"Happy Veterans Day" Topic

The cavalrymen's poem

Halfway down the trail to Hell,
In a shady meadow green
Are the Souls of all dead troopers camped,
Near a good old-time canteen.
And this eternal resting place
Is known as Fiddlers' Green.

Marching past, straight through to Hell
The Infantry are seen.
Accompanied by the Engineers,
Artillery and Marines,
For none but the shades of Cavalrymen
Dismount at Fiddlers' Green.

Though some go curving down the trail
To seek a warmer scene.
No trooper ever gets to Hell
Ere he's emptied his canteen.
And so rides back to drink again
With friends at Fiddlers' Green.

And so when man and horse go down
Beneath a saber keen,
Or in a roaring charge of fierce melee
You stop a bullet clean,
And the hostiles come to get your scalp,
Just empty your canteen,
And put your pistol to your head
And go to Fiddlers' Green.

Thanks:

Dad – USN Pacific '42-'46 (WIA Okinawa)
Mom – USNR ConUS '46-'50 (Pentagon sailor !)
Uncle Elmer USAR Af/ETO '42-'45 (M16MGMC gunner)
Uncle John USNR ConUS '42-'45 (PBY pilot ASW WIA)
Uncle Steve USMCR Pacific '42-'43 (KIA Tarawa)
Uncle Jack USAAC ME/ETO '43-'45 (B-17 gunner WIAx2)
Uncle Ray USNR Pacific '43-'47 (Higgins boat cox'n)

Collectively, they had 2 Silver Stars, 5 Bronze Stars
(Mom's was an 'administrative excellence' award), 23
battle stars, 5 Purple Hearts and a bunch of campaign
ribbons.

With Mom's passing last Thanksgiving, they're all off-
watch now.

YouTube link

A pretty touching song by a group of recent vetrans.

americanhitmen.com is thier website. They are a good group of guys.

Jake

YouTube link