Merry Christmas from down under

[Aussie Hawk]

To all Studebaker owners, and drivers - Have a great Christmas and New Year from Australia. May all our combined armed forces personnel serving overseas at this time be safe from harm.

Remember your Aussie 'mates' sweating in 100 degree temps, while you tuck into your Christmas day roasts, looking out of the window to a snow filled yard. We'll be having shrimp,cold cuts and salad in front of the air conditioner

May 2009 bring peace, safety, and no breakdowns to all.

Matt Pettigrew and Family
Brisbane
Australia.

[John and Tracy Smith]

Merry Christmas to you and Happy New Year!



John and Tracy Smith
Queen Creek Arizona

http://1955studebaker.blogspot.com/

[silverhawk]

Merry Christmas!

Dylan
'61 lark deluxe 4dr wagon

[gordr]

Merry Christmas, Matt!

If you get tired of that hundred-degree weather, I have some -30 that I can trade you.

Gord Richmond, within Weasel range of the Alberta Badlands

[stall]

I'm sitting in the house looking at the 16 inches of snow we have so far and I certainly envy you your summer temps. Kudos to our Australian friends for remembering our troops in the field; we appreciate it.

Have a great, safe and Merry Christmas with family and friends

http://studebakerspeedster.blogspot.com/2008/12/studebakers-new-v-8.html

[Desert Explorer]

I echo you well wished Matt. Its snowing here too, but I am quite thankful for those who are giving of themselves, especially at this time of year.
I hope all of your Mates make it home to their familys and classic cars (From Studes to those Oz XA/XB/XC Falcons?) safely and soon.

[billslark]

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year, Matt and family, from the United States Of America!

[Aussie Hawk]

An Aussie soldier wrote this poem but I think wherever there is an Aussie, Brit or Amercian soldier keeping the peace the sentiment still is true.

'TWAS THE NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS, HE LIVED ALL ALONE, IN A ONE BEDROOM HOUSE, MADE OF PLASTER AND STONE.
I HAD COME DOWN THE CHIMNEY, WITH PRESENTS TO GIVE, AND TO SEE JUST WHO, IN THIS HOME, DID LIVE.
I LOOKED ALL ABOUT, A STRANGE SIGHT I DID SEE, NO TINSEL, NO PRESENTS, NOT EVEN A TREE.
NO STOCKING BY MANTLE, JUST BOOTS FILLED WITH SAND, ON THE WALL HUNG PICTURES, OF FAR DISTANT LANDS.

WITH MEDALS AND BADGES, AWARDS OF ALL KINDS, A SOBER THOUGHT, CAME THROUGH MY MIND.
FOR THIS HOUSE WAS DIFFERENT, IT WAS DARK AND DREARY, I FOUND THE HOME OF A SOLDIER, ONCE I COULD SEE CLEARLY.
THE SOLDIER LAY SLEEPING, SILENT, ALONE, CURLED UP ON THE FLOOR, IN THIS ONE BEDROOM HOME.
THE FACE WAS SO GENTLE, THE ROOM IN SUCH DISORDER, NOT HOW I PICTURED, AN AUSTRALIAN SOLDIER.
WAS THIS THE HERO, OF WHOM I'D JUST READ? CURLED UP ON A PONCHO, THE FLOOR FOR A BED?
I REALISED THE FAMILIES, THAT I SAW THIS NIGHT, OWED THEIR LIVES TO THESE SOLDIERS, WHO WERE WILLING TO FIGHT.
SOON ROUND THE WORLD, THE CHILDREN WOULD PLAY, AND GROWNUPS WOULD CELEBRATE, A BRIGHT CHRISTMAS DAY.
THEY ALL ENJOYED FREEDOM, EACH MONTH OF THE YEAR, BECAUSE OF THE SOLDIERS, LIKE THE ONE LYING HERE.
I COULDN'T HELP WONDER, HOW MANY LAY ALONE, ON A COLD CHRISTMAS EVE, IN A LAND FAR FROM HOME.
THE VERY THOUGHT BROUGHT, A TEAR TO MY EYE, I DROPPED TO MY KNEES, AND STARTED TO CRY.
THE SOLDIER AWAKENED, AND I HEARD A ROUGH VOICE, "SANTA DON'T CRY, THIS LIFE IS MY CHOICE;
I FIGHT FOR FREEDOM, I DON'T ASK FOR MORE, MY LIFE IS MY GOD, MY COUNTRY, MY CORPS."
THE SOLDIER ROLLED OVER, AND DRIFTED TO SLEEP, I COULDN'T CONTROL IT, I CONTINUED TO WEEP.
I KEPT WATCH FOR HOURS, SO SILENT AND STILL, AND WE BOTH SHIVERED, FROM THE COLD NIGHT'S CHILL.
I DIDN'T WANT TO LEAVE, ON THAT COLD, DARK, NIGHT, THIS GUARDIAN OF HONOUR, SO WILLING TO FIGHT.
THEN THE SOLDIER ROLLED OVER, WITH A VOICE SOFT AND PURE, WHISPERED, "CARRY ON SANTA, IT'S CHRISTMAS DAY, ALL IS SECURE."
ONE LOOK AT MY WATCH, AND I KNEW HE WAS RIGHT. "MERRY CHRISTMAS MY FRIEND, AND TO ALL A GOOD NIGHT."

