I KNOW JUST WHAT YOU'D SAY

In memory of Jimmie A. Fancher

Here I stand before it now.
Your name all etched in stone
I gaze at you and wonder
Do you know you're not alone?

I wonder if behind your name
You're gazing back at me.
I wonder if you're really there
And know the people that you see.

If you could really talk to me
I know just what you'd say.
I know that you would tell me
It had to be this way....

You'd tell me that you love me
And feel each tear I shed.
You'd tell me not to grieve for you
That I have to move ahead.

You'd say to me a few things
You know I need to hear.
Like remember you and don't forget
And that you're always near.

You'd tell me that you see me
And understand my pain
You served your country first of all
And did not die in vain.

You'd send me love & kindness
For the pain I feel inside
You'd say do not forget me
Just honor me with pride.

You'd say you have not gone away
And that you really know
That you are not forgotten
But now its's time I go.

And as I walk away from you
I say a silent prayer
God hold him in your loving arms
And tell him I still care.

He fought for all our freedom
He served his country well
I know he's there in Heaven
Cause his life on Earth was Hell.......
Dianne R.

FOR THE VETS WHO HAVEN'T "COME HOME" YET

Enough's enough.
We don't know you anymore ~
you're still hiding
still afraid
still locked up inside reliving War;
Maybe it would be better
if you talked or cried.
Or screamed, or banged your head
upon the Wall.
Do whatever you have to do
to come back~
to be whole,
to join us in the World.
It's much less drastic
to cry than die.
No dying was ever
caused by crying....
Those of us who knew you then,
who knew you "when"
know there's something
missing when you hold yourself apart.
Begin, somehow,
to heal your heart
Come join us.
Make peace with the past ~
put the War to rest
at last.
~~
You never were alone ~~~
Now's the time.
  Come Home.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Christina 1/99

DO NOT STAND AT MY GRAVE AND WEEP

I am not there, I do not sleep.
I am a thousand winds that blow.
I am the diamond glints on snow.
I am the sunlight on ripened grain.
I am the Gentle autumn rain.

When you awaken in the mornings hush,
I am the swift uplifting rush of quiet birds in circled flight,
I am the soft stars that shine at night.

Do not stand at my grave and cry,
I am  not there,
I did not die.
...Author Unknown

"A SOLDIERS CHRISTMAS"

IT WAS THE NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS, HE LIVED ALL ALONE,
IN A ONE BEDROOM HOUSE MADE OF PLASTER AND STONE.

I HAD COME DOWN THE CHIMNEY WITH PRESENTS TO GIVE,
AND TO SEE JUST WHO IN THIS HOME DID LIVE.

I LOOKED ALL ABOUT, A STRANGE SIGHT I DID SEE,
NO TINSEL, NO PRESENTS, NOT EVEN A TREE.

NO STOCKING BY MANTLE, JUST BOOTS FILLED WITH SAND,
ON THE WALL HUNG PICTURES OF FAR DISTANT LANDS.

WITH MEDALS AND BADGES, AWARDS OF ALL KINDS,
A SOBER THOUGHT CAME THROUGH MY MIND.

FOR THIS HOUSE WAS DIFFERENT,
IT WAS DARK AND DREARY,
I FOUND THE HOME OF A SOLDIER,
ONCE I COULD SEE CLEARLY.

THE SOLDIER LAY SLEEPING, SILENT, ALONE,
CURLED UP ON THE FLOOR IN THIS ONE BEDROOM HOME.

THE FACE WAS SO GENTLE, THE ROOM IN SUCH DISORDER,
NOT HOW I PICTURED A UNITED STATES SOLDIER.

WAS THIS THE HERO OF WHOM I'D JUST READ?
CURLED UP ON A PONCHO, THE FLOOR FOR A BED?

I REALIZED THE FAMILIES THAT I SAW THIS NIGHT,
OWED THEIR LIVES TO THESE SOLDIERS WHO WERE
WILLING TO FIGHT.

SOON ROUND THE WORLD, THE CHILDREN WOULD PLAY,
AND GROWNUPS WOULD CELEBRATE
A BRIGHT CHRISTMAS DAY.

THEY ALL ENJOYED FREEDOM EACH MONTH OF THE YEAR,
BECAUSE OF THE SOLDIERS, LIKE THE ONE LYING HERE.

I COULDN'T HELP WONDER HOW MANY LAY ALONE,
ON A COLD CHRISTMAS EVE IN A LAND FAR FROM HOME.

