Saturday, May 31, 2008

Great poem: JUST A COMMON SOLDIER

God bless our Vets, from all wars.  This tribute to a common soldier is exactly what we should all feel toward our military.  Politicians like Bush & Cheney who avoided military duty like the plague, are the ones sending our young soldiers into an unnecessary war today--heedless of the pain and grief they are causing to these soldiers and their families.  Believing the lies of their leaders, the soldiers will continue to go to wars that benefit the rich leaders and their corporate buddies, and will give up their life and limb because they believe they are protecting our country.  God bless them all. Whether or not they are right in their belief, their courage is unquestionable.

And how are these brave soldiers being served by their "leaders" in today's world?  Bush and McCain want to deny them increased benefits. McCain voted against the bill to increase veteran benefits and Bush says he will veto it.  Think about this before casting your vote in November.   Enough said. 


JUST A COMMON SOLDIER

(A Soldier Died Today)

by A. Lawrence Vaincourt

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 had 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 Legion buddies listened, for they knew whereof he spoke.

But we'll hear his tales no longer for old Bill has passed away,

And the world's a little poorer, for a soldier died today.

He will not be mourned by many, just his children and his wife,

For he lived an ordinary and quite uneventful life.

Held a job and raised a family, quietly going his own way,

And the world won't note his passing, though 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 their whole 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

A guy who breaks his promises 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?

A politician's stipend and the style in which he lives

Are sometimes 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 was so long ago,

That the old Bills of our Country went to battle, but we know

It was 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 want a politician with his ever-shifting stand?

Or would you prefer a soldier, who has sworn to defend

His home, his kin and Country and 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, then 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 a paper that would say,

Our Country is in mourning, for a soldier died today.

C 1987 A. Lawrence Vaincourt

http://www.vaincourt.homestead.com/Common_Soldier.html

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