WWII – in memorial

Memorial Day is to honor those that have left us after they served to guarantee us the freedoms we too often take for granted. I do not have the words – so I present Jay who wrote a poem that expresses what I feel.

jaybluepoems

Once upon a battlefield
I stood where heroes fell,
where brothers, sons and lovers paused
to hear death’s tolling knell.

Once upon an open sea
I sailed where deep remain
the bodies of courageous men
who, by war were sadly slain.

Once upon the azure blue
I drifted through the crimson cloud
where valiant fighters dealt with death
to die alone in sullen shroud.

I’ve felt the moments summoned.
I’ve seen the grave despair.
I’ve witnessed every breath so gained
and every soul laid bare.

I’ve shed a tear not meant for me,
but for the uncaressed
that ne’er again felt warmth of love
before their final rest.

To their souls my prayer,
my honor and my truth,
that they be blessed eternal,
and blessed in memory’s youth!

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About GP

Everett Smith served with the Headquarters Company, 187th Regiment, 11th A/B Division during WWII. This site is in tribute to my father, "Smitty." GP is a member of the 11th Airborne Association. Member # 4511 and extremely proud of that fact!

Posted on May 27, 2017, in Current News, Home Front, Uncategorized, Vietnam, WWII and tagged , , , , , , , . Bookmark the permalink. 84 Comments.

  1. Excellent re-post gp, always great to visit your posts, as you probably notice I hold them for a while before coming back to read in depth.
    Cheers mate, just had an op on my prostrate following a check up, last time I go to that Dentist.

    Liked by 1 person

  2. Lovely poëm for all the victimes of war in WWII

    Liked by 1 person

  3. I made the following poem.

    Hear us! These are the names that are buried and written on a granite stone.

    Hear us, because we were young, like you are now.. You may sees lines on our faces and a dog crying on a Veterans grave. He mourns for our honor and he mourns for you. I guess that dog, is a hero too.

    Hear him. He guards the liberty you take for granted. His voice is never lost, even as their life passes before them. Cry out as loud as you can. A soldier died for you. He died for us.

    Hear him, as he clings to life and wants to live, but knows he won’t. He gave that blood for you. Respect him for that and Hear him.

    Hear a mother’s voice wail, a son or a daughter, at home on leave or draped in red, white and blue. Hear us, when punks make fun of honor. Hear us as we move forward. Hear us, when Veterans prepare a path for you.

    Hear us and consider them. Consider the lonely faces. Hear us, because we know their pain. We have the seen the pictures of boys, stained beaches, all in red. Families wait to be heard. The sentinental drops his horn. All time stops.

    Hear us, because he gave you, your brand new car. Hear that Vet. He hears you.

    Hear us, because the picture you see, is stained by time. Hear us, because we understand that some will not or can’t. Hear them, hear us. Hear them all.

    Liked by 1 person

  4. Amen, my military brothers! 74-85

    Liked by 1 person

  5. Wow! Such a beautiful dedication to the martyrs.

    Liked by 1 person

  6. This is a beautiful poem, GP. Thank you for bringing jaybluepoems to the attention of your readers.

    Liked by 1 person

  7. Poems like this offer us a way to remember that Memorial Day calls us to take pause and give thanks for the sacrifices made on behalf of our country. This weekend has a deeper meaning than what is usually pushed which is the start of the summer vacation and shopping season.

    Liked by 1 person

  8. Thank you for sharing Jay’s words.
    I just watched the National Memorial Day Concert on PBS, and tomorrow I’ll help with our annual Memorial Day Service. These things are good, but you my friend, keep us remembering every time we visit.
    Thank you so much.

    Liked by 1 person

  9. Thanks GP for posting this. Beautiful sentiment. I’m sharing it.

    Liked by 1 person

  10. “Against the drumming of the engine I heard my own voice repeating the words of another fighter pilot, John Magee, who has died with the RAF in the battle of Britain.”

    “Up, up the long delirious burning blue
    I’ve topped the wind-swept heights with easy grace
    Where never lark, or even eagle flew,
    And while with silent, lifting mind I’ve trod
    The high untresspassed sanctity of space,
    Put out my hand, and touched the face of God.”

