Bundled in coats and scarves, Fort Stewart soldiers, spouses and their young children gathered outside Club Stewart Thursday night for Fort Stewart’s annual tree-lighting ceremony.
The Third Infantry Division Band set the scene with instrumental Christmas classics, while elves dressed in red and green warmed the crowd with dances and a rendition of “Frosty the Snowman.”
During his invocation, Chaplain Lt. Col. Robert Whitlock asked that God bless the season and give people the capacity to give more than they receive.
“May these colored lights and shiny decorations remind us of the magic of Christmas when we were all children,” he prayed.
“As we celebrate with those we love most, remind us of those who once again are separate from loved ones in order to defend this great land,” he said.

See more in the Dec. 7 edition of the News.