POEMS
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Wings
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by C.David Hay
Oh, to catch the winds of flight
And soar where eagles go,
To leave the woe of troubled souls
Behind me far below. |
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I'm a Helicopter Pilot, Don't Cry for Me
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"Mrs. Windy" (Paula Page)
Don't grieve for me, I've returned to base.
To join my fellow Marines - at the Holy place.
My life's been full, I savored much,
Good friends, and laughs, A loved one's touch. |
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The Eagle and the Wolf
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Gen. Charles H. Krulak, Commandant, USMC
There is a great battle that rages inside me.
One side is a soaring eagle
Everything the eagle stands for is good and true and beautiful.
It soars above the clouds.
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I'm The One Called "Doc"
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Harry D. Penny, Jr. HMC(AC)USN
I shall not walk in your footsteps,
but I will walk by your side.
I shall not walk in your image,
I've earned my own title of pride.
We've answered the call together,
on sea and foreign land.
When the cry for help was given,
I've been there right at hand. |
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A Father's Son
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by Gordon McClure
A father knows within his heart,
someday his son will leave,
And wishes well for him in life,
for in his eyes he sees, himself
only more success for he. |
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Where Light Is As Darkness
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Vietnam Poems by Kellan Kyllo
PEOPLE WITHOUT DIMENSION
The most descriptive profanity
ever used,
traced an outline
around
an absence of feelings.
On the side of a bare hill
white phosphorous
exploded
hot
and killed
lasting odors of death into men.
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A Day and a Wakeup
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by LCpl Vieira, Grunt, RVN 66-67
Twenty-one hundred, when he got the call,
sadly four or five grunts down,
in a distant rice paddy.
Said the Corpsman: "Can't help 'em."
He's just prayin; kneelin',
and he thought about his ol' chopper
that keeps bucking and squeelin' |
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The Wall
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by LCpl Vieira, Grunt, RVN 66-67
Hey man, guess what ?
your name is in town.
It's carved in bold letters
planted firm on the ground.
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Reunion '68
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by Rod Carlson
Open cigar box full of snap shots
A few faded slides,
Phu Bai fall of '68.
Here's Don and Bing. Jeff and Bill Hale.
Victors of Kham Duc and Khe Sanh.
God almighty. Seeing them again.
Flightline, flightgear, flighttime,
Grinning for the camera. |
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Ode to a Modern-Day Knight
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an Ode by son John T Maxwell III
What does every little boy want?
A Hero for a Dad!
And I am the luckiest boy alive,
For that is what I had! |
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Marine Sniper
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by Eric Foran, 15 years old (1994)
Gunny Hathcock as a country boy,
Was his father's pride and joy.
Hunting in the woods was his favorite play,
He would sit outside and shoot all day.
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Mist
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By Charlie Frye, Lance Corporal, U.S.M.C, Copyright 1998
It's early dawn, I see the mist
swirl and hang heavy over the
jungle, that is, and is not my home
I see the ground turn crimson red
with the blood of my brothers
and wet with the tears
not from the mist
but of my eyes and
from those of my brothers
we all wonder why
why we still survive
when by all the gods
we should have died
but instead
we are left behind
now
now brothers I know why
we live, live and survive
for each other
for the killing fields
will never be forgotten
so the brotherhood
still lives
today
tomorrow
forever.
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The Quang Tri Med-Evac
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by Rick O'Neil, H&MS-16, HMM-361(TAD), and HMM-262, 12/66 thru 1/68
The Quang Tri Med-Evac
The APP's were screaming in the air
Awakening the dawn;
The choppers lined up stem to stern:
Another Viet morn.
The crew chiefs scurried to and fro,
Inspecting every craft.
They knew the structure of each plane
Was suspect pylon aft |
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In Appreciation
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by Deane Branson - SVN 1966/67
In Appreciation
When the shit has hit the fan, mate
And your back is to the wall
There is no way to stop the bullets
Around you fellows start to fall
When your mate’s blood runs like water
And he is leaking like a sieve
And you start to get religious
Please God let him live |
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Piano Confession
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by lou o'neil the x rat
This is about two pianos, a story that must be told.
Once upon a time, long, long ago, their was no rent, so our parent's piano had to be sold.
So much music inside of me, I didn't know what to do?
Goodbye first piano, no more music for little Lou.
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Marble Mountain Biopsy
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by lou o'neil the x rat
Morning after morning, like waves lapping on the shore, over and over, a band of young, brave, selfless boy-men would rise out of the dark early morning, moving relentlessly with flight gear draped over lean bodies. Our faces were drawn, but you could catch a twinkle of humor in our eyes, but only if you knew us well enough, to look long enough. |
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War Stories
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by a Gunship Pilot In a Place Called Vietnam
This is my Vietnam Diary, Tregaskis* wouldn't do.
I had to write it down and hope to sing it too.
I hear it in my head, with Johnny singing clear.
"My name is Lou, how do you do," I am full of fear! |
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We
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by Dr. James W. Rockett, Navy Corpsman
I speak on behalf of my fellow soldiers and myself:
We were young, physically fit and all we owned fit into a duffel bag. We believed with all our heart in God, duty and country. We were concerned about getting through one more day, and worry about tomorrow when it came.
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Soldier of Honor
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by Erin Paige Spear
“What is honor?” This old man was speaking so free, “Some call it damnation; my country has forgotten me.”
I stopped to look, as he bent onto his knees, Raising his old hands in perfect harmony.
“I’ve given my life to God, Country and Corps, And I’ve never asked for anything more.”
My eyes fell to his jacket, Purple Heart resting on his chest, All the while thinking, ‘just another hero, like all the rest‘. |
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