THE VERY THOUGHT BROUGHT A TEAR TO MY EYE,
I DROPPED TO MY KNEES AND STARTED TO CRY.

THE SOLDIER AWAKENED AND I HEARD A ROUGH VOICE,
"SANTA DON'T CRY, THIS LIFE IS MY CHOICE;
I FIGHT FOR FREEDOM, I DON'T ASK FOR MORE,
MY LIFE IS MY GOD, MY COUNTRY, MY CORPS."

THE SOLDIER ROLLED OVER AND DRIFTED TO SLEEP,
I COULDN'T CONTROL IT, I CONTINUED TO WEEP.

I KEPT WATCH FOR HOURS, SO SILENT AND STILL
AND WE BOTH SHIVERED FROM THE COLD NIGHT'S CHILL.

I DIDN'T WANT TO LEAVE ON THAT COLD, DARK, NIGHT,
THIS GUARDIAN OF HONOR SO WILLING TO FIGHT.

THEN THE SOLDIER ROLLED OVER,
WITH A VOICE SOFT AND PURE,
WHISPERED, "CARRY ON SANTA,
IT'S CHRISTMAS DAY, ALL IS SECURE."

ONE LOOK AT MY WATCH, AND I KNEW HE WAS RIGHT,
MERRY CHRISTMAS MY FRIEND, AND TO ALL A GOOD NIGHT.

WE ARE VETWIVES

We are the wives of men who fought for freedom
We are the wives of men wounded in battle
We are the wives of men who will never be forgotten
We are the wives of men whose names are carved in our hearts
We are the wives of men who served our country

We are the wives of men who still fight for freedom
We are the wives of men who continue to battle
We are the wives of men who fight not to be forgotten
We are the wives of men who are mending their hearts
We are the wives of men who need their country to serve them

We are Vet Wives

VETWIVES

After I married I had few friends
The friendships I had seemed to come to an end
They couldn't understand the pain in my life
They couldn't help me through all the strife
They didn't want to talk about Vietnam and the horrors of war
They wanted things to go on as they had before
So they stopped coming around and they didn't even call
Brick by brick they put up a wall

I thought I'd be alone for the rest of my life
My husband and me - a lonely VetWife
But one day a miracle happened my way
I'll never forget that wonderful day
I found a new group of friends who were so dear
They've helped me to open up and face down my fear
They understand just what I'm going through
And if you're a VetWife they'll be there for you

These new friends of mine are each the wife of a vet
They keep me going each day - they're my safety net
You know who you are each and every one of you
Your friendship is loving and your friendship is true
We will all stand together in the battle we fight
We will all stand together and do what is right
We will reach out to others who are living our lives
We're strong and courageous we are VETWIVES!

by:  lscallan

NOT JUST A NAME ON A WALL

THEY'RE NOT JUST A NAME ON A WALL.
THEY MAY BE A FATHER, SON OR BROTHER.
THEY MAY BE ONE OR THEY MAY BE ALL.
THEY'RE NOT JUST A NAME ON A WALL.
THEY SAVED THEIR COUNTRY, AND DID THEIR BEST,
THEY PAID THE HIGHEST PRICE AND WERE LAID TO REST.

THEY'RE NOT JUST A NAME ON A WALL.
THEY COME FROM THE NORTH, SOUTH, EAST, AND THE WEST.
THEY'RE KNOWN AS AMERICA BEST.
ONE BY ONE THEY WENT TO FIGHT AND ONE BY ONE THEY BEGAN TO FALL.
BUT LET US NOT FORGET, THEY'RE NOT JUST A NAME ON A WALL.

THEY WERE THE BRAVEST OF THE BRAVE, AND BECAUSE
OF THAT THEIR FAMILIES CAN ALL STAND TALL,
KNOWN THAT THEY'RE NOT JUST A NAME ON A WALL.

