Poems &

A Wondering Soldier

The time had come
To serve my country
I did not run as did some
To Canada, our neighboring friend
To be allowed back, is surely dumb

Some believe this was wrong
Some believe this was right
To flee the country
And stay out of sight.

As a Vietnam vet
Who made it home
It was a disgrace to let
Those who ran, to come back home
For those who died
Came back home, not alive.

Being on a base
And not walking among the trees
Made me sometimes feel out of place
But I did my part to try and make these people free.

Sometimes I would stare at the sky
Sometimes I would stare at the trees
I thought, no one wanted to die
We were just there so people could be free.

I often wondered how it would be
Not being on base
And walking in among the trees
But I was sent to this place
To do my part
Until I would depart.

When I came home to this free land
I wasn't greeted with a marching band
The only thing was my families hand.

Today I still look at the sky
Wondering why so many had to die
And when I look at the trees
I wonder why
All are not free.

By Jim Benner

I Will Always Remember You

You were born in California
New York and Tennessee
You are every generations hope
of all that we can be
All this land between the oceans
Is the home that you defend
You're my mother, you're my daughter
My sister, my friend

No one ever had to ask you
It seemed you always knew
Standing up for what is right
Is all that you could do
Not one to look the other way
You choose to serve with pride
And dared to cross the boundaries
Knowing God was on your side

And I will always remember you
For you remembered me.
Always there when I needed you
Always there protecting my freedom
How could I ever forget you
You, who always came through
For duty, honor, country
I will always remember you

How you taught us strength and courage
And the will to never fail
And that through our every conflict
Somehow triumph would prevail
You made your peace with history
And stand among the brave
No more the unsung hero
For you our banners wave

And I will always remember you
For you remembered me
Always there when I needed you
Always there protecting my freedom
How could I ever forget you
You, who always came through
For duty, honor, country
I will always remember you

(by Gini Stern)

Black and Silver (a dream)

I watched a tower burn today,
ashes swirled, I lost the sun
against the black;
could barely see the horror leapt
where silver streaks shot
earthward hit and miss,
in the attack...
laser beams fired into flame.

A jungle camp of young Marines,
is overrun at dawn.
White phosphorous explosions
melt to mourning in the smoke.
The single sentry raised up high,
a burning candle in the sky;
sounds of life disintegrate
to wisps of voices trailing...
boiled in heat.

Rat-tat- tat of mini guns,
the last to stand alive
falls silent in the choking hail,
the whiz and wail of popping guns
pulls crimson courage river runs
from heroes veins, dark stains
upon their flag remain.

I watched a tower burn today,
ashes reeked of burning flesh,
I lost a son against the black,
cried out my heart in horror when
his silver tags on silver chain
shot flashes back on fire wind
from in the flame; a final wave
from these and these alone...
another brave Marine was gone.

-- Mark Warren

The Few

On a barren shore,
In a distant land.
Sweat beads on the brow,
Blood mingles with sand.

Young lives put on hold,
their dreams set aside.
Warriors to battle.
New fears they must hide.

They fight not for glory.
Their blood is no tithe.
From each other comes courage,
for each other comes pride.

As one they wage war
many faces and names.
Under enemies' fire
Their hearts are the same.

They're known as the Few,
but they sacrifice much.
For strangers they die.
That they may feel freedom's touch.

In our hearts they must stay
When the cannon are done.
Flesh and blood were these men.
They were fathers and sons.

Forever to remember
these Marines that have passed.
Pray for their peace,
that forever it will last.

-- Sgt. Jeffrey Gracey

In Your Honor

Unselfishly, you left your fathers and your mothers,
You left behind your sisters and your brothers.
Leaving your beloved children and wives,
You put on hold your dreams, your lives.

On foreign soil, you found yourself planted
To fight for those whose freedom you granted.
Without your sacrifice, their cause would be lost
But you carried onward, no matter the cost.

Many horrors you had endured and seen.
Many faces had haunted your dreams.
You cheered as your enemies littered the ground;
You cried as your brothers fell all around.

When it was over, you all came back home,
Some were left with memories to face all alone;
Some found themselves in the company of friends
As their crosses cast shadows across the land.

Those who survived were forever scarred
Emotionally, physically, permanently marred.
Those who did not, now sleep eternally
Beneath the ground they had given their lives to keep free.

With a hand upon my heart, I feel
The pride and respect; my reverence is revealed
In the tears that now stream down my upturned face
As our flag waves above you, in her glory and grace.

Freedom was the gift that you unselfishly gave
Pain and death was the price that you ultimately paid.
Every day, I give my utmost admiration
To those who had fought to defend our nation.

-- Author Unknown

Army Vows

If the Army wanted you to have a wife, they would of issued you one.

Dear Family and Friends, we are gathered here today in the sight of God and the
Department of the Army to witness this exchange of vows, and see the love that these
two dedicated, loving people have for one another.

"Wilt thou, Robert, take Debbie (who was once referred as the "dependent"),
as your Family Member, to dwell
together in so far as the Department of the Army will permit?"

"Wilt thou love her, comfort her via the Postal Service or over the phone, make
sure she knows where the commissary, PX, and church are and what time she is
scheduled to use the laundry room the DAY she arrives, wherever
you are stationed?"

"Wilt thou attempt to tell her more than 24 hours in advance that you will be leaving
for two weeks, beginning the next morning? This especially applies to the years
you will live in a foreign country!"

