Growing Up Fast

Now more than not I remember when,

We fought a war we could not win.

We were so young, barely old enough to shave,

Like warriors before us we wanted to be brave.

You had to learn fast or end up dead,

You listened to old timers, every thing they said.

Stay off the trails; try not to make a sound,

When the point gave the sign, kneel quickly to the ground.

After several missions it’s your big day,

This is when you’re awarded your Black Beret.

Everyone thinks their unit was the best, all did their part,

But you were in the Rangers; you knew it in your heart.

As months passed and the missions went by,

You saw many a friend leave, many you saw die.

You may have carried the pig, walked point or slack,

The only way to survive now is to not look back.

You became an old timer at 19 years of age,

You lose a close friend, your heart filled with rage.

We cared for the new guys; we showed them the way,

For we were the Rangers, “We led the way.”

Michael D. Monfrooe

1990