The White Falcon - 25.12.1942, Page 6

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THE WHITE FALCON
OUR FORCES - ALWAYS ALERT
Published by and for the American Forces, under the super-
vision of G-2 Section. Managing Editor, T/3G. Gene Graff; Asso-
ciate Editor, T/5G. Josgph T. Koren; News Editor, T/5G. George
Bartholomaeus; Art Editor, T/4G. Harrison Standley; Wire Edi-
tor, T/4G. Donald J. Watson; Circulation Manager, Pvt. Carl A.
White. All photographs are by the U.S. Army Signal Corps un-
less otherwise credited.
This paper has been passed by Censor and may he mailed
home for one cent.
CHAPLAIN’S CHALLENGE.
"All about is death and decay” — may only seem so. In every
dark hour there has always come a message of joy and hope.
Such was the despair of the Wise Men, whose only hope was
the Star of the East, and gladly they brought gifts to the new-
born King. A pall of gloom hovered over the lonely shepherds
on the slopes of Bethlehem until the stunning, but welcome,
angelic tidings of great joy. Having gone to see, they rejoiced,
praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen.
The Messiah still reigneth in the hearts of men, and the dawn
of joy and hope is just breaking, which will be welcomed by
the oppressed as good tidings of great joy.
Christmas
Soldiers celebrate their birthdays, perhaps unwisely
at times, but always well. It is a significant date:—
determining the time when a man can enlist, when he
can marry, and when his bones begin to creak it indi-
cates the allotted three score years and ten. The birth-
day of the Bethlehem Babe some nineteen hundred
years ago is of even greater significance because upon
that date hinges the dawn of a new era, one of pro-
gress and light.
When Jesus was horn, Christianity started on its world-
wide march. Christiandom lay in his cradle and the
angels of joy now sing of his birth throughout all lands
as truly as they sang to the shepherds in the Judean
hills. The waves of gladness that will soon spread to
the rim of the planet started from that cave in Bethle-
hem. From its rocky ridge gushed the stream that is
now flooding the world. Men acknowledge this every
time they date a letter or check the calendar to mea-
sure their length of service. Relatives and friends ac-
knowledge that birth when they speculate on your pro-
bable return. We acknowledge it when we pick up the
morning paper or magazine and look at the date. It is
a most promising hope to the world when we note that
in this year of our Lord, 1942, we count time from his
birth. Potentates and kings and dictators have passed
into oblivion but down through the centuries the im-
portance and influence of the Bethlehem Babe has
grown with the years.
The Nativity Event has aroused the greatest and nob-
lest emotions which, in turn, seem to elevate and tran-
scend all others. Artists have mixed their hearts’ blood
with their colors and given (lie world such inspiration
it will not soon forget.
While we acknowiedge in many ways the greatest
event of history, Christmas time gives occasion for a
spirit of love an<J good will. It is emphasized in the
singing of appropriate carols. Even the hardest heart
is moved to a spirit of giving and good will when
HOLY NIGHT, SILENT NIGHT reaches the ear. Other
music and songs may be enjoyed on occasion, but there
is no music that brings more joy and sunshine than
that heard at this season of the year.
Great souls of the past have transmitted to us wond-
erful blessings. The Birthday of the King surpasses
them all for joy and hope. The observance should be
'in keeping with the mission of the Christ Child, the
spirit of giving all, that the world might have life,
light and truth.
Chaplain Ralph W. Rogers.
Yardbird's
Lament
When the folks at home let
their imagination run wild,
Christmas presents are likely to
develop into choice titbits of
news, just as they did in two re-
cent cases .... A Corporal receiv-
ed a handsomely wrapped pack-
age from a young nephew, and
immediately visioned bottles of
this-and-that, etc.... He was
a mighty chagrined soldier when
he chanced a peek at the con-
tents, and found color crayons
and paper cut-outs! .... The oth-
er recipient of an amusing parcel,
a Private, by the way, will never
have to worry about his health
in the. future .... That is, not
unless he heeds the jibes of his
buddies who can’t stop laughing.
.... He was gifted wifh nothing
less than a "Commando set!” ....
It includes vitamin pills, a bullet-
proof vest — and, of all things,
a “Junior Commando Badge!”
A Model-T Sergeant, one who’d
rather sleep than eat, is sporting
a crimson-hued face these days.
.... He plunged into bed the oth-
er night at an early hour and
prepared for a sleeping session
to beat all sleeping records....
But his buddies came home about
midnight and disturbed him un-
til he had to admit he was awake.
.. Someone in the place boomed,
“Get out for reveille.” .... The
local Rip Van Winkle climbed
into his clothes, laced on his leg-
gings, and dashed for the door.
The most forlorn doggie here
finally has been found .... He
“bucked” diligently all week to
have his rifle spic and span for
the weekly inspection .... When
he finished polishing the piece,
there wasn’t a chance in the
world that the CO would “gig”
him .... But the CO had no way
of knowing the sad s^ck grabbed
the wrong rifle just as the in-
spection began, so he was hand-
ed a week of KP for "not clean-
ing his rifle.”
Pfc.
old
covets
rola
'JA& JnquihinQ.
EapoJit&h.
(The Inquiring Reporter join-
ed the Christmas rush long en-
ough to ask what Yule gifts the
men liked best.)
“Boy, ah don’t know why mah
buddy sent me a
flaming red tie,
unless he was
afool’n me,”
drawled Pvt. Li-
nuel Rusk, 22, of
the Air Corps.
Rusk, a native of
Stanford, Tex.,
added, “All think
ah’l save it to go with mah “zoot
suit.”
David .1. Mohan, 28-year-
Engineer,
the vict-
recording
his sister, a nun
in Pittsburgh,
and her third-
grade pupils pre-
pared, wishing
him “A Merry
Christmas.” Da-
ve, whose home is in Braddock,
Penn., was a structural steel
worker as a civilian.
of “tootsie rolls”
from his best
girl and a carton
of cigarettes
from an un-
known admirer
run a dead-heat
in the estimation
of Pvt. Harold
Schmitt, 28,
Headquarters’
PX custodian.
“The people at home know I
like cheese — so
I can’t under-
stand them send-
ing a package of
jellies, nuts and
wafers,” retort-
ed Pvt. James R.
Riccio, 24, who
hails from Jama-
ica, N.Y. “But it
didn’t make any difference to
the fellows who ate everything,”
Riccio sadly added.
A bundle