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CHP Shares Emotional Video From Retired Trooper's Poem 'My Christmas Eve'

SACRAMENTO (CBS13) — In the spirit of the holiday season, the California Highway Patrol shared an emotional video with a powerful message for drivers.

The video is a recreation a poem by retired Ohio State Trooper Bob Welsh titled, "My Christmas Eve."

On the department's YouTube page, the video has had almost 25,000 views in just a few days. CHP wrote that Welsh's poem represents their "mission to provide the highest level of Safety, Service, and Security to those we serve. This is something which is truly shared by every member of public service, no matter the patch, badge, uniform, or job description."

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The poem shares experiences from the retired trooper's Christmas Eve shifts encountering different people at terrible moments in their lives. It has an underlying message about impaired driving and how it can affect everyone in your life.

The video was produced entirely by CHP employees.

More of Welsh's work can be found on his website. He has a collection of stories called 'Embers From a Storyteller's Mind' and has narrated a story about fighting in the Pacific during WWII through the eyes of George H.W. Bush as if told to his grandchildren by his wife Barbara Bush.

Another recitation of the poem can be found below.

Bob Welsh recites his original poem, My Christmas Eve http://www.bobwelsh.com by TheBobWelsh on YouTube
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