It was a great day in honor of highly deserving World War II veterans. Arriving at the airport at 5 a.m., we flew to Washington, D.C. and spent the day touring the World War II Memorial, Vietnam and Korean memorials, and Arlington Cemetery. We also saw the changing of the guard at the Tomb of the Unknowns at Arlington...a moving experience that brought tears to the eyes of many veterans.
In honor of the occasion I wrote a poem, and was asked to read it at the dinner before our return that evening:
In Honor of Those Who Served
Pearl Harbor was bombed by the Rising Sun –
A date of infamy, a war begun.
Japan awakened “The Sleeping Giant,”
The United States arose defiant.
From Guadalcanal to Omaha Beach,
The Axis could never avoid our reach.
From the Atlantic to the Pacific,
The hard-fought battles were horrific.
Germany and Italy – brutal foes
In the end were no match for our heroes.
On Mount Suribachi our flag did wave,
A tribute to blood lost by the brave.
Purple Hearts and Bronze or Silver Stars
Were awarded to those who bore the scars.
In withering fire and under attack,
Thousands went to war and never came back.
On land, in air, on –and under – the sea,
They fought to preserve the land of the free.
For these veterans who fought the good fight,
We thank them for serving – through Honor Flight!
Susan Pepperdine
Guardian, Kansas City Metro
Sept. 30, 2009
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2 comments:
excellent poem, very talented :) lovely way to honor our heroes... we love you and everything you do for our country... tiff
Susan,
So glad Larry keeps getting good report cards!
Your dedication to these vets is inspiring, and your poem is clearly heart-felt. Thank you for sharing.
Best,
Liz
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