My friends and I had gathered on the corner
And like teenagers often do
We were arguing about movie stars and athletes
And the things that our hero's could do
But as we debated back and forth
I noticed a familiar old man slowly walking up the street
I could see that he walked with a cane
And had a slight limp as he shuffled his feet
Who is that man, I asked the others
While pointing his direction with my hand
He's nobody special someone answered
All agreed that he was just another old man
It was at just that very moment
A soldier in uniform who had just happened by
Over heard our conversation
Stopped and shook his head with a sigh
Just another old man, he asked
You kids now a days just don't have a clue
Long before you boys were born
That old man was doing things only a hero can do
You think athletes and movie stars are hero's
Well you couldn't be more wrong
Let me tell you about that old man
This won't take very long
He was no older than you boys
Back in December of 41
On the day Japan attacked Pearl Harbor
Over 2,400 Americans died before the day was done
He quit school and joined the military
Training side by side with men twice his age
Wearing his uniform with pride
While deep inside, his anger burned with rage
It was a different time back then
Patriotism swept across the land
And while many fought the Germans in Europe
His war was against the Empire of Japan
But just getting to the battle was dangerous
Many never made it back
The transport ship he was on was strafed
Again and again it came under attack.
He faced machine gun fire in the South Pacific
That day they finally stormed the beach
That's where a man learns his worth
In ways that no instructor can teach
He fought the enemy across island after island
Each battle worse than the one before
He was just a boy like yourselves in the beginning
But he was a man by the end of the war
He caught a bullet in the Philippines
And some shrapnel in Guam from an enemy mine
But he refused to retreat
Instead he stood his ground and held the line
Never once did he turn and run
Even as bombs rained down from above
That old man has served and fought in places
That most people had never heard of
Places like Corregidor and the Solomans
Bataan, Guadalcanal and Siapan
And more than once on Iwo Jima
He fought the enemy hand to hand
Did you know he walks with an artificial leg
He lost his in battle to a Japanese hand grenade
He almost bleed to death that day
Before anyone could get to him with first aid
Everyday since that long ago war
That old man has dealt with pain
But he considers himself blessed just to live in America
You'll never hear him complain
And if you asked him if he's a hero
He'll tell you heavens no for goodness sake
The real hero's we honor on Memorial Day
They gave all they had and never came back
But that old man and others like him are hero's
Earning far more than just our respect and admiration
They paid in blood for our right to live in freedom
That's why they're called 'The Greatest Generation"
When the soldier finished his story
Dead silence filled the air
All eyes were on that old man
Some how we couldn't help but stare
I turned back to ask the soldier
If the story was true in all he had to say
But to my surprise
He had already left and went on his way
But he had already opened our eyes
By reminding us that freedom is our most precious right
He allowed us to see a real hero
In a whole new light
When the old man reached the corner
He got a bit of a start
For he was met with hand shakes of admiration
And warm greetings from the heart
Now when an elderly person passes by
They're met with great respect along their way
And we'll be honoring all of our nation's hero's
Come this Memorial Day!
Robert Pledger
7/2/2015
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