vets_page8

To all Veterans that read this may I say Thank you and to all who read this that are not Veterans, if you have an opportunity to greet a Veteran greet him/her with a hand shake and a sincere THANK YOU!

REMEMBER THE 11th HOUR, 11th DAY OF THE 11th MONTH

There's a bond between Veterans, That can't be described, Unless you looked into death, and returned. It's the pride of defending your homeland, It's an honor, so valiantly earned. There's a brotherhood cementing soldiers. Adding strength to the stories they tell. It's the footprints where angels resisted, It's the courageous survival of Hell. There's a feeling, a heartbeat, a spirit, That no coward could ever inspire. Because without having walked in the boots of your home, You can't know what it's like under fire. When an instance is all that divides you, ' from living and giving it all It's the hero that stands, without question, It's the Veterans who have taken the fall. It's the loyalty, this love of Country. That carries us into harm's way. It's devotion, unbending, unending, that the Veterans defend, every day.
"You look at me with hostility, saying that I am to blame, for embarrassing the nation, and bringing it to shame, yet you sat at home and popped your pills, loving freely, at your will, while we defended those freedoms, on some distant, bloody hill. We only did the duty, that our Country asked we do. We only did what we were told, with thoughts it was for you. We held this Country in our hearts. as we watched our Brothers die. We vowed our dedication, and we held our heads up high. But you forget who gave their blood, so you could speak your mind. And you forget, the families, we were asked to leave behind, who were also those we battled for, we cherished, in our chore. So tell me now, tell them, indeed, Who harmed our Country more?"
......Written by an anonymous Vietnam vet.

We Salute And Support All Our Armed Forces.

He was getting old and paunchy
And 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' Bob has passed away,
And the world's a little poorer
For a Soldier 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 Soldier 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 Soldier
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 Soldier,
Who offered up his all,
Is paid off with a medal
And perhaps a pension, small.

It's so easy to forget them,
For it is so many times
That our Bobs and Jims and Johnnys,
Went to battle, but we know,

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 Soldier--
His home, his country, his kin,
Just a common Soldier,
Who would fight until the end.

He was just a common Soldier,
And his ranks are growing thin,
But his presence should remind us
We may need his like again.

For when countries are in conflict,
We find the Soldier'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 SOLDIER DIED TODAY."

author unknown

''TWAS THE NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS, HE LIVED ALL ALONE,
IN A ONE BEDROOM HOUSE MADE OF PLASTER AND STONE.

I HAD COME DOWN THE CHIMNEY WITH PRESENTS TO GIVE,
AND TO SEE JUST WHO IN THIS HOME DID LIVE.

I LOOKED ALL ABOUT, A STRANGE SIGHT I DID SEE,
NO TINSEL, NO PRESENTS, NOT EVEN A TREE.

NO STOCKING BY MANTLE, JUST BOOTS FILLED WITH SAND,
ON THE WALL HUNG PICTURES OF FAR DISTANT LANDS.

WITH MEDALS AND BADGES, AWARDS OF ALL KINDS,
A SOBER THOUGHT CAME THROUGH MY MIND.

FOR THIS HOUSE WAS DIFFERENT, IT WAS DARK AND DREARY,
I FOUND THE HOME OF A SOLDIER, ONCE I COULD SEE CLEARLY.

THE SOLDIER LAY SLEEPING, SILENT, ALONE,
CURLED UP ON THE FLOOR IN THIS ONE BEDROOM HOME.

THE FACE WAS SO GENTLE, THE ROOM IN SUCH DISORDER,
NOT HOW I PICTURED A UNITED STATES SOLDIER.

WAS THIS THE HERO OF WHOM I'D JUST READ?
CURLED UP ON A PONCHO, THE FLOOR FOR A BED?

I REALIZED THE FAMILIES THAT I SAW THIS NIGHT,
OWED THEIR LIVES TO THESE SOLDIERS WHO WERE WILLING TO FIGHT.

SOON ROUND THE WORLD, THE CHILDREN WOULD PLAY,
AND GROWNUPS WOULD CELEBRATE A BRIGHT CHRISTMAS DAY.

THEY ALL ENJOYED FREEDOM EACH MONTH OF THE YEAR,
BECAUSE OF THE SOLDIERS, LIKE THE ONE LYING HERE.

I COULDN'T HELP WONDER HOW MANY LAY ALONE,
ON A COLD CHRISTMAS EVE IN A LAND FAR FROM HOME.

THE VERY THOUGHT BROUGHT A TEAR TO MY EYE,
I DROPPED TO MY KNEES AND STARTED TO CRY.

