Drops

by Wes Byrd
1/327 Infantry 101st Airborne 7/70 – 7/71

The drops of tears flowed gently from her eyes
As she watched the plane soar into the skies
Her love had been called away from his home
To fight in a war he called not his own

She wept as she walked into the night
Not knowing her brave young soldier’s plight
And she prayed as she walked, with all of her might
That her God would comfort him into this night

She cried as she drifted into the next day
The pain she felt would not go away
Alone and afraid she withdrew to a shell
The next 12 months would be a living Hell

The drops of rain fell gently on his face
As he contemplated his fate in this God forsaken place
What had he done to deserve such a trial
The first step they say is always denial

He’d thought about reserves and even the guard
To hide in THE WORLD wouldn’t be too hard
But his father before him who fought in THE WAR
Would turn in his grave if his son bore this scar

So he accepted his lot and didn’t run away
Like so many before him too afraid to say
“My God and my Country” for this I’ll fight
And protect our freedom with all of my might.

The drops of sweat were flowing now
As the summer sun beat down on his brow
The weight of the rucksack was taking its toll
Every hill was a mountain, every valley a goal

He humped with his squad through the heat and the rain
Every Grunt in the group felt each other’s pain
The hometowns they spoke of seemed so far away
And each man prayed he’d return there someday

The bond they would form as brother and man
Would endure for a lifetime as few friendships can
It’s hard explain to those who weren’t there
How much love these brave men would share

The drops of blood now cover his face
And his thoughts drift back to a happier place
To a time when life was simple and free
To his home, his friends and his family

And he sees the faces of those he holds dear
His brothers in war he has known through this year
As they tend to his wounds and implore him to stay
He knows he’ll find peace by the end of this day

The pain is now easing, and the voices he hears
Are filled with emotion as they fight back the tears
They know that his wounds are too serious to mend
So they pray that his suffering will soon come to an end

His passing will be felt for the rest of this year
By his brothers and friends who held him so dear
But the scars inflicted on their memories this day
Will haunt them a lifetime and never go away

The drops of tears are everywhere
As family and friends have come to share
In this time of remembrance for a brave young man
Who served his country as only a soldier can

His name will be etched on a black granite wall
Among the 58,000 who gave their all
These heroic young soldiers now laid to rest
Are truly among our countries best

Time heals all wounds, the poets say
Our memories fade with each passing day
The days and the weeks, the months and the years
Will soften the pain and dry most of the tears

But a faint hint of grief can be seen on each face
Of those who lost loved ones in this far away place
At times they withdraw to a sanctuary inside
Where treasured thoughts and memories abide

A place where their loved ones still laugh and play
A place in their hearts not so far away
A place to retreat to when depression takes hold
A place more treasured than silver or gold

Innocence they say is the first casualty of war
So many lost theirs on that distant shore
From boys to men the transition was made
Their youth and their bravado was the price they paid

They came home to a land filled with anger and hate
They watched sitins and protests and the tragedy at KENT STATE
They were never accepted as heros of war
They were shunned and despised like no veteran before

So they called on the strength they had gained in the field
Their pain and their suffering would have to yield
To a society unable to understand what it had done
To a brother, a friend, a husband or a son

But it’s never too late to shoulder our blame
To admit we were wrong and emerge from our shame
To come to grips with the wrong we have done
And let these vets know that their war was really won

And GOD willing some day your path should cross
With a veteran who suffered an unbearable loss
Welcome him home with with a heartfelt embrace
And treasure the smile you have placed on his face