JUST A SIMPLE SOLDIER<br><br>He was getting old and paunchy and his hair was falling fast<br>And he sat around the Legion telling stories of the past,<br>Of a war that he had fought in and the deeds that he had done<br>In his exploits with his buddies; they were heroes, everyone.<br><br>And ‘tho sometimes to his neighbors, his tales became a joke,<br>All his buddies listened, for they knew whereof he spoke.<br>But we’ll hear his tales no longer, for old Bob has passed away<br>And the world’s a little poorer, for a soldier died today.<br><br>No, he won’t be mourned by many, just his children and his wife, <br>For he lived an ordinary, very quiet sort of life,<br>He held a job and raised a family, quietly going on his way;<br>And the world won’t note his passing; ‘tho a soldier died today.<br><br>When politicians leave this earth, their bodies lie in state,<br>While thousands note their passing and proclaim that they were great,<br>Papers tell of their life stories from the time that they were young,<br>But the passing of a soldier goes unnoticed, and unsung.<br><br>Is the greatest contribution to the welfare of our land<br>Some jerk who breaks his promise and cons his fellow man?<br>Or the ordinary fellow who in times of war and strife<br>Goes off to serve his Country and offers up his life?<br><br>The politician’s stipend and the style in which he lives<br>Are sometimes disproportionate to the services that he gives,<br>While the ordinary soldier, who offered up his all,<br>Is paid off with a medal, and perhaps a pension small.<br><br>It’s so easy to forget them, for it was so long ago<br>That our Bob’s and Jim’s and Johnny’s went to battle, but we know<br>It was not the politicians, with their compromise and ploys,<br>Who won for us the freedom that our country now enjoys.<br><br>Should you find yourself in danger with your enemies at hand,<br>Would you really want some cop-out with his ever-waffling stand?<br>Or would you want a soldier who has sworn to defend<br>His home, his kin, and country, and would fight until the end?<br><br>He was just a common soldier and his ranks are growing thin<br>But his presence should remind us, we may need his like again.<br>For when countries are in conflict, then we find the soldier’s part<br>Is to clean up all the troubles that the politicians start.<br><br>If we cannot do him honor while he’s here to hear the praise,<br>Then at least let’s give him homage at the ending of his days.<br>Perhaps a simple headline in the paper that might say:<br>OUR COUNTRY IS IN MOURNING, FOR A SOLDIER DIED TODAY.<br><br>Author Unknown<br>

 

Amen.

 

That is sad but so true, such a shame.

 

Well put.<br>Makes a person think.<br>See Ya<br>Chris

 

Went to the &quot;Golden Trough&quot; today for the military appreciation free dinner. An old guy (must have been near 80) got in front of us on the way to the front door. He was wearing his original wool issue army greens with one row of ribbons and using a cane to get along. He turned around to me and the wife and said &quot;Let me get out of your way, folks, I'm just too slow to stay ahead of you&quot;. My wife (also USAF) beat me to the punch. &quot;You already led the way, mister. We'll follow you&quot;.

 

Earlier today I recieved an email on the military net of a story of a USAF B-52 pilot who was in Afganistan this last year. The pilot and his squadron where felt behind in the states when most of the action was going on and he was greatly disappointed. As the war was coming to an end his squadron was deployed to the middle east. In his daily operations he dropped no bombs and engaged in no actions. He was really starting to feel down about not doing his share to help when he got a call from an officer in the British Army. The British Office called to thank him for saving him and his men from the Taliben. The officer his men had come up a large group of Taliben that where coming into surrend. The Taliben out number the British and once the realized they realized that they could take the British they decided not to surrender. The Taliben commander told the British office you are out numbered and have no re enforcements what are you going to do. As the British office looked up he saw the jet trail of a B-52 over head and with out saying a word he pointed his finger sky ward. The Taliben commander looked up and the ordered his men to surrender. The Air Force pilot up hearing this realized that every thing we are able to do is because of other that have gone before us. This was a great story and I hope I got it right when I wrote it you you guys.

 

And that my good friends is the definition of &quot;deterrence&quot;. True or not, accurate or not. The point is, it more likely than not, did happen. Look how quickly the Iraqi's surrendered after receiving massive initial strikes and counter battery fire. I've seen enough on Discovery and History channels about Gulf War I, to be impressed with the determination of our fighting man. It's amazing how many foreign potentates listen to our news services and believe that we're rushing to oblivion and are weak. Now all we have to do is convince our politicians who think Chamberlain was right in trying to placate Hitler and his ilk from making the same mistake with today's Hitler's and ilk's. I'm reminded of my ships motto (from my brief (4 years) in the USNavy) which translated loosely: To have Peace, be ready for War.<br><br>~Dragging away the soap box Dave