In honor of my Dad who was a WW II trooper in the 82 Airborne and Mom who was a riveter and later an inspector on the massive B-24’s built in the River Rouge plant near Detroit, Michigan. Both left their tiny farming communities, their friends and relatives to serve our Country and ultimately the World and then came back to the civilian world and moved on with their lives. I will be forever grateful for what they did back then and for the life they gave to my sister and me. I can never repay you for that but I do thank each of you from the bottom of my heart and I love you dearly. Danny

 

Just a common soldier

 

 

He was getting old and paunchy and his hair was falling fast, and he sat around the reunion telling stories of the past; of a war that he had fought in and deeds that he had done, in his exploits with his buddies, they were heroes, every one;

 

And though sometimes to his neighbors, his tales became a joke, all his trooper buddies listened, for they knew whereof he spoke;

 

But we'll hear his tales no longer, for old Bill has passed away, and the worlds a little poorer, for a soldier died today;

 

He'll not be mourned by many, just his children and his wife, for he lived an ordinary and quite uneventful life; Held a job and raised a family, quietly going his own way,

 

 

And the world won't note his passing, though a soldier died today; when politicians leave this earth, their bodies lie in state, and thousands note their passing and say that they were great; Newspapers tell their life stories, from the time that they were young,

 

But the passing of a simple soldier, goes unnoticed and unsung; Is it the greatest contribution to the welfare of our land, a person who breaks promises 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;

 

It's so easy to forget them, for it was so long ago, that the old "Bills" of our country went to battle, but we know; It was not the politicians, with their compromises and ploys, who won for us the freedom that our country now enjoys; 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, then we find the soldiers part is to clean up all the troubles that others often start.

 

If we cannot give 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 notice in a paper that would say, our country is in mourning, 'cause a soldier passed away. Anonymous