He's A Veteran!
He's a man who looks the world in the eye. He's a man who feels an extra heart-tug when the flag goes by. He's a man who steps a little faster when he hears the beat of a military band.
He's a Veteran.
He comes in all assorted sizes and shapes. He's a big man, he's a small man...he's a short man, he's a tall man. He is the "Doughboy" of World War I...the "GI" of World War II... He's a man who's seen Korean skies, fought the cold and silent battle of uneasy Berlin....and braved the booby traps and ambushes of Ia Drang Valley in Viet Nam.
He's a Veteran.
He's a sailor....soldier...Marine... He's a flyer...seabee...coast guard. He's artillery...infantry..medic...aviation machinist mate....armored and ordnance..
He's a Veteran.
He has the quiet dignity of a man who knows the pride of freedom. He has the clear eyes of a man who respects himself. He is courage living on Main Street. He is patriotism mowing the lawn on Saturday afternoon. He is good citizenship with a smile on his face.
He's a Veteran.
He is Republican, Democrat, Independent/..He is mechanic, farmer,
banker... He is Catholic, Protestant, Jew... He is rich and poor and
in-between.
He's a Veteran
He's a man who loves peace because he knows the price tag of war.
He's a member of history's most exclusive fraternity. He knows that war is
ninety percent boredom and ten percent sheer terror. He's been there.
He's a Veteran.
He likes the majesty of America's mountains...the tranquility of
America's valleys. He likes the bustle of America's cities and the
friendliness of America's Main Streets. He likes the sound of America's
children playing on the American playgrounds. He likes to watch the flag
go by... He feels a bit sad when he hears the sound of an American bugler
playing "Taps". He is a citizen soldier...Peacetime leader... He's the
first to volunteer in time of trouble...and the last to come home.
He's a Veteran.
He is proud of his American past...alert to his American
present...confident of his American future. He likes the legends of
America's greats...the Washingtons...the Jeffersons...the Abraham
Lincolns...the Roosevelts...the Robert E. Lees....The Stonewall
Jacksons...the Pattons...the Eisenhowers...the MacArthurs...the
Nimitzs....the Pullers....the Dalys and all the proud patriots who have
marched through America's history books.
He's a Veteran.
He has bivouacked at Valley Forge...charged the hill at
Gettysburg...stormed the sands at Guadalcanal...swarmed ashore at Omaha
Beach..advanced on Pork Chop Hill and fought in the bunker complex in War
Zone "C" in Southeast Asia. He parachuted into Grenada. He stood watch in
Beirut. He fought in the streets of Panama and served in the Middle East
in support of "Operation Desert Shield".
He's a Veteran.
In the very rear of his secret heart there is always a tinge of sorrow,
a souvenir of sadness for lost and departed comrades. No matter how gray
his temples grow or how many inches he adds to his middle-aged waist, he
always walks with a distinctive pride that isn't given to lesser men.
He is America with an honorable discharge... He is Democracy with a Good
Conduct Medal lost in the darkness of his keepsake box... He is freedom
with a Purple Heart. He is a first class fighting man with a quiet walk
and sentimental grin. He's America's most honorable citizen.
He's a Veteran.
Author Unknown
Submitted by Mack LCDR,USN(Ret)