~

(its message timeless and as real today as then,
this is a re-post from two years back)

one current note, this 2015 Veteran's Day,
i am grateful to say that 12 days hence
my son returns from a third middle east deployment; 
there will be much to give thanks for!

~

Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine,
Air, space, land and sea;
Sailor, Corpman, Airman, Soldier,
Pilot, Ranger, Medic, SEAL,
or Merchant Mariner;
Barbary, 1812, American Revolution,
Civil, Spanish, Texan and Mexican,
WWI, WWII,
Korea, Vietnam,
Gulf, Iraq and Afghanistan.

Khaki, green, white and blue,
Ship, tank, plane... all boots.
Knife, pistol, bomb or rifle,
Weapon, bandage, or Bible instead,
Each one’s veins filled with red.

Hostage rescue, protect and shield,
Capture, conquer, overcome, never yield;
Freedom, heartbreak, loss and grief,
Foreign, home, border, sky,
Ocean, desert, mountain, plain,
Water side, hillside, bedside, grave.

Parent, child, father, mother,
Auntie, uncle, niece or nephew,
Sister, brother, spouse and lover.
May your sweat on furtive brow,
Rouse our tribute, take knee and bow.
Buried, missing... wounded all,
Respect, endure, honor, release,
Forever may you rest in peace.

To each of you
Who’s paid a price,
With years, with limb,
With blood, with life,
For each of these,
Oh, warrior ferocious,
Wrapped around
A heart that’s precious;
My voice it sings,
Let freedom ring;
My heart, it bleeds,
My eyes, they weep;
My hand, it rises in salute;
And my soul is filled
This day for you
With pride that swells,
With love that beats,
A song of deepest,
Heartfelt
Gratitude!

Oh Warrior, you this day I salute!!!

~

*Post Script:

In tribute to:
- The 240th birthday of our United State Marines Corp
- Each veteran on this Veteran’s Day, here now and those no longer with us
- To a son who serves today, protecting combat skies

This country has fought in many wars. I mean no slight, or disrespect in any omission whatsoever, whether in field, unit, uniform or war (giving highlight to major US conflicts only).  Each of us knows, deep in our hearts, that not all wars are just (read St. Augustine and St. Aquinas’ Just War concept here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Justwartheory ) and not all wars bind us together, but on this I hope and pray we can agree... the men, the women trained and sent are deserving of tribute, having given everything.
For, “greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends.”  

This write then doesn’t pay tribute to war, to their command
nor the reasons for each one, be they righteous or no;
it pays tribute only to each military man and woman,
their heart and their soul!