OT - Veterans' Day 2010

I found these two pieces in the past and I keep them posted on the bulletin board behind my desk as a daily reminder of the sacrifices and commitment of the men and women, and their families, in the United States Armed Forces. Whether currently serving domestically or internationally, or having served in the past, I give a heart-felt THANK YOU for the Pride, Honor, and Freedoms that you have give every citizen of this great nation and your commitment to continue to defend them against all enemies foreign or domestic. So help you God.

Freedom Is Not Free
By Kelly Strong

I watched the flag pass by one day,
It fluttered in the breeze.
A young marine saluted it,
And then he stood at ease.

I looked at him in uniform,
So young, so tall, so proud;
With hair cut square and eyes alert,
He’d stand out in any crowd.

I thought, how many men like him
Had fallen through the years?
How many died on foreign soil?
How many mother’s tears?

How many pilots’ planes shot down?
How many died at sea?
How many foxholes were soldiers’ graves?
No, freedom is not free.

I heard the sounds of Taps one night,
When everything was still.
I listened to the bugler play,
And felt a sudden chill.

I wondered just how many times
That Taps had meant “Amen”,
When a flag had covered a coffin
Of a brother, or a friend.

I thought of all the children,
Of mothers and of wives,
Of fathers, sons, and husbands
With interrupted lives.

I thought about a graveyard
At the bottom of the sea,
Of unmarked graves in Arlington,
No, freedom is not free.


The Final Inspection
Author Unknown

The soldier stood and faced God,
Which must always come to pass,
He hoped his shoes were shining,
Just as brightly as his brass.

“Step forward now, you soldier,
How shall I deal with you?
Have you always turned the other cheek?
To My church have you been true?”

The soldier squared his shoulders and said,
“No Lord, I guess I ain’t,
Because those of us who carry guns,
Can’t always be a saint.

I’ve had to work most Sundays,
And at times my talk was tough,
And sometimes I’ve been violent,
Because the world is awfully rough.

But, I never took a penny
That wasn’t mine to keep . . .
Though I worked a lot of overtime
When the bills got just too steep,

And I never passed a cry for help,
Though at times I shook with fear,
And sometimes, God forgive me,
I’ve wept unmanly tears.

I know I don’t deserve a place
Among the people here,
They never wanted me around,
Except to calm their fears.

If you’ve a place for me here, Lord,
It needed be so grand,
I never expected or hard too much,
But if you don’t, I’ll understand.”

There was a silence all around the throne,
Where the saints had often trod,
As the soldier waited quietly,
For the judgment of his God.

“Step forward now, you soldier,
You’ve borne your burdens well,
Walk peacefully on Heaven’s streets,
You’ve done your time in Hell.”

It was an honor to serve.

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