"Ode to our Veterans"

"Ode to our Veterans"   by Prof P J Gammarano, M.A., JD

It does not have to be Veteran's Day or Memorial Day...!

We take a day or two each year and commemorate
for some of us who prove in life truly great
those men & women who don the uniform
and keep our peace through sun & storm.
We hold these people in deservedly high esteem;
they sacrifice so the rest of us can live the dream.

Our conflicts many in our bright history
outcomes good, but sadness of many a casualty.
We teach our children stand, salute, pledge;
them not knowing how close we were to the edge
in WWI, Korea, and WWII;
those forces of evil almost struck us, too.

Were it not for the many who rose to fight
to prove that good over evil is what is right.

With many gone through visions of war
we only hope for never more.
Our teachers teach of our history;
our Service members know it's no mystery.
It's planning logistics, and tactical skill,
and through it all, a reluctance to kill.

If only the slain enemy could know why it's done;
our Service members do none of it for fun.
They use needed force to keep the local peace.
It affects us all globally, from Australia to Greece.

Ability to function in heat, snow, freezing, or raining...
and
 serve quite bravely, doing it all with world class training...!

[ For US Naval Cmdr big bro' Peter V Jr.;
Tech Sgt. Army Ranger D-Day/ Battle-of-Bulge/ Buchenwald Liberator Veteran Peter V. Sr.;
WWII MP Uncle John, Sr.;
WWII vet Uncle Ed Leahy (each in Heaven);
and all the many millions who have also quite honorably served &
who are presently serving for enduring freedom & human well-being throughout our planet !]