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I was but a young man Coming home from Vietnam Coming home to "the World" of hurt
Many years have passed And maybe at last Real Americans can finally see
That the real scam In Vietnam Was not by my brothers and me
But the people up high No, Not in the sky But the place the call D.C.
Now, in this place People walk and face an endless, long black "Wall"
The moisture there Is not from the air But for those who walked so tall.
MY LITTLE MAN
Sitting in a foxhole On a deep dark night Looking for the enemy Hearing noises of the night I don't think of you My little man
Creeping through the jungle On a bright moonlit night Looking for the enemy Hoping for a fight I don't think of you My little man
Now the tour is over Memories seem like dreams Reflections of those nights When I didn't get any sleep I only think of you My little man
Now, daddy looks at you in your sleep And tries to dream a dream Of a world where you will never lose any sleep.
GOD BLESS THE BOYS
God bless the boys from Illinois And every mother's son
Who gave their life protecting the right of all the wrongs been done
If they knew or even thought their dreams could be bought Would they want to come home
America don't you care I have waited so long I am so alone
I am writing and hanging one to a dream I once had That your did care and I will come Home
ANOTHER WALL
It's been 20 years since I went to Nam but it seems like a couple of days
Now flashbacks and memories numb my mind as I stand at the wall and gaze
For the thousands that died, thousands have cried Yes, many have shed their tears.
And as I look at name after name I find myself facing new fears
For when American again has a need others will answer her call
And the nightmares that wake me during the night are my son, another war, another Wall.
BLOOD
I've never tripped a booby trap, or stood upon a mine, but I have seen what happens, when you're out there on the line.
Some men die real hard, others not so bad, but t really doesn't matter, when you've given all you had.
I was never wounded, so I never felt the shock, or felt the pain rip through my body, while calling our for Doc.
Sometimes the pain is awful, it can make you want to dry, that pain can get so bad at times, you might pray to God to die.
I know I was lucky, that it never happened to me, and that someone else's blood, was shed to keep me free.
A SOLDIER PRAYS
Oh Lord! Here we sit on this foreign soil, So very far from home and loved one all. Death so very near and we so very much afraid.
Please help my comrades and I, For we wish not to die alone. We pray that you will be here, To hear our cry and us to your breast to take.
You are the only living Lord, We give ourselves to you. If we must die, and die we must, Please take us home on high with you.
With outstretched hands we grasp for thee, Thy love so tender and yet so strong. Every breath of ours is yours to have, We need you, Oh so very much Lord.
I DREAM OF WAR
I dream of war and deadly things of Vietnam and Marines
I smell the shells and powder fumes and see the troops it consumes
In my dreams I go back to that awful jungle pack
I relive those days of doom and see the friends it consumed
I wonder why they had to die and I was left to dream and cry
CORPSMAN
Corpsman! Corpsman! A cry that I hate Sometimes they're handy Sometimes too late How do they hear me Through all of the noise When I'm almost crying A crack in my voice Oh God, I'm so helpless What the hell do I do So I holler Corpsman And hope he gets through He's just got to make it My buddy's a mess I don't think he'll make it I've got to confess I keep crying corpsman And hope that I'm not wrong Oh please hear me Corpsman Oh please don't be long
UNTITLED
TO MY GULF SOLDIER FRIEND
When you go to war to protect mankind You leave your family and friends behind While you're there, you get no leave When we know They've got something up their sleeve
You do your best and then come home Thinking of your friends you left behind You've asked yourself what you have done When that friend of yours had to use his gun All you wanted to do was run.
You stood your ground whatever it may be When I was over you shouted with glee Now you're home on American soil You believe in your heart nothing was spoiled
The Welcome Homes, Thank You's, Parades and all You and your friends are having a ball So you thank the good Lord you are back And ask your friends to give you no flack Cause in your mind you did your best And are ready to stand like all the rest Proud, Free and Brave!
NURSES
These are the Veterans of Vietnam we hear nothing about, and what they went through - but we never say a pout, when we were real bad beside our beds they were knelt, keeping us smiling - despite how we felt.
They had no idea of what we'd been through, and had no idea of what we were returning to, a lot of us believe that they went through more than us, because everyday they were ankle deep in the blood and the buts.
As the song was written "and the beat goes on", but then "9 to 5" was the title of another song, all they saw was death, destruction and misery, but yet for us a smiling face was all we could see.
