THANK A VETERAN
He was getting old and paunchy
His hair was falling fast,
And he sat around the Legion,
Telling stories of the past.
Of a war that he once fought in
And the deeds that he had done,
In his exploits with his buddies;
They were heroes, every one.
And 'tho sometimes to his neighbors
His tales became a joke,
All his buddies listened quietly
For they knew where of he spoke.
But we’ll hear his tales no longer,
For ol’ Joe has passed away,
And the world’s a little poorer
For a Veteran died today.
He won’t be mourned by many,
Just his children and his wife.
For he lived an ordinary,
Very quiet sort of life.
He held a job and raised a family,
Going quietly on his way;
And the world won’t note his passing,
'Tho a Veteran died today.
When politicians leave this earth,
Their bodies lie in state,
While thousands note their passing,
And proclaim that they were great.
Papers tell of their life stories
From the time that they were young,
But the passing of a Veteran
Goes unnoticed, and unsung.
Is the greatest contribution
To the welfare of our land,
Some jerk who breaks his promise
And cons his fellow man?
Or the ordinary fellow
Who in times of war and strife,
Goes off to serve his country
And offers up his life?
The politician’s stipend
And the style in which he lives,
Are often disproportionate,
To the service that he gives.
While the ordinary Veteran,
Who offered up his all,
Is paid off with a medal
And perhaps a pension, small.
It is not the politicians
With their compromise and ploys,
Who won for us the freedom
That our country now enjoys.
Should you find yourself in danger,
With your enemies at hand,
Would you really want some cop-out,
With his ever-waffling stand?
Or would you want a Veteran
His home, his country, his kin,
Just a common Veteran,
Who would fight until the end.
He was just a common Veteran,
And his ranks are growing thin,
But his presence should remind us
We may need his likes again.
For when countries are in conflict,
We find the Veteran’s part,
Is to clean up all the troubles
That the politicians start.
If we cannot do him honor
While he’s here to hear the praise,
Then at least let’s give him homage
At the ending of his days.
Perhaps just a simple headline
In the paper that might say:
“OUR COUNTRY IS IN MOURNING,
A VETERAN DIED TODAY.”
My Dad, my brother, and my nephew, have each had their health ruined by being in the service and I deeply resent that being done to them.
Happy Veteran’s Day to my Dad, Sgt. Glenn L. Golding, US Army, my Father in Law, Command Sgt. Major Robert J. Nix, US Army, my Son, Sgt. Richard W. Golding, Jr. US Marine Corps, and all my Friends and Brothers and Sisters that protect and have protected our wonderful United States of America.
Forrest Scott Wood said:
My Dad, my brother, and my nephew, have each had their health ruined by being in the service and I deeply resent that being done to them.
Forrest, trust me, they’d do it again, knowing full well the cost, if they could.
Happy Veteran’s Day to all those that have served this great country. Thanks for your sacrifice so that the rest of us can enjoy the freedoms that we so often take for granted. And thanks to your families who have endured all the time you’ve been away from your loved ones.
A Heart felt Salute to one and all Veterans… Many thanks for your service…
Andy Clarke said:
A Heart felt Salute to one and all Veterans… Many thanks for your service…
Amen
Just came from a Veteran ceremony at the local Grade School - Pre through 5th Grade. My God, it was like walking into a hornet’s nest. There were over 50 of us Veterans and a Gazillion little kids. Each Grade had a poem or a song that probably meant more to us than to them, but they all made an effort. That’s what counts.
I have to go and do these things because when I am gone, who will show up? My Dad - WWII- used to do these things, but he is gone now. So I go. God, I miss him.
Thank you to my fellow vets.
We all gave some,
Some gave All…
U.S.Army, 1969-1978
Sgt. 84B50
Combat Photographer
“On this Hallowed Ground”, documentary produced here in NM covers the events that lead to the construction of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Angel Fire New Mexico and it’s continuing legacy. It aired here Sunday morning and will soon be available on DVD and streaming format.
More info here: David Westphall
On a similar note.
I went to a Veteran’s Day Celebration yesterday on a college campus. That, alone, is remarkable, in today’s world. Whitworth University, a small, 2500 student university, with a history of being affiliated with the Presbeterian Church, tucked in a sleepy corner of North Spokane. When i was a kid, it was waaaaay out in the wilderness, but urban sprawl has caught up with it. No protests, some curious students. Very well done. Lots of retired and former military and alums, who had served.
They closed with “They Call Me Doc,” written with a Navy Corpsman, and sung by Johnny McGuire. Tears ran freely down my cheeks.
https://tasteofcountry.com/walker-mcguire-doc-soldier-tribute/
Lou Luczu said:
Just came from a Veteran ceremony at the local Grade School - Pre through 5th Grade. My God, it was like walking into a hornet’s nest. There were over 50 of us Veterans and a Gazillion little kids. Each Grade had a poem or a song that probably meant more to us than to them, but they all made an effort. That’s what counts.
I have to go and do these things because when I am gone, who will show up? My Dad - WWII- used to do these things, but he is gone now. So I go. God, I miss him.
You’re a good man, Lou.
Our local chapter of the Civil War Round Table (and, I am proud to say, Oldest Son) always decorates graves at Oahu Cemetery, where we have veterans from the Civil War - including two from the Kingdom of Hawaii - through the present day laying at rest. It is really remarkable to see names from as far abroad as Korea and Germany who have worn the Cloth of the Country over a century and a half. Every year, we buy more flags. Every year, we fall short as we penetrate deeper into the cemetery to find soldiers, sailors, marines and airmen of bygone eras waiting for someone to remember their service.