The reason this song spoke to Marty when he heard the rough demo is very unique.   
Christmas 1969 is one which will forever be etched in the memories of Marty DeRoche and his twin sister Barbie. Christmas was in the middle of the Vietnam War, and though they were very young, the twins were well acquainted with war and the military.  With a father who served in the military, Marty and Barbie’s two older brothers, Gary and Bobby, both enlisted and were deployed to Vietnam, even before their draft notices came. 

 With a beautiful tree lit with multi-colored bulbs and candles topped with red in every window, the house was bright and festive on Christmas Day.   The DeRoche family had opened presents and then made their way to their dining room table.  Mrs. DeRoche had the table spread with a delicious meal of all the family’s favorite Christmas foods.  As a last thought before sitting down, she tilted the two empty chairs against the side of the table where Gary and Bobby always sat, symbolizing they would not be used today in honor of the boys. 

Just as each family member was seated and bowed their heads in prayer, the doorbell rang.  Mr. DeRoche stood up to answer quietly, not wanting the rest of the family to interrupt the stillness they had settled into, heads bowed, eyes closed, for the blessing on the food.  When Mr. DeRoche opened the door, he saw a checkered cab and a man in military dress.  The soldier handed him a telegram.  Marty and Barbie’s dad thanked the soldier and walked back to the table silently before opening the envelope.  As he began to read while still standing, Marty opened one eye to see tears trickle down his dad’s cheeks, an unusual event.  Mr. DeRoche did not show that kind of emotion under most circumstances. 

The telegram told the news of a severely wounded soldier, their brother Bobby.  When he finished reading, Marty’s dad folded the telegram and placed it back in the envelope and put it beside his plate.  Without missing a beat, he began to pray.  That is when Marty says he heard his father perform the most selfless act he had ever known and remembers to this day.  He began to pray for all the soldiers serving throughout the world and Vietnam, and for all the families like theirs with empty chairs at their Christmas tables.  Then, he prayed for Bobby and Gary, wherever they may be, for healing and for Gary’s protection. 

Marty says he was able to tell his father before he passed about the greatest Christmas gift he could have ever given him as a child.  Praying that day, with such a selfless prayer for all the other families and the emotion his dad showed, taught Marty that it was all right to cry in times of sadness, and it was even more important to remember others, even in our own sorrow. 

“It was the hardest Christmas I ever had,” shares Marty.  “I was the baby brother.   Those were my two big brothers, my heroes, who I looked up to.  I wanted to be like them and do everything they did.  To hear my brother was wounded and far away from us was awful, but my mother did her best to continue our Christmas for Barbie’s and my sake.  The one thing I do remember is that she changed the lights on the tree to blue strands and all the bulbs in the window candles to blue.  She said not only because it was a blue Christmas due to sadness, but in honor of all the soldiers who were serving around the world to protect our freedom. 

In 1970, Christmas was much different a year later, but still eventful.   Gary had also been wounded and was in the VA Hospital in Fort Knox.  Bobby was healed up and was given leave to come home for the holidays.  When Gary found out Bobby was flying into Louisville, where the family lived, he planned to walk to him and surprise his brother.  Gary had been unable to walk without support from his injury, but was determined to meet Bobby with no canes or crutches and meet him for a hug unassisted. 

The news had been told about the two brothers, both wounded in Vietnam, getting to be back together for Christmas and the flight that would bring Bobby home.  When the DeRoche family arrived at the airport, there was a huge crowd cheering and celebrating the arrival of the two brothers both wounded serving their country and unable to come home the previous year for Christmas.  News reporters and t.v. cameras lined the airport tarmac. 

When the pilot and flight attendants found out about Bobby being on the plane and what was happening below, they held the rest of the passengers in their seats and let Bobby come down the steps first alone.  When he got to the bottom, there to surprise him was Gary walking toward him with nothing but braces on his legs, unassisted.  It was a solemn moment taken in by the crowd.  Once the brothers met and hugged at the bottom of the steps, a loud cheer went up from the crowd and the rest of the family joined the brothers.  What a different Christmas it was only a year later!