They sat and talked to some during their last surviving hours, and then supposedly forget them with a long cold shower, we were wounded, scared and homesick all at one time, but they never failed to cheer us or give us a good sign. Yes, if you ask me their blood flows red, white and blue, dear round eyes what would we have done without you, so give them the statue they deserve with outs and then, we'll be able to say once mores, TOGETHER THEN - TOGETHER AGAIN!
THEY CALL
As we descend the stone-block path they call and we are drawn to them.
We touch The Wall and The Wall touches us. And from within they call, they call, they call.
We press our fingertips into and slowly trace the chiseled names the names of those who call.
And The Wall presses back, its black granite slabs absorbing like blood drunk by Khe Sahn's thirsty dust.
We see ourselves reflected in its polished panels, our hears draped in bandoleers of grief, and for a time become part of it as those whose names we trace were a part of us.
"Are a part of you!" the call as we reflect upon The Wall. "We'll always be a part of you," they call.
A HUMAN RACE
Many a man has risked his life, To end the beginning of toil and strife.
For in our world of fear and doubt, We ask ourselves why and what it's all about. It seems each generation has to face a war Of senseless killings for reasons we're not sure.
But it's our minds that are captured, Like a helpless slave in this land of the free and the home of the brave.
And it's our hearts that are heavy With pounding of sorrow while our souls are searching for a better tomorrow.
But the Truth still remains that this country's people Have fought and died for an "American Dream" of dignity and pride.
MORE
I wasn't afraid of dying But rather coming back less than whole I knew they could take my life But the could never take my soul
So I went away an fought their war But got a whole lot more Than I bargained for
A chemical in my body running wild Dumped on me Passed on to my child
No research or testing No accounting for their deeds Nobody's listening As the war vet pleads
All we ask is they find an answer As our brothers and sisters die Consumed with cancer
The war didn't end As we returned to this nation For unknowingly it was passed To the next generation
The politics must end And the testing begin Or it'll always be a war That we never can win
Alone in the dark We sit and cry Having no answers When our children ask "WHY?"
It's time to set right This terrible wrong For though my time is short My child's is long
NO 'WELCOME HOME' FOR US
They said, 'We don't want you to vote' but you are an American so you can die in our wars
They said, ''We don't want you in our barracks" but you are an American so you can die in our wars
They said, ''We don't want you around 'our women'" but you are an American so you can die in our wars
They said ''We don't want you in our veteran organizations" but you are an American so you can die in our wars
They said ''We don't want you in our neighborhoods" but you are an American so you can die in our wars
They said ''We don't want you in our history books" but you are an American so you can die in our wars
They said ''We don't want you to promoted" but you are an American so you can die in our wars
They said ''We don't want you to get the Medal of Honor" but you are an American so you can die in our wars
They said ''We don't want you in our workplaces" but you are an American so you can die in our wars
They said ''We don't want you, period. Go back to Africa"
The first American killed in America's first war was black.
INVISIBLE MEDAL
The invisible medal Was awarded today It was given for reasons That no one can say We were told to be silent About what happened that day "We were not in the area" "We were not in the fray" "No one got hurt there" "Not one person died" At least that's the story Oh God, how they lied
So they awarded a medal But why, I don't know If anyone asks me It's only for show
I can't talk about I cannot tell why And when pressed for details I'm forced to lie
So, why did they give it And why I can't say The invisible medal Was Awarded Today
WE CANNOT FORGET
I'd rather be killed the get captured that's what we all used to say, The most you could hope for in enemy hands was to die before the next day.
We've heard all the horrors of torture Of body, and mind, and of soul, But no imagination is good enough To live in the reflection of one's own shadow.
The hopelessness, helplessness, anguish and pain That our comrades are forced to endure, Must not have been suffered by them in vain For the politics that lies reassured.
We cannot forget POWs And we cannot forget MIAs. You know we all can never stop fighting Until they are all home someday.
To this end my comrades, we must all be true We must pledge to cherish this goal, The release of ALL our comrades in arms, A full accounting, that's what THEY must show.
THE ANTI-WARRIORS
The war had ended long ago but the anti-war protesters continued to grow their hate and anger toward those who did go.
Then a Wall was built, and a President called for Healing that went across our Nation like Heaven sent.
Vietnam vets were now respected by anti-war protesters who heartfully regretted their treatment of Americans, young and neglected.
But today America is not much different than back in the days when those that went were greeted with hatred and wrathful torrent.
The haters now are not who they were the student, the doper and the employer.
