The Son Of A Veteran
I had always wanted to travel the world,
From
the time I had turned thirteen,
And I knew in my heart that five years
later,
My journey would no longer be a dream.
My father just retired as a fighting Marine,
And
I was always in awe from his stories,
He had never spoken of the reality of
war,
Only the countries, the beauty, and their glory.
So when I finished school I had set my
sights,
On becoming a Marine just like my dad,
And prayed I would honor
the uniform as well,
As in the days that my own father had.
One day he placed his hand on my shoulder,
And
said son, I have something to say,
There are stories I haven't related to
you,
But I must before you go on your way.
You must hear the dark side of a soldiers
life,
Before you make that decision to enlist,
I haven't told you about
the horrors of battle,
That I have tried hard to erase from my
list.
As he slowly began to describe his stories,
That
he held back for so many years,
It didn't take long for the memories
inside,
To cause his eyes to fill up with tears.
He talked of times he stared death in the
face,
While his buddies lay dead in a trench,
The women and children that
lay strewn in the streets,
And how his nostrils were filled with the
stench.
For a moment he paused and could barely
speak,
And I told him he needn't speak anymore,
Then gently placing his
arms around me,
He said it was hell having fought in a war.
I hugged him real tight as he broke down and
sobbed,
Telling him how proud I was as his son,
Then I looked my father
straight in the eye,
And said there's a price when freedom is
won.
I knew in my heart dad wanted me to stay,
But he
understood my decision to enroll,
As a young man he had felt the same
calling,
Deep down in the depth of his soul.
~valentyne~ ©
Just A Song
Crosby, Stills, And Nash
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