A Memorial Day Poem
Watering the Tree
We've spilled our blood on Flanders Field, the Belleau Wood and the muddy trenches in France. On a quiet night when the stars shine bright and you can hear the crickets sing, those who have fallen join the chorus: "Please don't forget the sacrifice we made, we've fallen here with our brothers. Patriots all we answered the call and gave our all, to water the tree of liberty."
The beaches of Normandy we stormed, and little known islands in the Pacific. We fought through jungles, swamps, hedge groves, forrest and fields and deserts. We braved the ice, snow, we were cold and wet and fought when wounded. On a quiet night when the stars shine bright and you can hear the crickets sing, those who have fallen join the chorus: "Please don't forget the sacrifice we made, we've fallen here with our brothers. Patriots all we answered the call and gave our all, to water the tree of liberty."
Over the Chosin Reservoir and the barren mountains of Korea we battled and fought. It was called the forgotten war, how can this be when we still left behind our precious blood and treasure? On a quiet night when the stars shine bright and you can hear the crickets sing, those who have fallen join the chorus: "Please don't forget the sacrifice we made, we've fallen here with our brothers. Patriots all we answered the call and gave our all, to water the tree of liberty."
In the steaming jungles and rice paddies of Vietnam , Khe Sahn, A Shau Valley, Hamburger Hill, we were called once again to protect and defend, 58,220 were laid to rest, their names all, etched on a black granite wall. On a quiet night when the stars shine bright and you can hear the crickets sing, those who have fallen join the chorus: "Please don't forget the sacrifice we made, we've fallen here with our brothers. Patriots all we answered the call and gave our all, to water the tree of liberty."
We fought house to house from Baghdad to Fallujah in the forsaken towns all across Iran. We have stained the desert sands red with patriot's blood, all too to eager for more. On a quiet night when the stars shine bright and you can hear the crickets sing, those who have fallen join the chorus: "Please don't forget the sacrifice we made, we've fallen here with our brothers. Patriots all we answered the call and gave our all, to water the tree of liberty."
For 18 years we fought this country's longest war in the god forsaken land of Afghanistan. From the caves of Tora Bora through mountains with no names , valleys and villages and cities like Kabul, we've paid the price in spades. On a quiet night when the stars shine bright and you can hear the crickets sing, those who have fallen join the chorus: "Please don't forget the sacrifice we made, we've fallen here with our brothers. Patriots all we answered the call and gave our all, to water the tree of liberty."
NEVER FORGET!