AFRAID BUT WILLING TO DIE

 
            HE WAS AFRAID, BUT WILLING TO DIE
            IN THE RECRUITING OFFICE HE NOW STOOD
            IT WAS A TRADITION IN HIS FAMILY
            SERVING HIS COUNTRY, HE KNEW HE WOULD

            WHILE WAITING HIS TURN HE THOUGHT ABOUT
            THE MANY STORIES HE’D BEEN TOLD
            OF THE EXPLOITS OF HIS FAMILY MEMBERS
            HOW THEY HAD BEEN BOTH BRAVE AND BOLD

            ONE HAD COME OVER ON THE MAYFLOWER
            WITH HIS MUSKET HELD THE INDIANS AT BAY
            ANOTHER WAS A MEMBER OF ROGER’S RANGERS
            KEEPING NEW ENGLAND SAFE EVERY DAY

            YET ANOTHER STOOD HIS GROUND AT CONCORD
            PUTTING A STOP TO THE BRITISH TYRANNY
            ANOTHER WAS WITH ANDY JACKSON IN 1815
            AGAIN BRINGING THE BRITISH TO THEIR KNEES

            ANOTHER SACRIFICED HIS LIFE AT THE ALAMO
            IN ORDER FOR THE TEXANS TO BE FREE
            AND ANOTHER FOUGHT AND DIED AT GETTYSBURG
            PICKETT’S CHARGE WAS A SIGHT TO SEE

            ONE RODE INTO THE VALLEY WITH CUSTER
            HOPING THAT HE WOULD COME OUT ALIVE
            YET ANOTHER RODE WITH THE ROUGH RIDERS
            A SAN JUAN HILL VICTORY HE DID DERIVE

            HIS GREAT GRANDFATHER FOUGHT IN FRANCE
            IN A CONFLICT CALLED WORLD WAR ONE
            HIS GRANDFATHER FOUGHT AT IWO JIMA
            DEFEATING THE JAPANESE RISING SUN

            ANOTHER ABOARD THE ARIZONA WAS KILLED
            ASLEEP BELOW, HE NEVER HAD A CHANCE
            ANOTHER WAS AT THE BATTLE OF THE BULGE
            HIS DIVISION STOPPED THE GERMAN ADVANCE

            HIS DAD’S UNCLE WAS AT PORK CHOP HILL
            HE CAME HOME AND WAS NEVER THE SAME
            ANOTHER WAS CAPTURED, WAS IN A POW CAMP
            HE DIED, FROZE TO DEATH WAS THE CLAIM

          

            YET ANOTHER FOUGHT BRAVELY IN VIET NAM
            BADLY WOUNDED, SHIPPED BACK TO THE STATES
            PROTESTERS MET HIM AT THE AIRPORT
            THEY SPAT ON HIM COMING THRU THE GATE

            HIS FATHER, HE SERVED DURING DESERT STORM
            PROUFLY DEFEATING SADDAM HUSSEIN’S IRAQ
            HIS SECOND COUSIN, A MARINE CORPORAL
            WAS WOUNDED BEATING BACK AN ISIS ATTACK

            NOW IT WAS FINALLY HIS TURN TO SERVE
            TO KEEP THE FAMILY TRADITION GOING, HE’D TRY
            HE VOWED TO DEFEND THE COUNTRY HE LOVED
            AND HE WAS MORE THAN WILLING TO DIE