MY PLACE ON THE WALL

MY PLACE ON THE WALL

I WAS TAKEN AS A CASUALITY OF WAR IN AUGUST
NINTEEN HUNDRED SIXTY NINE
IN A TIME WHEN THE PEOPLE BACK HOME

WEREN’T VERY KIND

BUT THANKS YOU FOR COMING TODAY

AND VISITING THE WALL
AS YOU CAN SEE THERE ARE A LOT OF US HERE
WHO ANSWERED FREEDOM’S CALL

WE FOUGHT FOR DEMOCRACY AND FREEDOM
SO WE THOUGHT
BUT THE LESSONS OF THIS WAR

ARE STILL BEING SOUGHT

THE CALL WAS FROM OUR LEADERS
WE WERE TOLD TO HELP FIGHT AND LIBERATE
WHEN WE RETUNED HOME

IT WAS TO CONTEMPT AND HATE
………..WHAT A DISGRACE

BLAME WAS ON THE WARRIOR

FOR THE OUTCOME OF THE WAR
WE WERE CONSIDERED KILLERS AND OUTCASTS
AND LABELED FROM AFAR

NEVER AGAIN SHOULD ONE GENERATION ABANDON
THE SOLDIERS WHO FOUGHT
EXPLAIN THIS TO THE SCHOOL KIDS

WHEN HISTORY IS TAUGHT

I HAVE SEEN PUBLIC ATTITUDES CHANGE SINCE
I’VE BEEN ETCHED ON THE WALL

THE VETS WHO MADE IT HOME ALL AROUND YOU
SO STOP AND SAY GREAT JOB SON
FOR ME I’LL BE ON THIS WALL FOR ETERNITY
MY SERVICE TO AMERICA

HAS LONG SINCE BEEN DONE

PLEASE PAUSE AND SALUTE ME,
I AM ON
PANEL 19 WEST LINE TWENTY-ONE

-AUTHOR UNKNOWN-