A Serviceman Died Today

I'm indebted to my friend Stan in England for this wonderful poem.  Although English, it's relevant to any nation.

He was getting old and paunchy
And his hair was falling fast,
And he sat around the bar,
Telling stories of the past.

Of a war that he once fought in
And the deeds that he had done,
In his exploits with his buddies;
They were heroes, every one.

And 'tho sometimes to his neighbors
His tales became a joke,
All his buddies listened quietly
For they knew of where he spoke.

But we'll hear his tales no longer,
For ol' Bob has passed away,
And the world's a little poorer
For a Serviceman died today.

He won't be mourned by many,
Just his children and his wife..
For he lived an ordinary,
Very quiet sort of life.

He held a job and raised a family,
Going quietly on his way;
And the world won't note his passing,
‘Tho a Serviceman died today.

When politicians leave this earth,
Their bodies lie in state,
While thousands note their passing,
And proclaim that they were great.

Papers tell of their life stories
From the time that they were young
But the passing of a Serviceman
Goes unnoticed, and unsung.

Is the greatest contribution
To the welfare of our land,
Some jerk who breaks his promise
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?

The politician's stipend
And the style in which he lives,
Are often disproportionate,
To the service that he gives.

While the ordinary Serviceman,
Who offered up his all,
Is paid off with a medal
And perhaps a pension, small.

It's so easy to forget them,

For it is so many times

That our Bobs and Jims and Johnnys,
Went to battle, but recall,

It is not the politicians
With their compromise and ploys,
Who won for us the freedom
That our country now enjoys.
Should you find yourself in danger,
With your enemies at hand,
Would you really want some cop-out,
With his ever waffling stand?

Or would you want a Serviceman
His home, his country, his kin,
Just a common Serviceman,
Who would fight until the end.

He was just a common Serviceman,
And his ranks are growing thin,
But his presence should remind us
We may need his like again.
For when countries are in conflict,
We find the Serviceman's part
Is to clean up all the troubles
That the politicians start.

If we cannot do 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 just a simple headline
In the paper that might say:
"OUR COUNTRY IS IN MOURNING,
A SERVICEMAN DIED TODAY."

You can make a difference
A veteran is someone who, at one point in his life,
wrote a blank cheque made payable to 'Great Britian',Australia' New Zealand' 'The United States' or any other God fearing country for an amount
"up to and including my life".
That is Honour, and there are way too many people in this world who no longer understand it.

If you want to make a difference, I would recommend the Wounded Warrior Project.