VETERAN’S DAY

In my own small way, a Thank You to each and every person who has served in the military to help protect my way of life…

 “Ole Top”

by Chuck Hall

1st Sgt. Phil “Ole Top” Dierickx, USMC, WWII, Korea, Vietnam

I never got to meet him,

Nor serve in his command.

But I knew many like him,

Who bravely made their stand.

 

From what the “Bandits” tell me,

He dearly loves the Corps

Took real good care of comrades,

And took that one-step more.

 

‘Twas up in frozen Chosin,

When things looked bleak and bad.

He used his strength and wisdom,

And everything he had.

 

 

For those who fought beside him,

Who never will  forget.

He gave them will and courage,

Resolution, faith and grit.

 

The Corps has many heroes,

And stories they all tell.

“Ole Top’s” a hero in my book,

He served his hitch in hell.

 

 

Night Intruder Lament

__Author Unknown

I have a story to tell you

A story of men bold and brave

Have fought, and some died for their Country

With a brightly burning plane for their grave.

 

On an island we called Honshu

With the broad, blue Pacific all around

We set up our tents and our shelters

And dug holes for our safety in the ground.

 

At night, when day fighters are sleeping

And we call Hacksaw for a fix

The Heavens are filled with our thunder

And the roar of our Baker-26.

 

On a cold moonless night in December

The order was read with a sigh

And a happy-go-lucky young pilot

Took his plane and his crew out to die.

 

They went with a smile all unknowing

‘Twas only a Korean patrol

Too bad that their duty included

Their answering God’s Final Roll.

 

Moonshine gave them their vector

Surveillance to the Yalu and back

They say the last words they transmitted

“We wish we were back in our sacks.”

 

One hour stretched into seven

It was no time to jest or grin

We knew as we waited and listened

Another Night Intruder had augured in.

 

There was no one to see and report it

No help from a searching patrol

Just three name scratched from the roster

Who will no longer answer the call.

 

So lift up your glasses my buddies

In honor of those who fought the fight

The sleep you enjoy out of danger

Is because of the boys who fly at might.

 

#####################################################################

I wish I could include so many other links for wonderful Veteran’s Day salutes, but that would be impossible – here are a few –

Pierre Lagacé and his cousin Joe pose us questions about the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at:

Lest We Forget

CJ did a great job with:

The Things That Make A Soldier Great

And, concerning our future generations:

http://allaboutmanners.wordpress.com/2013/11/08/the-inquisitive-child-a-remembrance-day-poem/

######################################################################

Farewell Salutes – 

Dorothy Baldwin – Devonshire, England & Arlington, VA; British Army nurse, WWII

William Benson – Clearwater, FL; US Navy, WWII & Korea

Alexander (Sandy) Cameron – Toronto, Canada; CSTJ, CD, AdeC, Colonel

Thomas Camp, Jr. Washington DC; BrigGeneral, US Army, WWII & Korea

August Genge – Niles, IL; US Army, WWII

Charles Nardoni – Chicago Heights, IL; US Army, Korea & Vietnam

Ted Okita – Chicago, IL; US Navy, WWII

David Polzin – Toronto, Canada; WWII

####################################################################