I had been in Vietnam for about a month in 1970, and Christmas time was approaching. But it was hard for me to get into the holiday mood with the 100 degree heat and humidity and constant fear of not knowing if I might wake up dead some morning.

There was a Christmas tree on the Intensive Care Unit. It was sent to us by a caring VFW club back home. The head nurse had purchased gifts for all the staff. I got a pen and pencil set, along with a “ditty bag” full of little things like shaving gear and note paper and candy from the Red Cross. 

Later, as I sat in my hootch reading the few cards I had received, I felt this intense loneliness. I didn’t realize it could be this bad. My heart was aching. I sat there in the night heat sweating and crying.

I slept most of Christmas day, and when I got up I realized that I had missed the Bob Hope Show that was staged just down the road. Christmas without Bob Hope? I couldn’t believe it! Here I was in a war zone all set to be entertained and this crappy war made me sleep through it all. I missed all the dancing girls in their mini skirts and go-go boots. Worst of all, I missed all the lame jokes from Old Ski Nose himself! Since WWII Hope had been entertaining the troops, and now I was one of the troops. Now it was my turn…and I had missed him. 

I picked up the Christmas card the old woman had given me and smiled. And then I rolled over and went back to sleep.