Okay. Christmas reminiscences. I gotta tell y'all about the most unusual, but one of the funnest Christmases I ever had.
1987. I was active duty Navy at the time. I was working for the United Nations Command Military Armistice Commission at the truce village of Panmunjom, on the border between communist north Korea and democratic South Korea.
I can remember a lot of Christmases where I was underway on a ship in God knows where around the Pacific and Indian Oceans, but this was a rare Christmas where I was posted and living overseas at the time.
As background, my fellow shift workers were one U.S. Army soldier and one U.S. Air Force airman. Because both those guys were married and I was single, I volunteered to work the Christmas shift up there. So they could spend time with their loved ones. You gotta do the right thing and take care of yer shipmates. But I had an ulterior motive too. I wanted New Year's Eve off. So I could drink and raise hell all night and dance drunkenly on tables in bars in the entertainment district of Itaewon in Seoul. But that's another story. (Ahem... clears throat)
Well, anyways, I worked up there with a South Korean civilian interpreter up on the DeMilitarized Zone. My boss (a Navy Lieutenant Commander) came up on the line and we exchanged Merry Christmas salutations. He also told the both of us that the Neutral Nations Supervisory Commission (NNSC) wanted to spend a little bit of Christmas with us. My boss then winked at me. I couldn't figure out what he was talking about. Or what the hell that wink meant.
NNSC is comprised of two nations chosen to be neutral observers by both sides. After the truce was signed ending the Korean War, the United Nations Command (our side) chose Switzerland and Sweden. The rice propelled war mongers (north Koreans) chose Czechoslovakia and Poland.
Well, to continue.... My interpreter and I went over to their building. All officers from those nations were present and all in cheerful Christmas moods. We sat down and offered some drinks that we brought. We wished everyone Merry Christmas (even the communist countries of Poland and Czechoslovakia knew of Santa Claus...or St. Nick as they called him).
Well, one Swedish Major brewed up some hot rum with raisins and nuts in it. A traditional Christmas drink in Sweden. We drank that. Damn good.
Then, the Polish officer busted out some wodka. The real stuff. Not the stuff made in the U.S. This was close to the Russian kind. We drank that. Damn good.
Then, the Swiss officer offered us some peach Schnapps. Switzerland is noted for this drink. We drank that. Damn good.
Then, last but not least, the Czech officer busted out something their country is noted for throughout the world...their beer. A big huge 16 ounce cold bottle of Pilsner beer, the finest in the world. We drank that. Damn good.
I believe we had some Johnnie Walker Red that my boss provided to do our part for the good old You Ess of Ay and contribute. Can't be outclassed, ya know? We drank that. Damn good.
Well, as you can see, there were too many "damn goods" in this story. So, in the process of doing my part for the search for truth, justice, the American way and battling evil throughout the world, I actually got sloshed while on duty. And the incredible thing was that....IT WAS MY JOB TO DO THAT!
So, my interpreter and I both went to sleep early that night (we worked 48 hour continuous shifts while there). The next day, my boss came by and laughed at both of us. Because he knew what was gonna happen. He looked in my log book and laughed hysterically. Because I have really good penmanship. You could tell the point when I made log entries after drinking. My pen wandered all over the damn log book.
A very unusual Christmas, but it was enjoyable and one I won't never forget.
Colin
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and no one would hear us
after about 15 mins we were told to go to bed as we were making too much noise 
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