Cheers
Matt

[PlainBrownR2]

Believe it or not Matt, we also have that jingle as well. I hear it over the radio at this time of year, of course the nationality of the soldier in the song is replaced with American instead of Austrailian. But, when you read through the jingle, run the song Silent Night through your head to the tune of a single violin playing. Trust me, it's hard to keep a dry eye when you do that, particularly when its played over the radio [^].

[img=left]http://i158.photobucket.com/albums/t102/PlainBrownR2/My%201950%202r5%20Studebaker%20Pickup%20with%20turbocharger/P1000137-1.jpg[/img=left][img=left]http://i158.photobucket.com/albums/t102/PlainBrownR2/My%201950%202r5%20Studebaker%20Pickup%20with%20turbocharger/P1000145-1.jpg[/img=left][IMG=right]http://i158.photobucket.com/albums/t102/PlainBrownR2/Ex%20Studebaker%20Plant%20Locomotive/P1000578-1.jpg[/IMG=right]
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[Aussie Hawk]

My family has a long military history, from 1902 up to when my son left the Australian Army to come into the family business. So I too get misty hearing that poem. My old man was one of the 'Rat's of Tobruk', north Africa in WW2, even though he's been gone since '88 I still miss the old bugger, and this poem reminds me of him.

Have a great Christmas Plain Brown R2.

Matt

[PlainBrownR2]

And to you Matt....

Our immediate family has no ties to military to speak of(reasons I'll stay out of here), but.....

My grandfather on my mother's side, he was in the trenches in WWII and then he got trenchfoot and was transferred to Paris to become a supply sergeant. My grandmother on my mother's side, was a French warbride(the parachute wedding dresses, you know) prior to moving to this country.
My grandfather on my father's side, oh boy, he was AA in WWII. He operated the back of a halftrack. He was also part of the troupe that was in Bastogne(not the parachuting troop everybody knows about, he was IN Bastogne). He had some real stories on that waiting game as they just about didn't have the means to defend themselves with. He passed when I was 5 or so.
My great uncle on my father's side, that's an interesting one. As I recall, he was part of the storming of the beachhead of Normandy. The biggest complaint, well besides the gunfire, was that the beachhead was something of a muddy spot, so it was 10 feet forward, and 3 back. Once the tour of Europe was over for him, he transferred over to the Pacific. His background included becoming a SeaBee, the military's construction crews.

I would say the same as I knew these people in one form or another, so the song does tug at the ol' heartstrings when I hear it. It really connects with my roots, so to speak, and I'd say for other people. Hey they don't call it sensitivity for nothin', lol....

[img=left]http://i158.photobucket.com/albums/t102/PlainBrownR2/My%201950%202r5%20Studebaker%20Pickup%20with%20turbocharger/P1000137-1.jpg[/img=left][img=left]http://i158.photobucket.com/albums/t102/PlainBrownR2/My%201950%202r5%20Studebaker%20Pickup%20with%20turbocharger/P1000145-1.jpg[/img=left][IMG=right]http://i158.photobucket.com/albums/t102/PlainBrownR2/Ex%20Studebaker%20Plant%20Locomotive/P1000578-1.jpg[/IMG=right]
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