|
|
||
At Christmastime, Earl and Emily Chilton recall the memories made in 1953, when they lost a baby and reached out to other children in need Date published: 12/24/2009
By CATHY DYSON Every December, the memories come back of the the time long ago when a military couple, far from home, coped with the loss of their baby by making Christmas special for orphans. As the decades passed and the photos faded, the Chiltons of Caroline County never knew how their generosity affected children who needed it most. Likewise, the youngsters from the frozen tundra of Newfoundland had no way to thank the Americans who had made their Christmas merry so many seasons ago--until an Internet connection brought the two groups together. But let's start at the beginning of this special Christmas story. 'THEY SEEMED SO SAD' In 1953, Earl Chilton was a 27-year-old master sergeant stationed at Pepperell Air Force Base in St. John's, Newfoundland. He and his wife, Emily, had their second baby in February, but little Robert Earl had a cerebral hemorrhage and died the day after he was born. The Chiltons had grown up together in Bowling Green and were each other's first date. As they grieved, they gravitated toward the five orphanages in Newfoundland--now part of Canada--and often brought children home for the weekends. About the same time, an American Legion post was formed at the base. Members picked Chilton their leader and named the post after his late son. The Chiltons came to realize how dire the needs of the orphans were. The youngsters had nothing--no dolls, skates or bikes--to call their own, and some didn't know their birthdays or who their siblings were. "The kids were poor and they seemed so sad," Emily said. "It was the least we could do." Earl got the idea that every child should have a gift-wrapped Christmas present with his or her name on it. He sent around catalogs and started making a list of the hearts' desire of about 600 children. As he pondered how to pay for the presents, he recalled how the kids sang and did tumbling acts when he and Emily visited. He put on a show at the base featuring the orphans and passed the hat afterward. "We collected almost $5,400," he said. "This was a pile of money in 1953."
I love reading stories like this. It's way too easy these days to get caught up in the negative things in life. The Chiltons showed how one can help themselves cope with a personal tragedy by reaching out to those less fortunate.
This is a truly wonderful story. Thanks you Chilton family for your charity to others and your service. It brought tears to my eyes.
What a wonderful couple!!! Kindness like theirs is never forgotten by those at the receiving end.
the benefit of a good deed. We need to do them more often and more freely - perhaps not quite this grand, but random acts of kindness are what keep so many people able to cope with the negative in their lives. God bless the Chiltons, and if you don't believe in God, just believe that they made a difference in the lives of others.
It's stories like these that remind us what Christmas is really all about.
God Bless You Chiltons and the lives of the many children you touched.
Thanks FLS for telling it.
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||
