Our veterans have fought and died in many wars. Some have been necessary, some not, but vets have served their country when others never would. These men, not athletes, not rock stars, are my heroes. I hope my story below shows why I feel the way I do. I have gathered just a few examples of why I think our veterans deserve our thanks and certainly our respect. There are so many more that are not listed here.
Pearl Harbor where 2,500 sailors died
Crippling the navy on which the nation relied
18 ships went down below
How those sailors suffered, no one could know
It’s time to remember the men at Bastogne
Shivering in the snow, all alone
Reinforcements were far away
The 101st airborne wondered if they’d see another day
Iwo Jima where the black sands turned red
And the 5th marines buried their dead
Five weeks of fighting under a sulfurous dome
7,000 marines never went home
Okinawa with kamikaze attacks, wave after wave
Navy ships sinking with no crewmen to save
Army and marines fighting ashore
12,000 went home never more
Korea with its miserable cold
Non-stop fighting and freezing I’m told
Even the navy at sea, scraping ice and snow
From frozen flight decks to icy seas below
The 26th marines at Khe Sanh on a hilltop bare
Out miles and miles from anywhere
Ammo and food dropped by air, was the only way
Dropped by planes that quickly flew away
Leaving 5,000 marines under fire night and day
By 20,000 troops of the NVA
Fallujah, where army and marines went house to house kicking in doors
In the land where the enemy’s AK-47 assault rifle roars
They faced hazardous duty night after night
Always anticipating the next firefight
All four armed forces were serving in Afghanistan
Fighting in a barren, pitiful land
Where land mines and ambush go hand in hand
Where many a hero has made his last stand
All mentioned here deserve our respect for what they have done
For all the battles they have fought and won
For my (long ago) navy service I am proud
Those I served with stood out from the crowd
I hope the younger generation realizes just how many died for the freedom they enjoy today. I suspect all don’t appreciate our vets. Charles
ReplyDeleteIt is a shame that people don't support the troops anymore. Perhaps those people are too wrapped up in their own interests and never think about vets.
ReplyDelete