Memorial Day

A retrospective look at sacrifice for Memorial Day in the USA

MEMORIAL DAY

By Loren R. Love

 

All across this land of ours in the cities and towns we call home

Going back through the centuries to when the herds of buffalo roamed

In little plots on family farms under the shade of a lonely tree

To majestic rows of Arlington and reflections of the wall in DC

 

There were pioneers who fought against France in the French and Indian Wars

Followed by a colonial revolution against a King’s rule they abhorred

Ragtag armies of boys and men, no food or shoes, united in a stand

With muskets and bayonets they marched and died on command

 

Betsy Ross sewed a flag to symbolize our then young nation

In the war of 1812 our anthem was born when that flag made inspiration

A war with Mexico followed a massacre at the little Alamo mission

And over half a million soldiers died in the war over the South’s sedition

 

The Indian Wars were a darker era as a result of Manifest Destiny

In more recent times during the First World War our country gave heavily

Our grandfathers and great grandfathers took to arms when Germany attacked us on the sea

Over one hundred thousand never came home in the fight to keep Europe free

 

In 1941 on December 7^th as the sun rose over a quiet harbor in the Pacific Ocean

The island nation dropped its bombs and set America in motion

From Iwo Jima to Normandy through the air, sea and land

Our brothers in arms gave all and eventually took command

 

The Cold era followed resulting in the Red Menace

MacArthur pushed them back in Korea where our troops are still present

A generation grew up under the dark red cloud and nuclear fear

Practicing how to crouch under a school desk and which fallout shelter was near

 

In the sixties our boys were drafted, some enlisted from all across this great land

To a little place half a world away, a place called Vietnam

There they fought in a jungle of horror, wet and hot, against an enemy they could not see

58,000 KIA trying to stop the communist threat and keep a small little country free

 

These days our men and women fight a different war over in the Middle East

In places called Iraq and Afghanistan against the terrorist beast

The numbers may not be so big, the ones who don’t come back

But the sacrifice is still the same to the families of those under attack

 

So on Memorial Day when you gather, grill your food and drink your beer

Take a moment to think about all that have given all for what you hold so dear

They lie in the ground all across this land, take a look around

Look at the Stars and Stripes and remember what’s gone down

Reviews

[Eileenws]

Loren, Wonderful job in tackling a very tough subject. Nicely penned. Eileen

[Loren R Love]

Thanks Eileen.