Mark's Page

I am a soldier and my speech is rough and plain
I'm not much used to writing and I hate to give you pain
But I promised I would do it and he thought it might be so
If it came from one who loved him perhaps it would ease the blow
By this time you must have guessed the truth I fain will hide
And you'll pardon me for rough soldier words while I tell you how he died

It was in the mortal battle, it rained the shot and shell
I was standing close beside him and I saw him when he fell
So I took him in my arms and laid him on the grass
It was going against orders but they thought to let it pass
'Twas a minie ball that struck him, it entered at his side
But we didn't think it fatal till this morning when he died

"Last night I wanted so to live, I seemed so young to go.
This week I passed my birthday. I was just nineteen, you know.
When I thought of all I planned to do it seemed so hard to die
But now I pray to God for grace and all my cares gone by."
And here his voice grew weaker as he partly raised his head
And whispered "Goodbye, mother," and your soldier boy was dead

I carved another headboard as skillful as I could
And if you wish to find it I can tell you where it stood
I send you back his hymn book and the cap he used to wear
The lock I cut the night before of his bright, curly hair
I send you back his Bible. The night before he died
I turned its leaves together and read it by his side
I'll keep the belt he was wearing, he told me so to do
It had a hole upon the side just where the ball went through

So now I've done his bidding, there's nothing more to tell
But I shall always mourn with you the boy we loved so well

Author UNKNOWN
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Shoot low. Push the muzzle down. You can see where the first shot hits. You can get him with a ricochet.
—LCpl Campbell, RVN, 1970, on quick-kill marksmanship.

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"...with a firm reliance on the protection of divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor." --Declaration of Independence

With those words, our Founders codified by signature their intent to establish liberty over tyranny at the great cost of their fortunes and, indeed, their lives. Since that July day in 1776, generations of Patriots have, likewise, committed by oath to Support and Defend the Constitution to which that Declaration gave rise.

As we approach the 235th anniversary of the Battle of Lexington and Concord, the opening salvo of the American Revolution, I am acutely aware that today, too many Americans have grown complacent in comfort; too many are loath to defend the legacy of liberty bequeathed to us by the giants on whose shoulders we rest.

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It's nighttime again, someone yells "Fire in the hole!"
Charlie is out there, this we know

It's nighttime again and I'm in my home
The enemy called Charlie won't leave me alone