A friend and business associate of mine died yesterday. A grumpy old guy with just a slight semblance of a smile. A Vietnam Vet and career Air Force man. Rich was talented, friendly and humble. Like so many of his time he represents America's best and brightest. He is gone, after several years fighting cancer and the last month being tortured beyond endurance. Why do the good ones have to suffer when I can think of one hundred bottom feeding useless aholes that deserve such a fate? I will miss you.
Goodbye, Rich
JUST A COMMON SOLDIER
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, everyone.
And 'tho sometimes to his neighbors, his tales became a joke, all his buddies listened, for they knew whereof he spoke.
But we'll hear his tales no longer, for ol' Bob has passed away, and the world's a little poorer, for a soldier died today.
He won't be mourned by many, just his children and his wife. For he lived an ordinary, very quiet sort of life.
He held a job and raised a family, quietly going on his way; and the world won't note his passing; 'tho 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 of their 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, some jerk who breaks his promise, 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?
The politician's stipend and the style in which he lives, are sometimes disproportionate, to the service 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 is so long ago, that our Bob's and Jim's and Johnny's, 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 really want some cop-out, with his ever waffling stand?
Or would you want 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 the paper that might say:
"Our country is in mourning,
for a soldier died today."
By A. Lawrence Vaincourt WWII RCAF Veteran
Posted by BillyBudd at October 17, 2005 06:14 PM | TrackBackI am so sorry to hear that. Sorry he suffered, sorry you lost him.
You are right, the good ones seem to endure so much more that the idiots. It's not right.
God Bless him.
It's hard to imagine why good people suffer. I imagine that it may have something to do with the fact that many people are selfish and uncaring until they do suffer.
From the sounds of it, your friend was as good as they come.
Posted by: Cary at October 18, 2005 09:53 PM