Tuesday, April 24, 2007

25th April, 2007 - Anzac Day.

Unclassified: The Soldier:

THE FINAL INSPECTION



The Soldier stood and faced his God,
Which must always come to pass.
He hoped his shoes were shining,
Just as brightly as his brass.
"Step forward now, you Soldier,
How shall I deal with you?
Have you always turned the other cheek?
To My Church have you been true?"
The Soldier squared his shoulders and said,
"No, my Lord, I ain't.
Because those of us who carry guns,
Can't always be a saint.
I've had to work most Sundays,
And at times my talk was tough.
And sometimes I've been violent,
Because the world is awfully rough.
But, I never took a dollar,
That wasn't mine to keep...
Though I worked a lot of overtime,
When the bills got just too steep.
And I never passed a cry for help,
Though at times I shook with fear.
And sometimes, God, forgive me,
I've wept unmanly tears.
I know I don't deserve a place,
Among the people here.
They never wanted me around,
Except to calm their fears.
If you've a place for me here, Lord,
It needn't be so grand.
I never expected or had too much,
But if you don't, I'll understand.
There was a silence all around the throne,
Where the saints had often trod.
As the Soldier waited quietly,
For the judgment of his God.
"Step forward now, you Soldier,
You've borne your burdens well.
Walk peacefully on Heaven's streets,
You've done your time in Hell." ````````
~Author Unknown~

It's the Soldier, not the reporter, who has
given us the freedom of the press.
It's the Soldier, not the poet, who has given
us the freedom of speech.
It's the Soldier, not the politicians, that ensures our
right to Life, Freedom and the Pursuit of Happiness.
It's the Soldier who salutes the flag, who serves
beneath the flag, and whose coffin is draped by the flag.
If you care to offer the smallest token of recognition and
appreciation for our Armed Services Men & Women, please
pray for our men and women who have served and are
currently serving our country and pray for those who have
given the ultimate sacrifice for our freedom.

"Lest We Forget."

4 comments:

Merle said...

Hi Warren ~~ Great post. Sorry I didn't see it until I had pst my or I'd ave mentioned it. I put a joke on that you sent, so you got a mention anyway. Take care, Cheers, Merle.

Lee said...

A wonderful, sensitive and thought-provoking post, Wazza.

Peter said...

Good one Wazza, did you follow the parade down to the park again this year?
you inspired me to go to the dawn service it was very moving.

Jim said...

Hi Warren -- I wondered if there was a parade for ANZAC? Peter didn't mention one in his blog.
Were you in the service? I was, for five years, in the missle fire control and radar technical end. I spent all my time except for basic training at Fort Bliss, (El Paso) Texas.
..