An aching present in my chest
A dull pulling at my heart
I've never been this far from home
Or from familiarity so vastly apart

Every breath is dragging out a little 
And my feet along in sync 
Flashes of home are taunting me
When my eyelids rest briefly to blink

So far from home, from comfort, from safe
Nothing's numbing the disorder inside
I've left early to make my way home
Continuously hastening my stride

Finally surrounded by home again
In the comfort of my room, my bed
I'm safe and sound but something's off
The ache within isn't dead 

I've finally pinned what the problem is
Why my heart remains askew
Despite the turmoil in my troubled mind
I've found that home has left with you

Not even twenty four hours
Have come to pass us by 
I can't push the ache away
No matter how hard I try

Not even a single week gone
With nine more left to go
There's never been another week
That's gone by quite this slow

Not even a single month down
With another in the way
Every breath is a little harder
And it's harder to wake everyday

But despite the heartache and the tears
I'm right here by your side
And I promise you with all my heart
That I will be till the day that I die

Home is where you heart is and your hat hangs.
And while my hat hangs in Boston.
My heart holds steady in Oregon.
Where I loved, lost, and laughed with the best of them.
3,000 miles between me and home.
I can honestly say I've never felt so alone.
And while I'm gone
The world keeps turning
Fires keep burning
And no one remembers the sailor on watch
The scared kid in camo
And while I may hang my hat far from home
I know I'm not alone.

To join something that unites
A brother and sisterhood
Together for eight grueling weeks
Learning to work together
To fight side by side
Gain the experience
That can save each others life

At first we felt and seemed hopeless
Homesick and lost
Feeling all alone
Days went on
Days turned into weeks
Finally like a light switch
Everything started to make sense

We came together as a division
We came together as a ship
We came together at the command

We can begin to understand
The meaning behind being a United States Sailor
Ready to go to war
Ready to make peace
Ready to save lives

What our forefathers taught us
Fought and died for
We are proud to serve
This great nation
The United States of America

The house I have built within myself for you
is not an empty nest
It's cupped palms that hold water just fine
a cool, stone cage for a hummingbird
the door is open
I am waiting for the right moment to fly

The flowers have reached their bloom,
But the beauty can't compare
To the day we walked through their buddings
Catching up and making small talk,
Trying to avoid the goodbyes to follow.
We hugged goodbye and I avoided your kiss
The lingering taste would be too much to bear.
And the happy music blasted around
As I walked away with tear stained cheeks.
A month without you, too painful to bear...
How will I survive these next years...

Shoulder to shoulder you bands of brothers landed.
Code name Operation Neptune was underway.
You noble breed, not knowing what lay ahead
Just knowing that your duty was called upon.
The bugle sounded, you all answered the call
nobly you waded those waters for all.
06/06/1944 was the day.
The largest seaborne invasion in history.
Yet, you brothers in arms were not caring of history making
Just making it to the beach, alive.
I can but humbly thank you for what you all did that day,
you that lived and those that died.
What thoughts must have played in your mind.
A lone piper played throughout, what courage you all displayed.
No wonder we that came after you, leave you feeling dismayed.
Many wars have been fought since, their courage is also undenied,
but, you, you thousands on those beaches showed the world the meaning
of pride, respect and warrior.
On the beaches of Utah, Omaha, Gold, Juno and Sword,
you carved a way in. To end the war.
Nobler people I doubt exist, and soon this 70th anniversary
will fade in time, but not that date of June the sixth (1944)