Veterans Day 2010

Dreamers   

 

Soldiers are citizens of death's grey land,

Drawing no dividend from time's to-morrows.   

In the great hour of destiny they stand,

Each with his feuds, and jealousies, and sorrows.   

Soldiers are sworn to action; they must win   

Some flaming, fatal climax with their lives.

Soldiers are dreamers; when the guns begin

They think of firelit homes, clean beds and wives.

I see them in foul dug-outs, gnawed by rats,

And in the ruined trenches, lashed with rain,   

Dreaming of things they did with balls and bats,

And mocked by hopeless longing to regain   

Bank-holidays, and picture shows, and spats,

And going to the office in the train.

 

-Siegfried Sassoon, 1918

       ("Dreamers" first published in Counter-Attack and Other Poems, 

                     E.P. Dutton & Co.)                   

                                

Joseph Ambrose, an 86-year-old World War I veteran, attends the dedication day parade for the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in 1982. He is holding the flag that covered the casket of his son, who was killed in the Korean War.

Photo credit: U.S. Census Bureau.

 

 -Maureen Lang

Comments

[Maureen Lang]

A close friend, Dave Williams, tells me that the best way to celebrate Veterans Day 2010 is to call up a vet you know & just tell them one thing- THANKS.

To all the vets reading here, may I relay the same- a heartfelt "Thank You" for your service.

[Robert Murray]

And thank you for posting this Maureen.