AL LANG

THE PRICE OF OUR FLAG

THE PRICE OF OUR FLAG
WHAT IS THE PRICE OF A FLAG? $10.00
YOU SAY. NOT IN MY TIME AND DAY.
THEY PAID WITH THE FLAG WITH THEIR
LIFE AND THEIR BLOOD. BY FIGHTING IN
THE RAIN AND THE MUD. THE RED IS THE
BLOOD THAT THEY SHED. THE WHITE IS
PURITY AND INNOCENCE, BECAUSE THEY
BELIEVED WHAT THEY WERE DOING WAS
JUST AND RIGHT. THE BLUE IS FOR
PERSEVERANCE AND JUSTICE.
SOME POEPLE TREAT THE FLAG IN A
SHAMEFUL WAY, THEY BURN IT AND
DEGRADE IT EVERY DAY.
THEN THEY SAY, I CAN DO WHAT I WANT,
AND THERE IS NOTHING YOU CAN DO OR
SAY. WE ARE NOW GOING TO LET THEM
KNOW. THE PRICE OUR YOUNG MEN AND
WOMEN HAD TO PAY. WE WILL NOT TELL
THEM JUST ONCE. WE WILL TELL THEM
EVERYDAY. MAYBE THEN THEY WILL TREAT
THE FLAG IN THE PROPER WAY. BUT IF THEY
DON'T, THEY WILL LEARN THAT THERE WILL
BE HELL TO PAY.

AL LANG

WHAT IS A VET?

Some veterans bear visible signs of their service: a missing limb, a jagged scar, a look in the eye. Others may carry the evidence inside them: a pin holding a bone together, a piece of shrapnel in the leg - or perhaps another sort of inner steel: the soul's ally forged in the refinery of adversity. Except in parades, however, the men and women who have kept America safe wear no badge or emblem. You can't tell a vet just by looking.

What is a vet?

He is the cop on the beat who spent six months in Saudi Arabia sweating two gallons a day making sure the armored personnel carriers didn't run out of fuel.

He is the barroom loudmouth, dumber than five wooden planks, whose overgrown frat-boy behavior is outweighed a hundred times in the cosmic scales by four hours of exquisite bravery near the 38th parallel.

She - or he - is the nurse who fought against futility and went to sleep sobbing every night for two solid years in Da Nang.

He is the POW who went away one person and came back another - or didn't come BACK AT ALL.

He is the Quantico drill instructor who never has seen combat - but has saved countless lives by turning slouchy, no-account rednecks and gang members into soldiers, and teaching them to watch each other's backs.

He is the parade - riding Legionnaire who pins on his
ribbons and medals with a prosthetic hand.

He is the career quartermaster who watches the ribbons and medals pass him by.

He is the three anonymous heroes in The Tomb Of The
Unknowns, whose presence at the Arlington National
Cemetery must forever preserve the memory of all the
anonymous heroes whose valor dies unrecognized with
them on the battlefield or in the ocean's sunless deep.

He is the old guy bagging groceries at the supermarket -
palsied now and aggravatingly slow - who helped liberate
a Nazi death camp and who wishes all day long that his
wife were still alive to hold him when the nightmares come.

He is an ordinary and yet an extraordinary human being -
a person who offered some of his life's most vital
years in the service of his country, and who sacrificed
his ambitions so others would not have to sacrifice theirs.

He is a soldier and a savior and a sword against the darkness, and he is nothing more than the finest, greatest testimony on behalf of the finest, greatest nation ever known.

So remember, each time you see someone who has served
our country, just lean over and say Thank You. That's
all most people need, and in most cases it will mean
more than any medals they could have been awarded or
were awarded. Two little words that mean a lot,

"THANK YOU".

WE REMEMBER THEM

In the rising of the sun and in its going down,
we remember them.
In the blowing of the wind and in the chill of winter,
we remember them.
In the opening of the buds and in the rebirth of spring,
we remember them.
In the blueness of the skies and in the warmth of summer,
we remember them.
In the rustling of the leaves and in the beauty of autumn,
we remember them.
In the beginning of the year and when it ends,
we remember them.
When we are weary and in need of strength,
we remember them.
When we are lost and sick of heart,
we remember them.
When we have joys and special celebrations we yearn to share,
we remember them.
So long as we live,
they too shall live,
for they are part of us.

MEMORIAL DAY

by

LAURA SLAYTON PHILLIPS "Veterans for a Change"

Memorial Day should remind us that freedom
is always under challenge
and that freedom is never free.
Freedom is important enough to live for,
and precious enough to die for.
Let us not forget those men and women
who have served our great nation
during times peace and conflict.
Because they gave their "last full measure of devotion",
we are forever in their debt.
We stand with bowed heads and humble hearts
for their graves are hallowed places.
Their service to God and country will always be remembered.
On this day, we can pay no higher tribute to our dead,
nor render greater service to our great nation,
than instill in others,
who seemingly have no special reason for remembering,
what the true spirit of Memorial Day really is.
It is a day for all Americans!

THE MARINES PRAYER