~~~In Remembrance~~~


In Honor of Those Who Fought...
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The Last Soldier

When it came time to depart,
They would shed many tears.
The war had torn his family apart,
Knowing he'd be gone for many years.

The war had left families alone,
Many spouses lost their lovers.
All had wanted to return home,
But felt their lives were over.

Always seeing his picture,
Every morning when they awoke,
Was a constant reminder,
That gave all of them hope.

It was so very hard to accept he was not there,
His usual weekly letters started to disappear.
This was something so very hard to bear,
Thoughts of not seeing him instilled so much fear.

No news was heard for many years,
But he was always in their thoughts.
They would always shed many tears,
Because they felt he was lost.

Then finally one day a telegram came,
No disappointment their lives would change.
They found him, the one they had waited for,
Their lives would now be rearranged.

The last soldier to return from a foreign land,
He and his family now would not be alone.
He finally returned, no more a broken man,
He had found his way back home.

Written By Bob Macchia (C) 2000
BobEmakk@aol.com

They say this is a holiday,
parades with high school bands,
Sales at all department stores,
mini flags at little stands.

Schools are closed on Monday,
and the kids will go to play,
But for the men they say we honor,
they're not allowed to pray.

Do we understand the meaning,
of the folded flag upon my desk?
A reminder of the friends we lost,
and so many thousands of the rest.

The thirteen stripes for colonies,
that many died to save,
But today there's streets and buildings,
standing high upon their grave.

Fifty stars for states with freedom,
each state with men who died,
With fatherless sons and daughters,
and the million tears they cried.

Again I'll go to Washington,
I'll read the names upon The Wall,
Of the brave young men who gave their lives,
and answered freedom's call.

Tears will fill my eyes again,
but my heart will fill with pride,
To know these fallen heroes,
once stood by my side.

Today I ask one favor,
please read these words I've shared,
Find someone who served your country,
and just tell them that you cared.

~Author Unknown~

The poem below was found on the body of
a nineteen-year-old American Soldier in Viet Nam