In Remembrance Of All Veterans From All Wars That Went Before


World War 1

World War 2

Korea

Vietnam

Desert Storm

Afghanastan

Iraq

They Carried P-38 Can Openers
Heat Tabs
Watches
Dog Tags
Insect Repellent
Gum
Cigarettes
Zippo Lighters
Salt Tablets
Compress Bandages
And Ponchos

They Carried Kool-Aid
Two Or Three Canteens Of Water
Iodine Tablets
Sterno
And Lrrp-Rations
They Carried C-Rations Stuffed In Their Socks

They Carried Standard Fatigues
Jungle Boots
Bush Hats
Flak Jackets
And Steel Pots

They Carried The M-16 Assault Rifle

They Carried Trip Flares
Claymore Mines
And M-60 Machine Guns

They Carried M-79 Grenade Launchers
M-14's
Car-15's
Stoners
And Swedish K's

They Carried 66mm Laws
Shotguns
.45 Caliber Pistols
And Silencers

They Carried The Sound Of Bullets
Rockets
And Choppers
And Sometimes The Sound Of Silence

They Carried C-4 Plastic Explosives

They Carried An Assortment Of Hand Grenades
Prc-25 Radios
Knives
And Machetes

Some Carried Napalm
Cbu's
And Large Bombs

Some Risked Their Lives To Rescue Others
Some Escaped The Fear
But Dealt With The Death And Damage
Some Made Very Hard Decisions
And Some Just Tried To Survive

They Carried Malaria
Dysentery
Ringworms
And Leaches
They Carried The Land Itself As It Hardened On Their Boots

They Carried Stationery
Pencils
And Pictures Of Their Loved Ones
Real And Imagined

They Carried Love For People In The Real World And Love For One Another
And Sometimes They Disguised That Love
"Don't Mean Nothin'!"
They Carried Memories For The Most Part
They Carried Themselves With Poise And A Kind Of Dignity

Now And Then
There Were Times When Panic Set In
People Squealed Or Wanted To
But Couldn't

They Twitched And Made Moaning Sounds And Covered Their Heads
They Said "Dear God"
And Hugged The Earth And Fired Their Weapons Blindly
They Cringed And Begged For The Noise To Stop
And Went Wild And Made Stupid Promises To Themselves And God
And Their Parents
Hoping Not To Die

They Carried The Traditions Of The United States Military
They Carried The Memories And Images Of Those Who Served Before Them

They Carried Grief
Terror
Longing And Their Reputations

They Carried The Soldier's Greatest Fear
The Embarrassment Of Dishonor

They Crawled Into Tunnels
And Walked Point
They Advanced Under Fire
So As Not To Die Of Embarrassment
They Were Afraid Of Dying But Too Afraid To Show It

They Carried The Emotional Baggage Of Men And Women
Who Might Die At Any Moment

They Carried The Weight Of The World
They Carried Each Other

Remember Them On Memorial Day


Above Work CopyRight By Tim Obrien
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