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To Our Viet Nam Vets
Folder:
Military/Patriotic Copyright 6/26/00
He watched his comrades die one by one
He alone was left to be shunned.
He survived the action in Viet Nam
To come home and be hated worse than Spam.
He was spat on and called killer of children
In his war he saw children kill his men.
His family couldn't cope when the flashbacks came
His wife filed for divorce and parents did the same.
He couldn't find a job that he could do
Cause a flashback may make him kill you.
He wandered the streets for a time
Begging for change, pennies or dimes.
Oh how he longed
To have died there in the Mekong.
But for some strange plan
God, saved him from the brutalities of man.
He plays those scenes back in his mind
How a buddy was there one minute then gone with a mine.
These people just don't understand the horrors he has seen
Or have walked in his boots to the places he has been.
He has seen the gates of hell
And has fought the fight well.
What we see here is just the shell
Of a used up patriot waiting for the death knell.
Treat him with kindness for it is deserved
For he gave all to the beloved country he served.
Right or wrong, it wasn't his call
But damn it, he gave it his all.
And surviving wasn't enough
Coming home was just as rough.
Lost family, friends, respect, and love
All that was left was the lord above.
He gets down on his knees and prays
Lord, please take these nightmares away.
But an answer comes to this man,
His nightmares are to be the conscience of this land.
Never must they forget how lack of resolve saw ye,
Get young men killed so unnecessarily.
He must always be there to remind them of that lost war
Where over 43000 lives will be no more.
Those that died were the lucky ones
They didn't have to come home to be shunned.
Viet Nam he didn't want to go to
His country sent him, and he did what he had to do.
Give honor to these heros where they stand,
And if necessary give them a helping hand.
They paid the price for freedom, yours and mine.
They gave their hearts, limbs, and ultimately their minds.
They deserve their country's embrace
For their efforts to save its face.
When our leaders failed them so
Let us all welcome them home.
A wonderful tribute to a group of Vets who deserve much more than they have been given. I have a few on my sight that express my feelings on this time. Thanks for writing this Huch. May God bless.
Wow! This is an amazingly heartfelt piece that I'm sure MANY will appreciate very much. My dad is a Vietnam vet; he didn't see any action (He was a cook in a supply camp), but I think the whole experience changed him completely. He doesn't talk about it very much. My friend Mike asked him once if he'd still go if he knew then what he knows about the whole thing now; my dad didn't even have to think about his answer. He said, "Yes, I would. Someone had to go, someone had to fight for freedom instead of running off to Canada." Thank you for posting this one.
Heartfelt and painful piece... My heart cries for them too.
this was such a well written tribute to the vets .... this should be published and placed where they could read these words.... so that they will know that there are those of us that welcome them back home.... for those that I know personally are still haunted by the things they saw or had to do..... what a nasty shame