THE SOLDIER AWAKENED AND I HEARD A ROUGH VOICE,
"SANTA DON'T CRY, THIS LIFE IS MY CHOICE;
I FIGHT FOR FREEDOM, I DON'T ASK FOR MORE,
MY LIFE IS MY GOD, MY COUNTRY, MY CORPS."

THE SOLDIER ROLLED OVER AND DRIFTED TO SLEEP,
I COULDN'T CONTROL IT, I CONTINUED TO WEEP.

I KEPT WATCH FOR HOURS, SO SILENT AND STILL
AND WE BOTH SHIVERED FROM THE COLD NIGHT'S CHILL.

I DIDN'T WANT TO LEAVE ON THAT COLD, DARK, NIGHT,
THIS GUARDIAN OF HONOR SO WILLING TO FIGHT.

THEN THE SOLDIER ROLLED OVER, WITH A VOICE SOFT AND PURE,
WHISPERED, "CARRY ON SANTA, IT'S CHRISTMAS DAY, ALL IS SECURE."

ONE LOOK AT MY WATCH, AND I KNEW HE WAS RIGHT,
MERRY CHRISTMAS MY FRIEND, AND TO ALL A GOOD NIGHT.

My Pal
Combat Press - 1992 - Dedicated to Jerry Robin, KIA, July 14, 1969

Most of my pals are still around me, it seems just like a dream
and still I see my bud Jerry go down,
so badly hit that I get made when I hear his screams.
My blood boils up in red RED/Rage!!!

Then I lost the last of my will, I turn into a madman,
And my cry is to kill and kill.

I'm in a rage and mutter all through the night,
As I wait for the day as not to fight.

You're all gone my old buddy of mine,
may you rest with God.

Sometimes I pray and ask if this war was our payday after all.
Gladly I'd join with you,
If only I could see your smile again.

THE SURVIVOR

By Michael E. Dingwell - Vietnam Veteran

They come through the mist, through the night so cold
Their faces are young, and yet they're really quite old
Everything's dark, their weapons are black
Here come the boys from Vietnam; the dead are back

Alone I watch, always so alone
My friends all dead, just ashes and bone
Alone I watch, only I can hear
They talk to me, they tell me "never fear"

You're part of us, our link to life
Only you escaped Mike, that dreadful knife
The knife of death, the knife of despair"
Why did we die, way over there?

What about our folks, sister and brother?
What about my Dad, who told my Mother?
We have only you, Mike, our link to the living
We can talk to you, for you understand our non-forgiving
They didn't send to fight, they sent us to die
They didn't even tell us the truth, nothing but lies"

Well boys, you're dead and gone
You left me here, a survivor all alone
So why come back now, to disturb my sleep?
Are you trying to break me down, make me weep?

I didn't kill you boys, I cried for every one
Thirty-five times I cried, I guess I'll never be done
So why don't you go away, leave me in peace
Or just come in the day, and let me sleep at least

Just when I think I'm OK, just when I let my guard down
Then here you boys come again, Skip, Speedy and Brown
I can't remember all of your names, nor where you were from
But I do remember your deaths, every single one
Deaths so horrible, they'd make most men gag
And I had to put you, my friends, in a body bag

We're linked together, the living and the dead
But the worse time of all, is when I'm in bed
For when you come, you cause me great pain
I didn't die, I was only maimed
I relive your deaths, through-out my life

For I'm the only one, who escaped that knife
I'm the 'Survivor', the one who made it through
And believe me boys, I miss all of you
So go away now, relieve me of my pain
Leave me alone, before I go insane
I know you're in Valhalla, where all of the warriors go
So I'll see you soon enough, Bill, and damn, I miss you so.

SISTER SOLDIER
By Sarge Lintecum

Sister soldier, sister soldier
She went to Vietnam
Sister soldier, sister soldier
An angel among the bombs
Sometimes just to see her there
Would really mean a lot
She was the last look at an American girl
That some boys ever got

Sister soldier, sister soldier
She served our nation well
Sister soldier made you wonder
What's an angel doin' here in hell
Sometimes just to see her there
Would really mean a lot
We remember she was there with us
'Tho folks at home forgot

In the Air Force, and in the Army
In the Navy and the Marine Corps
Sister soldier was a bright light
In the darkness of the Vietnam War
Sometimes just to see her there
Would really mean a lot
She was the last look at an American girl
That some boys ever got

"Sister Soldier" is from the recording

We all live with the ghosts of the past now it is time for them to be put to rest till