GOING,,, GOING,,,?
#1

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."

 

 

Pass On The Patriotism!

YOU can make a difference

 

======================================================

 

I'm Honoring My three Brothers and Papa Art. three of them gone now!

At this rate I may be the last man standing.

 

Tell us who is on your Honor list.

 

chucktoo.

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#2

I have lost three within the last few weeks; two of whom I was very close with. It keeps getting more and more difficult with each passing day.

 

After the many losses the past few years, I can now understand how the "boys" who went abroad, were leery of making friends with the replacements. After a while you simply don't want to get to know any more, for fear of making friends and losing them. That is how it's getting for me.

 

When I open my email I dread the next announcement.

 

I was talking to hubby the other day and was telling him about my feelings, and he said, ya your program no longer says, "You have mail", but now exclaims "Guess who's died!" I HAD to laugh, for you have to! That's about it, I lamented...

Marion J Chard
Proud Daughter of Walter (Monday) Poniedzialek
540th Engineer Combat Regiment, 2833rd Bn, H&S Co, 4th Platoon
There's "No Bridge Too Far"
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#3

I have lost three within the last few weeks; two of whom I was very close with. It keeps getting more and more difficult with each passing day.

 

After the many losses the past few years, I can now understand how the "boys" who went abroad, were leery of making friends with the replacements. After a while you simply don't want to get to know any more, for fear of making friends and losing them. That is how it's getting for me.

 

When I open my email I dread the next announcement.

 

I was talking to hubby the other day and was telling him about my feelings, and he said, ya your program no longer says, "You have mail", but now exclaims "Guess who's died!" I HAD to laugh, for you have to! That's about it, I lamented...

 

M-1 I have had this poem in a special place in my scrap book and I have instructed my daughter

Martha to read it when it's my time to see my beloved wife again. Roque

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#4

Rocky , I sat here and I cry by reading you!!

 

 

Vee

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#5
Rocky, I am already weeping....
Marion J Chard
Proud Daughter of Walter (Monday) Poniedzialek
540th Engineer Combat Regiment, 2833rd Bn, H&S Co, 4th Platoon
There's "No Bridge Too Far"
Reply
#6

Thank You for posting this poem Chuck. The part about Politicians is especially 'sad but true,' and it's being exposed more often than in times past, although these dishonorable indiscretions are not a new thing in the world of Politics.

Getting back to the real message of this poem, I am always saddened by the death of any soldier, as one death affects ever so many family members and friends. In "WWII in HD" the narrator states that "16 million Americans served in WWII...Out of that 16 million only 10% are alive today.' I won't even pretend to know how deeply each soldier's death is felt by our Vets on this board. I will tell you that for me, the thought of the time ahead when all of them have passed away, and there are no more WWII Veterans left in America will make me feel like the world I grew up in has ended. I don't even like to think about it...and I know that M1 feels the same way. That's why studying WWII, which started as a hobby for me has become a mission to make sure their sacrifice will never be forgotten.

 

God Bless You.

Most sincerely,

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