Veteran's Day

[lucaspa]

Today is the celebration of Veteran's Day, which is actually Nov 11. I thought I'd take a short break from discussing origins to remember:

"The battalion had come back from Blanc-Mont ridge. No, the battalion was still up there. But anyway, oh hell, let me get this straight. A hundred and thirty-four of us had come back from Blanc-Mont ridge. We had gone up a full-strength battalion, a thousand strong." Sgt. Elton E. Mackin, 1st Battalion, 5th Marines.

The attack was Nov. 1, 1918

 

[mark kennedy]

My father only celebrated one day on the calendar, the Marine Corps birthday. This poem my father quoted often, he wrote it shortly after what he called his last day of war. It was some time after Chosen reservoir and Rigway had taken over after MacArthur got himself fired.

That campaign was unbelievably miserable and costly for our Marines. My Dad grieved every day for the friends he lost over there and I suspect, never came to terms with it. It's right to remember but there is so much we cannot know.

Hope you like his little poem, I know it's something I will remember every Marine Corp birthday, every Veterans Day.

So you've seen hills, well listen pal.
While a story I relate.

We clumb for days, we clumb for nights, on a job that wouldn't wait.
Not that the load was heavy or that out shoulders ached.
It seemed the words we heard the most was how about a break.

The Liue stopped he wiped his brow, he started off again,
He said, 'well boys, you've had your break, we got a war to win.

The long and winding column, we endured the many hells.
And passed into the valley, the the land where danger dwells.

Well friend I can't express it, not the part that means the most.
But your not talking to a man, your talking to a ghost.​

Frederick Chastain

Grace and peace,
Mark