This week's image is a precious Christmas Wish from 1916.  I bring it back to life here in 2002.  This old Christmas card was from a soldier stationed at Fort Grant (known in modern times as Fort Amador), Canal Zone to his lover back home in the U.S.  The writing on the card says:

Clarence's hand writing looks to be that of a young man with the school type penmanship still very evident in his pencil strokes.  Keeping that in mind, note how he closes the letter.  Very formal writing out his entire name with Mr. in front.  I am not sure why he didn't use his rank, or possibly he was a civilian.  He also sketched this little picture on the card which may indicate he was a Navy man.  

I love personal memorabilia like this as it makes me think about who this person was. Was he sitting on the rocks of the causeway looking out into the Canal as I have many times or was he up in one of the large Coastal Artillery gun emplacements on Noas Island defending the Panama Canal?  

Another great piece of our Canal Zone history!

May all of you have a Blessed and Joyous Christmas and Holiday Season.  I pray our New Year be better for all of us with Peace and Love in our world.

Note:  No "Photo of the Week" on December 29th.  My family and I will be relaxing in a cabin on the side of a mountain in North Carolina.  No computers in site! :o}

Click these links for other Christmas related photos and info on the Canal Zone Images web site:

Photo of the Week Archives:

May 10, 1998
December 12, 1999
December 19, 1999
July 23, 2000
December 24, 2000
December 16, 2001
December 23, 2001
December 15, 2002

Christmas on the Isthmus Story by Sue Gore