    Last statement from Retired Brig. General Robert L. Scott in his book “God Is My Co-Pilot

    Liked by 2 people

  11. A beautiful tribute.

    Liked by 1 person

  12. Dad passed away last year at age 93. He was a WWII vet…on the USS Intrepid. He was silent about those times as he held guilt for being a survivor only because he was dropped off onto an onshore sickbay while the Intrepid left and never came back…
    He is buried in Ft. Logan, CO and we requested an honor guard…the only way he’d allow us to say thank you – in death.

    For all who served…and who serve…
    Thank you.

    Liked by 1 person

  13. Thanks for this. As a newspaper reporter/ columnist, I wrote 2 separate stories about 2 local young men who served their country and lost their lives, both in the Pacific. One was on a ship that was attacked and the other was shot down in a plane. I’m not related and didn’t know them but it was still hard to do the research and write the stories. This holiday surely must mean a lot to their families. I appreciate it more every year.

    Liked by 1 person

    • Every day I fight back tears of sorrow and gratitude. I can relate to your feelings, just wish I could express them as eloquently as you and some others.

      Like

  14. We must make sure that we don’t forget these men and women, because time eventually will carry all of them away if we don’t make the effort.

    Liked by 3 people

    • Exactly, John! I’ve seen pictures of the poppies put out in the UK in honor and can not imagine anyone who doesn’t feel humbled by the number of them! I greatly appreciate your visit!

      Liked by 1 person

  15. Yay! Finally got the ‘Like’ button to work …

    Now all we have to do is get our leaders to lead. From out in front …

    Liked by 1 person

  16. Some powerful words that one cannot help feel the tug on the heart.

    Liked by 1 person

  17. Now I’ve found the ‘Like’ button but it won’t work for me. I’ll try a different browser.

    Liked by 1 person

  18. Couldn’t find a Like button ?

    —thoughts I’ve often had myself. Even ol’ Khayyam had some thoughts on it …

    I never thought that blows so red
    the rose, where some buried Caesar bled …

    (words to that effect. Memory fades)

    Liked by 1 person

    • Ah-ha, another Kipling fan. Yes – from ‘The Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam….
      XX.
      I sometimes think that never blows so red
      The Rose as where some buried Caesar bled;
      That every Hyacinth the Garden wears
      Dropt in its Lap from some once lovely Head.

      Liked by 1 person

  19. The poem reflects my sentiments 100%. Thanks for the reblog, GP!

    Liked by 1 person

  20. Thank you for bringing this wonderful information to all of us. Many of us were very young Really and didn’t understand the value of what was happening and somehow maybe the teachers never taught it. I always did.

    Liked by 2 people

  21. Wow. I’m crying. This expresses how I feel, too.
    Thank you to Jay, for writing this!
    Thank you to you, GP, for posting it!
    (((HUGS))) 🙂

    Liked by 1 person

  22. GP
    Thank you for sharing this poem. Printed it out and added to my journal of poems that sums up how we all feel for those who have given so much of themselves for your freedom.

    Liked by 1 person

  23. Wow! That is a very stirring poem! It sort of sums up everything you feel . . .

    Liked by 1 person

  24. This does say it all, thank you GP. And thanks for your weekly reminders throughout the year of the courage and valor of our military heroes–much appreciated.

    Liked by 1 person

  25. This is a wonderful poem, and I’ve never read it before, thank you for posting it.

    Liked by 1 person

  26. Teared me up. So moving.

    Liked by 1 person

  27. gary friedman

    Then there is this, from Guadalcanal vet James Jones, author of The Thin Red Line:

    Then its Tommy this, an’ Tommy that,

    An’ Tommy, ‘ows your soul?

    But its the ‘Thin red line of ‘eroes’,

    When the drums begin to roll–

    –KIPLING

    ________________________________

    Liked by 1 person

  28. Nice work from Jay, GP.
    Best wishes, Pete.

    Liked by 1 person

  29. Ich wünsche dir ein schönes sonniges Wochenende liebe Grüße und Umarmung Gislinde

    Liked by 1 person

  30. Thank you. I’ll make certain Jay knows how much everyone likes his work.

    Like

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