Afraid But Willing To Die

HE WAS AFRAID, BUT WILLING TO DIE
IN THE RECRUITING OFFICE HE NOW STOOD
IT WAS A TRADITION IN HIS FAMILY
SERVING HIS COUNTRY, HE KNEW HE WOULD

WHILE WAITING HIS TURN HE THOUGHT ABOUT
THE MANY STORIES HE’D BEEN TOLD
OF THE EXPLOITS OF HIS FAMILY MEMBERS
HOW THEY HAD BEEN BOTH BRAVE AND BOLD

ONE HAD COME OVER ON THE MAYFLOWER
WITH HIS MUSKET HELD THE INDIANS AT BAY
ANOTHER WAS A MEMBER OF ROGER’S RANGERS
KEEPING NEW ENGLAND SAFE EVERY DAY

YET ANOTHER STOOD HIS GROUND AT CONCORD
PUTTING A STOP TO THE BRITISH TYRANNY
ANOTHER WAS WITH ANDY JACKSON IN 1815
AGAIN BRINGING THE BRITISH TO THEIR KNEES

ANOTHER SACRIFICED HIS LIFE AT THE ALAMO
IN ORDER FOR THE TEXANS TO BE FREE
AND ANOTHER FOUGHT AND DIED AT GETTYSBURG
PICKETT’S CHARGE WAS A SIGHT TO SEE

ONE RODE INTO THE VALLEY WITH CUSTER
HOPING THAT HE WOULD COME OUT ALIVE
YET ANOTHER RODE WITH THE ROUGH RIDERS
A SAN JUAN HILL VICTORY HE DID DERIVE

HIS GREAT GRANDFATHER FOUGHT IN FRANCE
IN A CONFLICT CALLED WORLD WAR ONE
HIS GRANDFATHER FOUGHT AT IWO JIMA
DEFEATING THE JAPANESE RISING SUN

ANOTHER ABOARD THE ARIZONA WAS KILLED
ASLEEP BELOW, HE NEVER HAD A CHANCE
ANOTHER WAS AT THE BATTLE OF THE BULGE
HIS DIVISION STOPPED THE GERMAN ADVANCE

HIS DAD’S UNCLE WAS AT PORK CHOP HILL
HE CAME HOME AND WAS NEVER THE SAME
ANOTHER WAS CAPTURED, WAS IN A POW CAMP
HE DIED, FROZE TO DEATH WAS THE CLAIM

YET ANOTHER FOUGHT BRAVELY IN VIET NAM
BADLY WOUNDED, SHIPPED BACK TO THE STATES
PROTESTERS MET HIM AT THE AIRPORT
THEY SPAT ON HIM COMING THRU THE GATE

HIS FATHER, HE SERVED DURING DESERT STORM
PROUDLY DEFEATING SADDAM HUSSEIN’S IRAQ
HIS SECOND COUSIN, A MARINE CORPORAL
WAS WOUNDED BEATING BACK AN ISIS ATTACK

NOW IT WAS FINALLY HIS TURN TO SERVE
TO KEEP THE FAMILY TRADITION GOING, HE’D TRY
HE VOWED TO DEFEND THE COUNTRY HE LOVED
AND HE WAS MORE THAN WILLING TO DIE

Thursday, June 23, 2022