A Story To Tell

29th May 2012

askamarinebrony:

Today for those who are unaware is Memorial Day in the United States. A tragic holiday, not for what it commemorates, the lives of over a million Marines, soldiers, sailors and airmen who willingly give their lives in defense of their nation and their ideals, men and women who stood up when the call came, when the terrified people cried out “Who will go for us?” they answered. It commemorates that… and the millions more who stood up with them and came home, those millions of veterans honor the memory of our dead, our fallen brothers and sisters. Each life lost as painful as if they were family.
Not that you would know that from the look of the modern Memorial Day. It seems now it commemorates BBQ, burgers on the grill, a great deal on a used car and the start of summer across the country and I think that’s a goddamn shame. Whatever country you’re from, please take a moment to think about the freedom and safety that has been given to you today, and the lives that my brothers and I or men and women like us from your nation, sacrificed that you might have that. I’d like to share a poem with you now, one I wrote as I was wrestling with my medical discharge from the Corps, and the sense of loss and dishonor I felt at not deploying with my brothers.
The Non-Combat Veteran’s Lamentanother set of rifle shotsecho in my hearta salute comes upas the casket lowers downanother folded flagin to a grieving widow’s armsthe sound of taps echoesas the bugler begins to mournanother brother fallenin the thick of the fightblood on the sandsin the dark of the nightmen torn and mangledby the bloody course of warfamilies destroyed and shreddeddevastated ever moreI sometimes turn on myselfin the darkness of my mindwhy was I so lucky?simply to have survived?my brothers lost and scatteredbut my ticket never camemy rotation never happenedso now I sit in shameI feel my honor is diminishedfor not taking the same risks as theya coward not a warriorfor not having the chance to standI accept the cast of fateno matter what the costand in my survival know I mustforever remember the lostover three thousand of my brotherssent to their eternal sleepI ask a god I don’t believe infor their souls to keepI’ll remember if no one elsethe sacrifices madewhich is why I stand hereat this unmourned gravethis is the task I set myselfto be a survivor with out shameto tell the stories of the fallenand share their immortal fame
Original Here, please credit via link if reposted elsewhere.
Thank you for taking your time to read this and taking a moment of silence for the men and women who stand ready to fight on your behalf world wide at a moment’s notice. To my brothers and sisters overseas, you’re in my thoughts and prayers every day. To the fallen… you will never be forgotten, your brothers in arms shall remember you, even when the rest of the world turns it’s face and forgets.
Semper Fidelis

Today for those who are unaware is Memorial Day in the United States. A tragic holiday, not for what it commemorates, the lives of over a million Marines, soldiers, sailors and airmen who willingly give their lives in defense of their nation and their ideals, men and women who stood up when the call came, when the terrified people cried out “Who will go for us?” they answered. It commemorates that… and the millions more who stood up with them and came home, those millions of veterans honor the memory of our dead, our fallen brothers and sisters. Each life lost as painful as if they were family.

Not that you would know that from the look of the modern Memorial Day. It seems now it commemorates BBQ, burgers on the grill, a great deal on a used car and the start of summer across the country and I think that’s a goddamn shame. Whatever country you’re from, please take a moment to think about the freedom and safety that has been given to you today, and the lives that my brothers and I or men and women like us from your nation, sacrificed that you might have that. I’d like to share a poem with you now, one I wrote as I was wrestling with my medical discharge from the Corps, and the sense of loss and dishonor I felt at not deploying with my brothers.

The Non-Combat Veteran’s Lament

another set of rifle shots
echo in my heart
a salute comes up
as the casket lowers down

another folded flag
in to a grieving widow’s arms
the sound of taps echoes
as the bugler begins to mourn

another brother fallen
in the thick of the fight
blood on the sands
in the dark of the night

men torn and mangled
by the bloody course of war
families destroyed and shredded
devastated ever more

I sometimes turn on myself
in the darkness of my mind
why was I so lucky?
simply to have survived?

my brothers lost and scattered
but my ticket never came
my rotation never happened
so now I sit in shame

I feel my honor is diminished
for not taking the same risks as they
a coward not a warrior
for not having the chance to stand

I accept the cast of fate
no matter what the cost
and in my survival know I must
forever remember the lost

over three thousand of my brothers
sent to their eternal sleep
I ask a god I don’t believe in
for their souls to keep

I’ll remember if no one else
the sacrifices made
which is why I stand here
at this unmourned grave

this is the task I set myself
to be a survivor with out shame
to tell the stories of the fallen
and share their immortal fame

Original Here, please credit via link if reposted elsewhere.

Thank you for taking your time to read this and taking a moment of silence for the men and women who stand ready to fight on your behalf world wide at a moment’s notice. To my brothers and sisters overseas, you’re in my thoughts and prayers every day. To the fallen… you will never be forgotten, your brothers in arms shall remember you, even when the rest of the world turns it’s face and forgets.

Semper Fidelis