An old man in a nursing home, who'd have thought he was a war hero? |
A big thank you, and (((hug))) to COUNTRYMOM-JUST REMEMBER ME for the beautiful awardicon The Old Veteran He was considered ‘just an old man’ by the young ones Few knew of his army time, especially his sons He’d slowly shuffle down the nursing home’s halls, So old and unstable, he’d lean against the walls His medals were kept hidden in a drawer by his bed He rarely looked at them, the tears he would shed Remembering his friends that never came home They were still in battle, forever they’d roam One day a nurse found his private treasure trove Sat by his side and listened to the tales he wove At first he was silent, not wanting to share his past But slowly opened up; she silently sat to the last Knowing his tale was one that should be shared, She called his sons, and asked if they cared About his past in the war, his medals and more His sons were astounded; they’d never heard this before Veteran’s Day was approaching, they arranged a parade A small one, not fancy; it was all homemade Their father was a quiet man, never looking for much But he’d been there for them with his gentle touch The parade would honor his past and all that he’d done In World War II he’d fought, before their time had begun They would honor him and his comrades on this special day Wanted to thank him for his service, in their own small way Many people contributed a lot to the parade Coordinating efforts, so memories wouldn’t fade Small bands, the flags, and homemade floats It ended with ‘Taps’, on buglers notes The parade was a success, it reminded them all Of how our freedom is kept, by those who fall In battles fought, on foreign soil far away, Let’s salute our heroes, on this Veteran’s Day Jim Dorrell 10/1/10 |