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Soldiers Strong
By Paul McCann
21st CenturyA soldier's role is very dramatic,
everyday it's more enigmatic.
It was time to do what a man must do,
and there were many many soldiers who
were officers but young bucks out of school,
called part of the government's deadly tool!
Strategy, this is how you put them down.
Tragedy, reality, wars in town!
We were called to fight VCs bitter plight.
The odds of anything turning out right,
is a battle of wits,
the odds are tight.
This story is true; I'll tell you the role,
of our Aussie Soldiers God bless my soul!
We were all chosen to be soldiers strong,
to fight a war where we never belonged.
With the vision that we could do no wrong,
off we went to war with the Vietcong!
In the fight we fought as soldiers should fight,
with grenades and gun's
and with all our might.
We went all the way for L.B.J.
but there were nine rules we had to obey.
There are things a soldier can never say,
There are things a soldier can't put away!
Sometimes a soldier's just there to observe,
some soldier's are more than willing to serve.
We were all together,
we stood up tall,
we stood up strong,
we tried hard not to fall!
Sadly some comrades were lost on the way,
for Holt's sake and of course dear L.B.J.
but as soldier's strong we carried on,
and battled each day with the Vietcong!
All around us paddy fields growing rice,
soldiers lost lives with the toss of a dice.
War's a crappy game, no one takes the pot.
Chambers of horror, some lucky, some not!
Who tolls the bell when you don't hear the shot?
The gong of the cong is better forgot!
If we missed our chopper we crawled for home,
there wasn't a taxi that we could phone.
Each step of the way was taken in fear,
of a trip, trap, or click sound in our ear.
Those unseen sneaks in dark tunnels, dear God!
I've seldom seen places where man has trod,
that resembled this VC colony.
In all of the darkness it's hard to see,
the dead up ahead and men half insane.
The medicine shops run by lady Jane.
Lemons and oranges fell from the sky,
and the fire on the ground leapt up high,
like licking lizards' tongues from Hades pit,
forking for fodder on a foreign spit!
We were surrounded by fear ever near,
it drove pain deep down as day disappeared
and dawn followed dawn with cold drops of sweat;
we won the fight within each silent step.
On open ground with heavy packs to bear
upon broken backs whispering a prayer.
Driving on with each step to victory,
we were united,
soldiers strong were we!
Under a muddy sky and midday sun,
we felt lost without our hands on a gun
and we clung on to a hope inside our hearts
and made our beds then laid our ramparts.
As soldiers strong we carried on,
and on to see each night fall and welcome the dawn ,
but sadly many of Australia's sons ,
were pierced with knives, and eyes from village slums ,
riddled with V.C. who kill or be killed.
So more holes were dug
and more graves were filled
and no one was able to justify
why many innocent men had to die.
We were only doing what we were told, to be soldiers,
to be strong,
to be bold,
to fight for something right with dignity
and play our part enigmatically!
Each new test gave more determination;
to carry on through each situation.
It was a joke broke by the hand of fate.
Our backs bent like an oak tree out of sap.
Almost throwing ourselves over the gap.
Over the bridges,
under Gods blue sky
we fought the young and heard the babies cry.
As soldiers strong we looked on and fought on.
We were right,
they were wrong,
we're soldiers strong!
A soldier's life thrives on staying alive;
he strives everyday just to survive.
With the grace of God,
in his hands our cross.
On paths of indecision some got lost.
For this inhumanity who will pay?
Bullets fired all the way for L.B.J.
Each day we won a moral victory.
Purple hearts for heroes but who can see?
Life is short over and out - last post's home.
Whitlam got in,
we got out,
war got zoned!
We arrived home there was no welcome there.
Rejected returns, we fell to despair.
All we had was just this sad memory,
of a war between us and the V.C.
No longer we worried to be afraid!
No longer were we frightened or dismayed.
No longer the banging of guns was near.
No longer the sound of war in our ear,
for now we were free of all these things.
We welcome each day for the light it brings.
With a legacy then it came to be,
so all of you may be able to see ,
the story of how soldiers strong came to be a personal fight,
making wrongs right,
so remember comrades ,
we fought the fight.
We stood together,
we never will part,
camaraderie still beats deep down in my heart.
So to all of you who know this story,
lift your hearts up with the pride and glory
for we are the soldiers that no one knew.
We won or own battles,
we came through as soldiers strong,
and still we carry
on after a new recognition,
years on!
Copyright 1986 Paul McCann. All rights reserved.
DayPoems Poem No. 2416
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