Grog
Semper Gumby
- Joined
- Jun 11, 2000
- Messages
- 5,033
Sorry this is a day late. It was sent to me by a friend in England. It was written in 1985 by A. Lawrence Vaincourt, a WW2 veteran of the Royal Canadian Air Force.
Just wanted to share it......even if it is late
A Soldier
He was getting old and paunchy
And his hair was falling out
And he sat around the legion
Telling stories of the past
Of a war that he once fought in
And the deeds that he had done
In his exploits with his buddies
They were heroes, every one
And 'tho sometimes to his neighbors
His tales became a joke
All his buddies listened quietly
For they knew where of he spoke
But we'll hear his tales no longer
For old Bob has passed away
And the world's a little poorer
For a Soldier died today
He won't be mourned by many
Just his children and his wife
For he lived an ordinary,
Very quiet sort of life.
He held a job and raised a family,
Going quietly on his way,
And the world won't note his passing,
'Tho a Soldier died today
When politicians leave this earth,
Their bodies lie in state,
While thousands note their passing,
And proclaim that they were great.
Papers tell of their life stories,
>From the time that they were young.
But the passing of a Soldier
Goes unnoticed and unsung.
Is the greatest contribution.
To the welfare of the land,
Some jerk who breaks his promise,
And cons his fellow man?
Or the ordinary fellow,
Who in times of war and strife,
Goes off to serve his country,
And offers up his life?
The politicians stipend,
And the style in which he lives,
are often disproportionate,
To the service that he gives.
While the ordinary Soldier,
Who offered up his all,
Is paid off with a medal,
And perhaps a pension, small.
It's so easy to forget them,
For it is so many times,
That our Bobs and Jims and Johnnys,
Went to battle, but we know
It is not the politicians,
With their compromise and ploys,
Who won for us the freedom,
That our country now enjoys.
Should you find yourself in danger,
With your enemies at hand,
Would you really want some cop-out
With his ever waffling stand?
Or would you want a Soldier,
His home,his country, his kin,
Just a common Soldier,
Who would fight on to the end.
He was just a common Soldier,
And his ranks are growing thin,
But his presence should remind us,
We may need his like again.
For when countries are in conflict,
We find the Soldier's part,
Is to clean up all the troubles,
That the politicians start.
If we cannot do him honor,
While he's here to hear the praise,
Then at least let's give him homage,
At the ending of his days.
Perhaps a simple headline,
In the paper that might say.
"OUR COUNTRY IS IN MOURNING,
A SOLDIER DIED TODAY"
___
Just wanted to share it......even if it is late
A Soldier
He was getting old and paunchy
And his hair was falling out
And he sat around the legion
Telling stories of the past
Of a war that he once fought in
And the deeds that he had done
In his exploits with his buddies
They were heroes, every one
And 'tho sometimes to his neighbors
His tales became a joke
All his buddies listened quietly
For they knew where of he spoke
But we'll hear his tales no longer
For old Bob has passed away
And the world's a little poorer
For a Soldier died today
He won't be mourned by many
Just his children and his wife
For he lived an ordinary,
Very quiet sort of life.
He held a job and raised a family,
Going quietly on his way,
And the world won't note his passing,
'Tho a Soldier died today
When politicians leave this earth,
Their bodies lie in state,
While thousands note their passing,
And proclaim that they were great.
Papers tell of their life stories,
>From the time that they were young.
But the passing of a Soldier
Goes unnoticed and unsung.
Is the greatest contribution.
To the welfare of the land,
Some jerk who breaks his promise,
And cons his fellow man?
Or the ordinary fellow,
Who in times of war and strife,
Goes off to serve his country,
And offers up his life?
The politicians stipend,
And the style in which he lives,
are often disproportionate,
To the service that he gives.
While the ordinary Soldier,
Who offered up his all,
Is paid off with a medal,
And perhaps a pension, small.
It's so easy to forget them,
For it is so many times,
That our Bobs and Jims and Johnnys,
Went to battle, but we know
It is not the politicians,
With their compromise and ploys,
Who won for us the freedom,
That our country now enjoys.
Should you find yourself in danger,
With your enemies at hand,
Would you really want some cop-out
With his ever waffling stand?
Or would you want a Soldier,
His home,his country, his kin,
Just a common Soldier,
Who would fight on to the end.
He was just a common Soldier,
And his ranks are growing thin,
But his presence should remind us,
We may need his like again.
For when countries are in conflict,
We find the Soldier's part,
Is to clean up all the troubles,
That the politicians start.
If we cannot do him honor,
While he's here to hear the praise,
Then at least let's give him homage,
At the ending of his days.
Perhaps a simple headline,
In the paper that might say.
"OUR COUNTRY IS IN MOURNING,
A SOLDIER DIED TODAY"
___
Thank you. I am going to send it to my dad now and make a mental note to read it at his funeral which is hopefully a LONG WAY away!
