My Christmas Eve column today brings together several unforgettable stories over the past year that will be familiar to readers of this blog. It’s enriching, inspiring stories like these that keep me going when Washington politics wears me down — and remind me of how truly blessed we are.

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God’s Gifts
by Michelle Malkin
Creators Syndicate
Copyright 2008

The Wal-Mart stampede in Long Island last month exposed the ugliest side of the Christmas season. But not all Americans live by “The Blitz Line Starts Here” credo. Not all of us rush to store shelves in search of the greatest gifts. Sometimes, they can be discovered in the hearts and souls of total strangers. If only you look.

What an extraordinary treasure America was given in Dong Yun Yoon. The naturalized American from Korea lost his entire family in a San Diego military jet crash three weeks ago. The tragedy claimed the lives of his infant daughter, toddler daughter, wife, and mother-in-law. It wrecked his house and upended his world.

But Mr. Yoon refused to blame the pilot or bash the military. At a press conference near the site of the crash, the grieving father and husband urged his fellow citizens to pray for the pilot: “He is one of our treasures for the country…I don’t blame him. I don’t have any hard feelings. I know he did everything he could.”

In an age of shoe-tossing temper tantrums, anti-troop bigotry, and litigation gone wild, Mr. Yoon demonstrated both amazing grace and unbending patriotism in the face of unfathomable pain. His heart-wrenching plea for forgiveness resounded across the country — and around the world. Five hundred people from both the civilian and military communities came to lift Mr. Yoon up at his family’s memorial service. The assistant pastor of his church reported that they had received more than 1,000 phone calls and e-mail messages offering condolences and financial support.

Mr. Yoon’s suffering and sacrifice are powerful reminders of the preciousness of life — reminders that money can’t buy.

Haleigh Poutre is another of those priceless gifts. She’s the miracle child who was nearly beaten to death by her barbaric stepfather three years ago. Hooked to a ventilator in a comatose state, she was then nearly condemned to death by Massachusetts medical experts and the state’s criminally negligent child welfare bureaucracy, which hastily declared her to be in a hopeless vegetative state and wanted to pull the plug on her life.

God had a different plan. The government’s campaign to kill her was stopped after the then-11-year-old girl started breathing on her own and responding to commands. This little girl with an iron will to live has been nursed back to health by an amazing team of caring therapists. Her plight brought end-of-life issues again to the fore — issues that so many on both the left and right would prefer to ignore.

Haleigh the “vegetable” can now write her name, brush her own hair, and feed herself. Haleigh’s suffering and sacrifice carry powerful reminders against blind trust in the deadly duo of Big Nanny and Big Medicine — reminders that money can’t buy.

The life of Master Sgt. Anthony Davis gives us one more invaluable gift this year. On Thanksgiving weekend, his family learned that he had been killed while delivering humanitarian supplies in Biaj, Iraq. He had served in the Army for 26 years. He loved his job and he believed in his mission. The Baltimore native was married and had five children and one grandchild. His wife and daughter also served in the military.

Sergeant Davis was killed while distributing water and food in Biaj, about 250 miles north of Baghdad. He died, his family said, doing what he loved. “He was Army in every sense of the word,” Jorge Tardi, Sergeant Davis’ brother-in-law, told the Baltimore Sun. “He believed in our effort over there in Iraq. It wasn’t just a job. It wasn’t just a benefit. It wasn’t just hardship pay. He was a patriot.”

Sergeant Davis was posthumously awarded the Purple Heart and a Bronze Star, but what his family will remember most is commitment to them. He was a peacemaker, they said, and a mentor to all. “‘A positive impact on somebody’s life can change their life for the better,’ That’s a quote from him,” his son Jerel said at his funeral. He “instilled in his children the importance of getting to know God.”

Sergeant Davis’s service sacrifice serves as powerful reminders never to take for granted the cherished gifts of family, faith, and freedom — reminders that money can’t buy.

Last night, I blogged about Dong Yun Yoon, the extraordinary American who lost his wife, toddler daughter Rachel, infant daughter Grace, and mother-in-law in the military jet crash in San Diego.

Reader David talked to Yoon’s pastor, who said you can send card and help directly to his church.

Here’s the address:

Dong Yun Yoon
c/o Rev. Kevin Lee
Korean United Methodist Church
3520 Mount Acadia Blvd
San Diego, CA 92111

His faith and patriotism have touched so many of us so deeply. Take a moment to help lift him up.

Here are photos of the beautiful family he lost:

And here’s some video of the press conference in case you missed it:

Psalm 23
The LORD is my shepherd,
I shall not be in want.
He makes me lie down in green pastures,
he leads me beside quiet waters,
He restores my soul.
He guides me in paths of righteousness
for his name’s sake.
Even though I walk
through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil,
for you are with me;
your rod and your staff,
they comfort me.
You prepare a table before me
in the presence of my enemies.
You anoint my head with oil;
my cup overflows.
Surely goodness and love will follow me
all the days of my life,
and I will dwell in the house of the LORD
forever.

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Reader D.M e-mails:

My nephew is in the squadron the plane came from. They want to attend the funeral and express their sorrow to Mr. Yoon, but are worried about reactions from some people there. Their public affairs is advising them on how to proceed.

It would be helpful though on your website if you note that the pilot didn’t accidentally kill anybody. His plane failed. The pilot made no error of any kind we can discern.

I feel for this family, especially since my wife is the former Carol Yoon. With the gracious kindness and sympathy that Mr. Dong Yun Yoon himself has shown, he can only be considered as having a beautiful soul. Having grown up in the Marine Corps community and having served for many years as did my two older brothers and my father did, and my nephew does now,

I can assure you that Mr. Yoon’s pain will be felt by Marine families across the globe. They will reach out to him in both kindness and generosity. And they will be there for him during the long period of sorrow he will face.

Thanks for your care both for the military and our nation as a whole.

Keep Dong Yun Yoon in your prayers:

A Korean immigrant who lost his wife, two children and mother-in-law when a Marine Corps jet slammed into the family’s house said Tuesday he did not blame the pilot, who ejected and survived.

“Please pray for him not to suffer from this accident,” a distraught Dong Yun Yoon told reporters gathered near the site of Monday’s crash of an F/A-18D jet in San Diego’s University City community.

“He is one of our treasures for the country,” Yoon said in accented English punctuated by long pauses while he tried to maintain his composure.

“I don’t blame him. I don’t have any hard feelings. I know he did everything he could,” said Yoon, flanked by members of San Diego’s Korean community, relatives and members from the family’s church.

Authorities said four people died when the jet crashed into the Yoon family’s house while the pilot was trying to reach nearby Marine Corps Air Station Miramar. Another, unoccupied house also was destroyed.

Yoon named the victims as his infant daughter Rachel, who was born less than two months ago; his 15-month-old daughter Grace; his wife, Young Mi Yoon, 36; and her 60-year-old mother, Suk Im Kim, who he said had come to the United States from Korea recently to help take care of the children.

Fighting back tears, he said of his daughters: “I cannot believe that they are not here right now.”
“I know there are many people who have experienced more terrible things,” Yoon said. “But, please, tell me how to do it. I don’t know what to do.”

… Yoon’s wife came to the United States about four years ago, Shin said.

Yoon spoke softly when he talked about his wife.

“It was God’s blessing that I met her about four years ago. She was a lovely wife and mother,” he said.

His voice fading, he added: “She loves me and babies. I just miss her so much.”