JUST A COMMON SOLDIER
(A Soldier Died Today)
by A. Lawrence Vaincourt
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.
It’s long, but I admit to being partial to:
http://www.gotpoetry.com/Poems/l_op=viewpoems/lid=12309.html
It’s good but… Military service does not automatically confer high moral character. Many former soldiers, including some who were heroes, have become corrupt, conniving politicos – even brutal tyrants.
(And some sleazy politicians have become brave soldiers: e.g. Dan Sickles.)
If we needed someone to resolve a bitter and complex dispute about what the law should be and how public resources should be allocated, a conniving politician might be more useful than a brave soldier.
Maybe this is the wrong time or place to bring this up. But there is a disturbing tendency in America today to idolize the military – a tendency that goes beyond the profound respect that a nation owes its defenders. I’ve seen reports that the armed forces are by far the most admired institution in America. This of course reflects the failures of so many other institutions: churches, business, sports, academia, politics, the law, medicine, the arts, the press.
It sometimes seems as though many Americans, disgusted with general decay, have invested all their hope and admiration in the military. But that way lies overt militarism… and the corruption and fall of the military.
Military leaders are not, after all, very different from civilian leaders. They scuffle and intrigue too. When they get or take power beyond their proper role, they are as prone to abuse it as anyone else.
This poem has a strong whiff of that tendency.
Rich I am sure you will get a lot of negative feedback about your response. I am not sure if you are simply someone who likes to stir up trouble or if you are simply a disillusioned bitter person. No one who has ever served thinks the military or the people in it are perfect. We are however as general rule respectful, a quality you appear to be lacking. Military members today are all volunteers, they are willing to serve their country not to get rich or gain power.
We served, and there are those still serving, because we still believe in the United States of America. We don’t always like our elected leaders, we don’t agree with everything that is done in this country, but it is our country and we will defend her and her people until our last breath. Even people we disagree with, like you.
Jim C: I guess I wasn’t clear. What I criticized was not the military, but the tendency, among some parts of our society, to place the military on a pedestal.
There are other classes of people who make great contributions to society: police, teachers, clergy, mothers. All deserve respect and honor for what they do – but not adulation. When they get it, it’s bad for them.
Also, I disagree with making a distinction between “soldiers” and “politicians”, when the two groups overlap. That’s all.