MEMORIAL DAY--Thread Seven--Final--"Fall's The Night"

"Fading light dims the sight, And a star gems the sky, gleaming bright. From afar drawing nigh -- Falls the night.

"Day is done, gone the sun, From the lake, from the hills, from the sky. All is well, safely rest, God is nigh.

"Then good night, peaceful night, Till the light of the dawn shineth bright, God is near, do not fear -- Friend, good night."

"TAPS" is the most beautiful bugle call. Played slowly and softly, it has a smooth, tender and touching character. The bugle call was written during the Peninsula Campaign of the Civil War by General Butterfield, with an assist from his bugler, Oliver W. Norton, in 1862.

"TAPS" went on from its origin as an alternative to "Lights Out" to become not only a signal that day was done, but also to say good-bye to a fallen comrade.

"TAPS" is customarily played at funerals at Arlington national Cemetery as well as at ceremonies at the Tomb of the Unknowns there.

Its composer is buried in the Post Cemetery at the United States Military Academy at West Point (even though he did not graduate from the Academy).

A SOLDIER DIED TODAY
by A. Lawrence Vaincourt ©1985

He was getting old and paunchy and his hair was falling fast,
And he sat around the Legion, telling stories of the past
Of a war that he had 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 Legion buddies listened, for they knew whereof he spoke.
But we'll hear his tales no longer for old Bill has passed away,
And the world's a little poorer, for a soldier died today.

He will not be mourned by many, just his children and his wife,
For he lived an ordinary and quite uneventful life.
Held a job and raised a family, quietly going his own way,
And the world won't note his passing, though a soldier 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 their whole life stories, from the time that they were young,
But the passing of a soldier goes unnoticed and unsung.

Is the greatest contribution to the welfare of our land
A guy who breaks his promises 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?

A politician's stipend and the style in which he lives
Are sometimes disproportionate to the service that he gives.
While the ordinary soldier, 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 was so long ago,
That the old Bills of our Country went to battle, but we know
It was 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 want a politician with his ever-shifting stand?
Or would you prefer a soldier, who has sworn to defend
His home, his kin and Country and would fight until the end?

He was just a common soldier and his ranks are growing thin,
But his presence should remind us we may need his like again.
For when countries are in conflict, then we find the soldier'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 a paper that would say,
Our Country is in mourning, for a soldier died today.

Good evening. Thanks for the ping. I hope you are healing well.

My uncle died recently. His name was Uncle Bob to us, but to the 28th Inf. (IIRC) on Tarawa and other Pacific Islands, his name was Sgt. Bemis. A leader in the landings who thought more of his squad then himself. Unfortunately, I forget all the Salad on his dress greens. I will miss him.

Methinks America still produces warriors. They will stand in the breach as we did so that we can enjoy the sunset of our lives. If America ever stops producing warriors, Nancy Pelosi, and all of our women will be wearing burqas.

Take care guy.

5.56mm

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