Re: Memorial Daze

06/01/10 - posted by jb

My friend Wes is a hero and Vietnam vet, now a senior captain for a major airline. His son enlisted, fought in Afghanistan and returned home wounded in a tank battle. He, too, is a vet and a hero. The following is a gift from them:

IT IS THE SOLDIER

It is the Soldier, not the minister
Who has given us freedom of religion.

It is the Soldier, not the reporter
Who has given us freedom of the press.

It is the Soldier, not the poet
Who has given us freedom of speech.

It is the Soldier, not the campus organizer
Who has given us freedom to protest.

It is the Soldier, not the lawyer
Who has given us the right to a fair trial.

It is the Soldier, not the politician
Who has given us the right to vote.

It is the Soldier who salutes the flag,
Who serves beneath the flag,
And whose coffin is draped by the flag,
Who allows the protester to burn the flag.

by Charles M. Province