Take a man and put him alone,
Put him twelve thousand miles from home.
Empty his heart of all but blood,Make him live in sand, in mud.
This is the life I have to live,
This the soul to God I give.
You have your parties and drink your beer,
While young men and woman are dying over here.
Plant your signs on the White House lawn;"Lets get out of Iraq".
Use your signs and have your fun,
Then refuse to use a gun.
There's nothing else for you to do,
Then I'm supposed to die for you?
There is one thing that you should know;
And that's where I think you should go!
I'm already here and it's too late.
I've traded all my love for all this hate.
I'll hate you till the day I die.
You made me hear my buddy cry.
I saw his leg and his blood shed,
Then I heard them say, "This one's dead".
It was a large price for him to pay,
To let you live another day.
He had the guts to fight and die,
To keep the freedom you live by.
By his dying, your life he buys,
But who cares if a Soldier dies!
Put him twelve thousand miles from home.
Empty his heart of all but blood,Make him live in sand, in mud.
This is the life I have to live,
This the soul to God I give.
You have your parties and drink your beer,
While young men and woman are dying over here.
Plant your signs on the White House lawn;"Lets get out of Iraq".
Use your signs and have your fun,
Then refuse to use a gun.
There's nothing else for you to do,
Then I'm supposed to die for you?
There is one thing that you should know;
And that's where I think you should go!
I'm already here and it's too late.
I've traded all my love for all this hate.
I'll hate you till the day I die.
You made me hear my buddy cry.
I saw his leg and his blood shed,
Then I heard them say, "This one's dead".
It was a large price for him to pay,
To let you live another day.
He had the guts to fight and die,
To keep the freedom you live by.
By his dying, your life he buys,
But who cares if a Soldier dies!
6 Comments:
Hrm... Been reading the last month or so. Who is this little girl whining and pining after some guy? Who are you and what have you done to my old workmate, Farah?
BTW, if I ever find out that you deploy or go to Fort Riley w/o letting me know or visiting, I will kick you ass.
Besides the blog, how are you? You have my email, write me.
--Eric
It's just a shame this wasn't how the original poem went.
Who is the author of the poem? I have a handwritten copy that does not match this one printed. It was signed by a PFC in the US Army in the early 70's. I don't know who wrote the original and would like to know.
I bought the small poster at the wall about 15-16 years ago. the poem was found on a dead MARINE, Quang Tri Province, Vietnam,
7 June 1969
I have it in my memory that it was written by a Pvt. George J. Rankin, US Army, date unknown.
Mike
http://ionocean.blogspot.com
My brother Corporal Gary P. Dietz USMC wrote the original on 1/1/1968 The poem is referenced in his obituary in the Miami Herald. Gary was 21 when the helicopter he was in went down near Phu Bai. The poem was also referenced in the magazine Army Digest December 1969 in an article "The soldier-Poet and his poetry"
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