Veteran's Day Tribute
"It is, in a way, an odd thing to honor those who died in defense of our country in wars
far away. The imgination plays a trick. We see these soldiers in our minds as old and
wise. We see them as something like the Founding Fathers, grave and gray-haired."
"But most of them were boys when they died. They gave up two lives: the one they were
living, and the one they would have lived. When they died, they gave up their chance to
be husbands and fathers and grandfathers. They gave up their chance to be revered old
men. They gave up everything for their country, for us. All we can do is remember."
Pres. Ronald Reagan,
Arlington National Cemetry,
Nov. 11, 1985
We Remember
When their country said it needed them,
They bravely answered the call,
To go off to lands so far away,
Where so many gave their all.
So young, with so much life ahead,
They kissed loved ones goodbye.
With the invincilbility of youth,
They never dreamed that they would die.
The sounds of mortars, tanks, and guns,
The awful sights and noise,
Quickly turned them into men,
Our brave young fighting boys.
They did the very best they could,
As they fought, and sometimes cried,
But for many of them, it wasn't enough,
And far away from home, they died.
There were some of them that made it back,
Their bodies crippled and numb,
The horrors of war still in their minds,
They were just glad to be back home.
Now all of us who live in peace,
Must know that freedom isn't free,
It was paid for by the blood of those
Who gave their all for liberty.
And so our nation sets aside,
This one day in November,
To honor those who sacrificed,
And tell them "We Remember".
© 2008 by Kathryn Brandon; all rights reserved.
This poem is my original work, and may not be
used in any manner without consent. Thank you.
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