The people who hate are now the vets Who assault one another in public on the net The Vietnam vet's enemy today, you can bet
...is more likely to be another Vietnam vet.
WAR
All lies still Then a sudden stir The sound of a stick breaking The leaves of a bush rustling
A sharp turn A cautious crawl
The spring
The glint, the crash of a sword A failing to block the gleaming weapon The horrendous shriek that follows The anguish
It goes on and on Occurs again and again
When it is over All lies still No flags wave Corpses sprawled all over, reign Nothing stirs
War is a soldier's mistress But blood is his brother
NIGHTMARES
Shhh! Movement there Shadows darting Can you see them? Hear them? Maybe in the wire
It's all right You're dreaming There's nothing in the night Sleep... sleep
They're here There's movement Shadows coming closer No way now No stopping... no stopping
You're dreaming... you're dreaming Nothing to fear You're here, home Sleep... sleep
No! No! They're here Shadows in the night Deep in the perimeter No stopping... No stopping
Sleep... sleep No more fear It's over... over Sleep... sleep
VIETNAM WAS SOMETHING I DID AS A KID
For some Vietnam vets the war became a defining and lasting moment of their life. For me, Vietnam was something I did when I was a kid.
Like most I joined at eighteen, for Fun, Travel and Adventure I'd otherwise never seen.
I survived my training and boarded a plane flew 10,000 miles to a land of pain.
I did my year, learned and saw And remember old friends yearly watching TV coverage of events at The Wall, where I see beards under baseball caps, embroidered with unit logos amidst the sound of Taps.
Many of the vets crisscrossing The Wall, have made their one year in 'Nam as if it were their all.
I am now 47 and for me, Vietnam represents only 1/47th of me, no regrets, no anger and no PTSD.
For some, Vietnam has become their entire life, For me, Vietnam was just something I did, when I was a kid.
BROKEN WARRIOR
That funny look upon your face, Whenever I pass by. Tells me you don't understand, The patch upon my eye.
My wheelchair is a novelty, It makes a certain sound. I got it several years ago, When my legs could not be found.
You stare at me and then you turn, In hopes I'll go away. Hello, my friend, is what I've been, Hoping you will say.
I lost more than my legs and eye Fighting for Uncle Sam I came back home to find I don't know who I really am
They gave me a place to call my own It's call the D.A.V. And when you say your prayers at night I hope you'll remember me
Some of my friends are on the streets They spend their time alone America's broken warriors On the street without a home?
Before the war when I was strong And everything was here If you had known me then you'd know I'm nothing you should fear The other vets all feel the same We're nothing you should dread We are the one's who fought for you And Freedom's why we bled
So the next time you see me on the street Or saluting the flag passing by You'll understand the reason for the tear In the corner of my single eye.
TEARS
My friends all said, "don't go there" it will only bring you Tears Tears for all those brave young me who went to do their part Thoughts of all who died in Nam Still rip at my heart Tears for them we left behind To battle on in vain and for POWs We may never see again Tears for all my countrymen who forgot who we were there and for all others Who didn't even care Tears for all the fighting men Who came home blind and lame and for all the men like me who will never be the same.
THE CASUALTY
From a land far away Where battles have raged He comes back home Once young but now aged
Just a boy when he left Still innocent with youth In twelve long months Found that shattered by truth
Reality so grim And hard to understand He looked for answers But no one offered a hand
An outcast in a society Where the pain never ends He went back to his land Back to his only friends
He wonders at night With feeling so sad He is here for his country Why should that be so bad?
He thinks of the people That will never be here And laughs to himself They will never know fear
Afraid to go home Afraid to stay He just doesn't know But it's decided one day
The rockets are heavy But he doesn't care anymore Through tired and numbed senses He stares at the door
He's gone in a flash A thunder and roar To a place of peace Where he will hurt no more
I AM AN MIA
I feel as if I'm forgotten So alone and without love I'm living on the strength of God To make it through each passing day How many days has it been? Months or years have past Yet I wait to be free
I long to see my family And those I left behind Will they still remember me? Has time erased the love?
My captors taunt me daily And tell me I will die Then they laugh and walk away Calling me an American fool Lord, I pray for your strength Just to make it through
Does anyone know I am alive? Does anyone still care? I am listed as a statistic A number on a sheet I am classified as Killed in action Yet I am a prisoner of war
I could be your son, your husband Or your father, uncle, aunt, sister Or perhaps your brother Who am I? I am an American who served my country
I am an MIA.
