A Combat Soldiers Prayer

[elcabron]

by Gary Jacobson © 1999

 

 

 

This combat soldier's prayer,

Who has served his time in heck,

Is may we learn the lessons of war well,

That we not doom future generations,

The same old tales of horror to tell,

To endure what in youth they see mistakenly as glory.

Oh God, do not let our children

Repeat the same old story.

 

Make it so that America's babies live to grow old

In this land of the free and the bold.

Help us throw off the shackles of hate that bind

And grow old in a life of a peaceful kind.

 

Teach us that there is no glory in war,

Nor honor there that brave men should not abhor.

Teach us instead, one for another our brothers to love.

Shower us with thine Celestial message from above,

That we plant seeds of peace evermore

And make war-no-more!

 

 

But if I should die on some far, far away battlefield

Know I answered the call

For a grand principle of freedom to yield.

My fervent prayer is that death

May not have been in vain

Fighting for peace and right for the world to attain.

 

My brothers, American roses standing by my side

On alien soil dying

In the summer of my youthful pride

All the leaves around me falling,

 

Now I’m lying here still, in sunshine and in shadow,

Longing to hear, “brother next door, I love you so."

For moldering in the soft ground below,

I feel you living and loving in the world above me

Standing tall because I fought that you might be...

Oh look ye down now,

And tell me you still think of me

Honor my red blood, spilt that others might stand free.

 

Tell me that I did not give my all for you in vain

That brothers and sisters do not look upon my sacrifice

With hateful,

Or even worse,

Uncaring disdain.

 

Do not forget me when my valley’s hushed

And white with snow,

Grass growing green in the summer of my meadow

Help me see the peace I lived and died for grow.

 

Make my lonely grave richer,

Sweeter be...

Make this truly,

"The land of the free

And the home of the brave,"

I gave my life to save

That I might too, lie eternally,

Forever free...

[SirRoyal]

A very stirring poem!!! I for one will always remember our men who serve in the armed forces and those who died that I may enjoy my freedoms. God protect our soldiers is my prayer. Amen

[elcabron]

see ya next year some time.

GOD BLESS AMERICA.

[couesdiehard]

My prayers go out for all of our military personnel. My son is a Navy Reserve Medic and is Pendleton training with the Marines right now. Looks like he is going to be a Corpsman pretty soon and get sent overseas with a Marine platoon. May God watch over all our military personnel.