyes in that darkness, coming up the long winding road that lead from the post to the launcher area. I wondered who the hell would be so stupid as to be out in that crap, at midnight on Christmas Eve. I was damn certain the Officer of The Guard wasn’t coming to pay me a visit, so, puzzled, but intrigued---after three hours in that crap, it didn't take much to intrigue me; I waited. It took them at least 15 minutes to come up the winding..........and dangerous road.

Up drove this old station wagon and out stepped two elderly ladies. "What the F...?" I thought. Over they came, bowing against the blowing wind and rain and said: "Merry Christmas."

To say I was stunned would be a vast understatement. What the hell were these two old gals doing up here on Point Nowhere, in the middle of a storm wishing me a Merry Christmas?  They were volunteers with the Red Cross and had asked for the location of the most desolate and lonely guard posts......and I was one.

These two gals, both of whom had their own families had left them on Christmas Eve to go out and cheer up some people they’d never met...........and would never meet..........in their lives. They stayed for almost 45 minutes, gave me hot chocolate and cookies, a little gaily wrapped gift of a sewing kit, two books, and shaving gear. It would be the only Christmas gift I received that year. We talked about my family and how lonely serving your country could be. They said they’d be willing to pray with me if that would be comforting.

After the 45 minutes those good ladies, wished me a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year went on their way to bless with their company some other sad and lonely GI.  Bolstered by the visit on these lovely ladies, the rest of my guard duty flew by.

Over the years when I’ve heard carping about the Red Cross, I always remember what the Red Cross, in the form of two elderly ladies had done,  on their own, to cheer up a very sad and homesick young soldier. I've dealt with them as a soldier and as a commander and admittedly their organization is........unfortunately run by fallible human beings.  They aren’t perfect as you and I.........but no one is so we'll have to settle with excellent instead of perfect and from one lonely soldier's point of view, reinforced with 32 years dealing with them, overall, they do a damn fine job indeed.

© Nicholas Andreacchio

24 December 2008