THE WAYS OF WAR
The ways of war have past us by Like a wind-blown fallen leaf Returned to the depths of time Like a sword placed in this sheath
Memories of the distant past Echo softly in the night Erased the sound of cannon blast Expunged us from our fright
Love for life continues froth Like the growth of a precious flower Seeking strength from love within Reaching for the greatest power
Sleepless dreams have rolled away To a place where hope begins The future securely locked in place Far from yesterday's mortal sins
Reality is still the same today As it was before the pain Shadows begin to fade away Left in love's soft refrain
The ways of war have passed us now The river has run its course Peace alights upon furrowed brow No reason for remorse
The ways of war have passed us by We have awakened from the dream The past reminds us why Things are better than they seem
The ways of war have past us now Love abounds from within our soul Golden days are left to live We've finally found our role
LAURELS
I heard a very amusing saying while contemplating need information sitting on VA shelves "This is the machine age my friends And all people do with their hands is scratch themselves" complacency, apathy, Union-slot-itis Are all old names spruced and cleaned for laziness
By the very ones who wish to hides their actions and inactions behind a strong screen of haziness
Evil and sloth flourish were good people, for whatever reason take no action
We stand around moanin 'n groanin while these few, solidify, unify their greedy faction
Vets. and those who still care listen to what I say
Do something Quick or prepare for an all white-collar VA
PROFILE OF A SOLDIER
A young man was he He went away to war Young and innocent was he Why wars? Why me? Why not me? He went to war and became a man He returned different, far older than his years The scars of war etched on his soul Wounds that will never heal Scars indented on his mind and body forever A young man A man A soldier ... forever.
A PLEDGE
God granted me a mind, the ability to learn the mysteries of life, ways to improve my life and those of my fellow human beings.
God created all things, God created the earth, upon this earth God created a cycle of life. A check and balance system, a system that will keep any one from of life from over-powering another.
God implanted a system of reproduction and created man and woman, God gave man and woman the ability to know right from wrong, an instinct and tendency inborn for survival.
God did not make a perfect human, the instinct to think and to survive created other factors; greed, hate, prejudice and productivities, some for the betterment of life and some for the destruction of his fellow man.
God being all good gave man another side of life, a life of understanding and a way to be creative, to restore what others have destroyed.
God gave me the strength and the wisdom to keep my faith in you, and I pledge to be a productive person, to assist mankind, to ignore those who will disrupt and dismay others, to be creative and to teach others of your love for mankind.
KOREA
In the words of a 5-star general as he spoke to the USA Old soldiers never die they just fade away
But speak not of the Korean vet As you hear him coming through in remmbreance of his comrades with his tears of gratitude
In the years of 1950 the communist had a plan to capture South Korea as the free world made a stand
Yes, John Q, there was Korea but not like the wars before for this action came with a policeman's name when the bear had knocked on the door
Many countries remember their fallen in respect of honor due but in these states such little relates and our histories words are few.
For in the hallway of the high school mahogany plaques stand out of the names engraved and the sacrifice made to remind us what war is about.
There are names there of the first war and very first bugle call and for the taps that blew in World War Two and the boys from Nam on the Wall.
But the Korean War forgotten 54,000 lost their place and the 8,000 more. Our MIA's of them there's such little trace.
So hear us, 5-star Generals we heed to the words you say that old soldiers never die by why must they fade away?
Ask not what your country can do for you... Ask what you can do for your country! These words from an infamous man... Lead many a young man to a hostile land! Patriotic and duty bound they recruited for Nam... While these brave souls fought and died they were protested by draft dodgers and hippies who didn't give a damn! But, more and more young men still came to fill the shrinking ranks... When these young men, now old inside returned home they didn't even get a greeting or thanks! Such was the nature of the Vietnam veteran to adapt and to overcome the obstacles of the time... For in the name of Patriotism and Duty and Honor these veterans answered the call during their prime! Now decades later illnesses have taken their toll of the rosters of these true Patriots... Agent Orange and PTSD are names that have surfaced in the lives of our veterans along with the words from those that refused to join in that call for duty, they refer to our patriots as Idiots! Idiots they are not, true red blooded Americans they are... Don't forget them citizens of our great land, for they fought and died for you in that hostile land so far!
A MATTER OF HONOR
We the young men of WWII, Fought to restore the life we knew; To free the world from Hitler's grasp, And bring mankind to peace at last.
We gave our lives to pass the test; To show what kind of heart beat in our breast. Where did we find the courage, you may ponder; It was simply, a matter of honor.
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