Monday, May 26, 2008
Memorial Day
I have posted this poem before, and while I hate to repeat myself, I cannot think of a better poem for the occasion.
To you, who lie within this coral sand,
We, who remain, pay tribute of a pledge
That dying, thou shalt surely not
Have died in vain.
That when again bright morning dyes the sky
And waving fronds above shall touch the rain,
We give you this—that in those times
We will remember.
We lived and fought together, thou and we,
And sought to keep the flickering torch aglow
That all our loved ones might forever know
The blessed warmth exceeding flame,
The everlasting scourge of bondsman's chains,
Liberty and light.
When we with loving hands laid back the earth
That was for moments short to couch thy form
We did not bid a last and sad farewell,
But only 'Rest ye well.'
Then with this humble, heartfelt epitaph
That pays thy many virtues sad acclaim
We marked this spot, and, murm'ring requiem,
Moved on to Westward."
I pause this day each year to reflect on some missing friends - and I'm sure everyone in the U.S. Army and Marine Corps has them by now, and raise a glass and think of them - and do my best to honor their memory.
I would write that we should thank God each day that such men lived; there have, of course, been a number of women who have made the ultimate sacrifice in the war on terror. As of this morning, there have been 93 of them.
I am so grateful and honored to have the privilege of having served beside all of them, of all ranks, male and female, and to have saluted the same flag.
'Til the next formation.
Splash, out
Jason
To you, who lie within this coral sand,
We, who remain, pay tribute of a pledge
That dying, thou shalt surely not
Have died in vain.
That when again bright morning dyes the sky
And waving fronds above shall touch the rain,
We give you this—that in those times
We will remember.
We lived and fought together, thou and we,
And sought to keep the flickering torch aglow
That all our loved ones might forever know
The blessed warmth exceeding flame,
The everlasting scourge of bondsman's chains,
Liberty and light.
When we with loving hands laid back the earth
That was for moments short to couch thy form
We did not bid a last and sad farewell,
But only 'Rest ye well.'
Then with this humble, heartfelt epitaph
That pays thy many virtues sad acclaim
We marked this spot, and, murm'ring requiem,
Moved on to Westward."
I pause this day each year to reflect on some missing friends - and I'm sure everyone in the U.S. Army and Marine Corps has them by now, and raise a glass and think of them - and do my best to honor their memory.
I would write that we should thank God each day that such men lived; there have, of course, been a number of women who have made the ultimate sacrifice in the war on terror. As of this morning, there have been 93 of them.
I am so grateful and honored to have the privilege of having served beside all of them, of all ranks, male and female, and to have saluted the same flag.
'Til the next formation.
Splash, out
Jason
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