A Young Man Saluted Me Today

A young man saluted me today,
As I traveled on my way.
I didn't know him.
We've never met.
But the tag on my car says that I'm a Vet.

He pulled alongside me at a traffic light,
And saluted me for my part in the fight
For the land of the free and the home of the brave.
And for the part of my life that I freely gave

For him and his children,
and more yet to come.
For the courage it takes to take up your gun
And travel o'er land, o'er sea and by air
To the place where the fighting is, and there

To fight for what's right alongside other men
Who say, "Do or die, Semper Fi."

Now, many years later, I remember the faces
Of those I served with who are honored in places

That some go to see... though not in large part.
But today I remembered it's what's in the heart
That makes of a man what a man ought to be
And gives him a personal victory.

Some wonder where all the heroes have gone.
One young man knows.
It's for him that we went.
And for those that don't care...we were also there.
Though scared to the core at the prospect of war...
And remembered no more.

But not today.
A young man saluted me today...

Eric R. Wallace
Copyright 1998

If you've been looking for a way to support our troops, now you can. Participate in one of our many projects or register with eMOM and sign up to correspond with service members one-on-one. Learn more about our holiday project to support our troops.

[ Tags: eMOM, eMailOurMilitary, Military Support, Troop Support, Supporting Our Troops, Moral Support, Patriotism, eMail Our Military Blog, Honor Duty eMail, Eric R. Wallace, Military Poetry, Patriotic Poems, Veterans ]

Connect with eMail Our Military on twitter at: @MailOurMilitary or follow the blog feed at: @eMOMs. If you're reading this via email or in your feed reader, stop by and add your comments.