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Dad,

 

    I apologize for not writing to you as often as I should. This war is becoming exausting and I am trying my best to keep up with the other guys. I know how important getting metals are to you and lately I have been proving myself to Lieutenant Jimmy Cross and I believe I should soon recieve something for all my hard work and bravery. The other day my friend Ted Lavender died. it was sudden and it made me really think. The rest of the men kept babaling on about the event while I was telling them to shut up. After a while i grew to be fine with the story telling and them talking about Ted. I got use to the idea of him being gone so quickley. I was walking through the forest the other day, as the fog was rolling in, and in the far distance I saw these men. I quickly ran toawrds them, but as the fog cleared there were no men there. I believe those men are the fallen soldiers who faught for our country. So many men die here in Vietnam and I could be next. I will fight hard, father, to come home and someday to see you again.

 

Forever and Always, 

                            Norman

 

Poetry

The Nightmare Never Ends

Close your eyes and go to sleep,
My poor, haunted soldier man,
I'll try my best to keep you safe,
In any way I possibly can.

Cradled there in my loving arms,
He drifted off to Vietnam once more.
I tried my best to soothe him,
But he was already back in the war.

His body's tense and twitching,
As he dreams of yesteryear,
I call out his name in vane,
Just trying to ease his fear.

But the battle is already brewing,
He's in the mist of a fire fight,
And for what seems like an eternity,
My soldier thrashes in the night.

And it's too late to bring him home,
He's fighting along side his brothers,
He hears his comrades cry out in pain,
And call out for their mothers.

He's soaked in sweat as he jumps about,
He feels the bullets whizzing by,
His body's numb as he checks himself,
He's so certain he's gonna die.

No, not today my brave hero,
Though you've lost so many friends,
He opens his eyes as the dream has past,
But the nightmare never ends.

 

Chris Woolnough
11/1/03

MY SON

 

 

They stole him from me to send him off to war,
and there he stayed to fight and die till it was done.
It’s bad when governments steal sons from you, 
and he was by son.
They said this war had to be fought
And that it was for a just and noble cause.
So, since I was patriotic and voted for them, 
I stood by their laws.
But it always seems to be the young who go
And against whom the scales of death are swung.
It's bad when governments send young men off to die,
And my son was young.

For what matters to them of a million deaths
When war is the tender of life they promote?
You can be sure when their reelection comes up,
They won’t get by vote!
For the enemy is now my chosen leader,
The enemy called peace that all governments abhor!
And you can be sure they won’t get any more of my sons,
Till they end all war.
Oh they may think they can get away with murder
and do any damn thing they feel must be done,
but they won’t take what I love away from me again,
And I loved by son.

 

 

By: Patrick P. Stafford

 

 

Song Lyrics

"Dear Uncle Sam"
 

Dear Uncle Sam I know you're a busy man
And tonight I write to you through tears with a trembling hand
My darling answered when he got that call from you
You said you really need him but you don't need him like I do
Don't misunderstand I know he's fighting for our land
I really love my country but I also love my man
He proudly wears the colors of the old red white and blue
While I wear a heartache since he left me for you
[ trumpet ]
Dear Uncle Sam I just got your telegram
And I can't believe that this is me shaking like I am
For it said I'm sorry to inform you

 

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