"Wilt thou, Debbie, take this soldier as thy wedded husband, knowing that he is
depending upon you to be the perfect (well, almost) Army Wife, running the
household as you see fit and being nice to the Commander's Wife? Further,
you understand that your life with your husband (little that you
may have together) will not be normal, that you may have to explain to your
children, not once, but twice, and more often in the same day, that mothers
do have husbands. This soldier is their daddy, who loves them very, very much."

"Wilt thou love, respect and wait for him, preparing his favorite meals when
he does come home, freezing them when he doesn't, send him all his favorite
cookies and pictures of yourself and the kids, so he can remember what you
look like? And last but not least, put on the outside of your door his "Welcome Home"
sign when he's do to arrive?"

"I, Robert, take thee Debbie, as my independent wife from 1900 to 2200 hours
or as long as allowed by my Commanding Officer (subject to change without notice)
For better or worse, earlier or later, near or far, and I promise to look at
the pictures you send me, maybe not when they get to me in the field, but before
I turn the lights out. I will also send a letter if time permits, and if not,
to somehow, some way, make time."

"I, Debbie, take thee, Rob, as my live-in/live-out husband, realizing that your
coming and going and 0330 staff meetings are a normal (although absurb to me)
part of your life as a soldier. I promise not to be shocked or taken by surprise
when you inform me that, although we've just arrived at out new duty station,
we wil be leaving within the month. Yes, I'll have you as my husband as long as,
while you are away, my allotment comes through regularly, and that you leave
me a current power of attorney and the checkbook at all times. I am a Family
Member and proud of it, dependent upon myself and my resources. Although
I miss you when you are away, I know I can handle whatever comes across my path."

"Now then, let no man or woman put asunder what God and the Department of the
Army have brought together, only for them to soon say 'Goodbye' to one another.
Robert leaves for his duty assignment in Germany tomorrow. Debbie will be joining
him whenever the approval arrives. The Army hereby issues this lovely, dedicated,
independent, woman, knowing that she'll be an asset not only to your marriage, but
also to the Mission of the United States Army, which is, as you all know to
remain in a state of 'Readiness'. By the authority vested in the Bible, elaborated
in the regulations and subject to current directives concerning the aspects
of marriage in the Army, you are now a Soldier with Family Member.
Best Wishes and Good Luck

Author Unknown

The Flag

I'll wave to all of you, as you leave
when it's time for you to go.
As you sail from sea to shining sea
take the colors of your home.

Take me with you, wherever you go
keep me in your heart each night.
And if you forget what you're fighting for
remember me, in flight.

Take me out to the battleground,
and then tear me into shreds.
Wrap the bleeding wound with me,
and bind the aching head.

Plunge me into coldest water
to soothe the fevered brow.
Tie me across the shattered limb,
I'll support it now.

Let me dry the homesick tear,
and hold closed, the gaping chest,
for here, in the field, where hope is lost
I am at my best.

And then, burn what is left of me,
for warmth into the night.
So I may bring comfort, where there is need
and courage, for the fight.

My red is deeper, for the blood you've shed.
My white is purer, for your pain.
My blue will be bluer than the deepest sea
when you come home again.

Then I'll rise to the top of the flagpole,
where my colors are always flown,
and from there, when the war is over
I'll wave, to welcome you home.

-- Author unknown

Prisoner In A Cage

I'm just a prisoner in a cage
I have no name, I have no age
The guards, they didn't know what I've done
All they know is I'm a captured one

They captured me in '65
And I guess it's lucky I'm still alive
For I've tried to escape three times in all
And I'd go the fourth . . . but I'd have to crawl

They buried me once for seven days
(standing up to his neck)
And that was supposed to mend my ways
But I still have that urge to try, you see
But now I don't have the legs to carry me

My feet are in stocks, my neck's tied to a pole
What food I get is shoved in through a hole
At night I lie down and my hands are tied
And the rope is stretched to a post outside

Now I've been sick and almost died
And I've had to crawl to get outside
I wasn't helped in any way at all
In fact, I was beaten while held against a wall

But I'll leave here alive, I know that now
But I don't know when and I don't know how
And I'll see my family once again
But I don't know where and I don't know when. . . .

By Ernest C. Brace

Ernie was the longest held civilian POW during the
Vietnam War. He wrote this in his head while captive
in a cage in the jungle.
It is from his book "A Code To Keep."

I visited the wall today and posted a message by the name of Earl Aiko Okumura, he died in my arms Aug. 1, 1968.

I left part of a poem I wrote about 25 years ago (just the last part of it). This is the entire poem.

The Other Side

(Refer to as Prose)

Ive been told from time to time, Try to see it my way. Look at the other side. I know theres the other side of day, the other side of right. Somewhere, the two sides must meetsomewhere in time, in space. If you go far enough east, do you find yourself west? Does the same thing happen to love, to hurt, to caring? Why cant we stop before we venture too far? Could it be that we dont know ourselves? Are we overwhelmed on the idea of fulfilling our own needs, without thinking of the other side?

Do we move too fast, too slow, or in the wrong direction? Are we afraid of disapproval, hurt or just finding the truth within ourselves? Can we really find this truth? We may ask others. We search our past, plan our future, and seek the answer from the still small voice from within.

I believe it is best to plan for the future. Dont regret misfortunes in the past. (It is best not to live in the past either.) Enjoy today, help others and accept their help when its offered.

We all have the same feelings: love, hurt, anger, and anxiety. We have different levels of these emotions, and for different reasons. We can all relate to them. Only within ourselves do we know what degree of pleasure or pain these feelings bring; from our own past experiences. So love one another with understanding. For the other side is really ourselves, at another level at another time.

Arne O. Espedal, Jr.

May 27, 2007