Poems

A Poem Worth Reading - Author Unknown

A POEM WORTH READING

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' 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."

Memories - By Danny Wiggins

“Memories”
By Danny Wiggins
F52 LRRPs / I75 Rangers

To have been a “Lurp” gives us honor and as “Rangers” we served with pride
We have a special bond we all our brothers and a void within for those who died

Many years have past in time but the memories are still very real
Of those events of our past that all too often control the way we feel

Many of those memories are very painful and all too often cause these men to weep
Many nights we lie awake and just think of events that won’t allow us to sleep

There were many things that happen there; of some we’re proud and other we do not tell
It was those years of the war in Vietnam: we often refer to as “Our Tour of Hell”

For years we have tried to forget it; hoping the memories might fade away
But the more we try to forget; the stronger they grow day by day

We seldom talk to other about it; things most people can’t comprehend
You had to be there, you had to live it to understand this feeling we have within

We often find ourselves in trouble; we have been trained by the very elite
To seek and destroy the enemy; this was hard to change in only a week

Most of us try to deal with it all alone; not knowing where help to fine
The bottle often seems our friend; but in the end is never very kind

We often think about our brothers; who is alive and how many are gone
How many of them, like us, also feel isolated and totally alone

How do others deal with all those memories; is there a secret we do not know
Many would like to contact a brother but are so afraid the problems will only grow

So most of us have learned to live with all the memories; we deal with them day by day
One of these days we'll go to sleep and all memories will finally go away.

One Day I'll Touch The Wall - By Danny Wiggins

One Day I’ll Touch the Wall
By
Danny Wiggins
F52 LRRP / I75 Rangers

It’s now been many years since my time in that Asian land
I both cherish and damn those memories as best I can

I’ve had my share of problems and those memories by far the worst Sometimes I’ve felt my heart would swell and often even burst

You know I missed by brothers but I really wanted to forget
The ones who lost there life; and other things I will always regret

Unlike Korea, Vietnam they have managed to keep alive
The wall was erected and there thousands have wept and cried

I’ve made many excused for not visiting and touching the name Of all my fallen brothers and any of my excuses are all very lame

Once I traveled there; my heart pounded and I began to sweat
I could not approach the wall and I still have regret

I guess I’m a coward when it comes to that wall
I’m scared of my feelings and the tears I know will fall

I fear touching the names of my brothers; my fear I can’t explain
I have thoughts of joy and loneliness; with intense feelings of pain

I can’t understand why so many of my brothers had to die
But now I know it’s not wrong for a grown man to cry

One day I’ll overcome my fears and finally beacon to the call
I’ll be proud and relieved the day I finally touch the wall.

The badge of glory - by jim dollar

The Badge of Glory
By Jim Dollar

Of all the medals upon our chest
From the battles and wars we knew
The one admired as the very best
Is the one of Infantry Blue.

It is only a rifle upon a wreath
So why should it mean so much?
It is what it took to earn it
That gives it that magic touch.

To earn this special accolade
You faced the enemy's fire.
Whether you survived or not
God dialed that one desire.

For those of us who served the cause
And brought this nation glory
It is the Combat Infantry Badge
That really tells the story.