To a WWII Vet....

Quietly you’ve all turned grey
You did your job - you saved our way
Our life and freedom you preserved
We’ve thanked you less than you’ve deserved
You never boasted, bragged, or asked
For adulation for your past
You did the job you knew was right
And quietly, you cry at night
For bodies maimed and comrades lost
For sights beyond our furthest thoughts
For what you’ve lived and felt and seen
For what the cost of freedom means

You leave us blessed with every breath
That cost you arms and legs and death
You won the worst and greatest war
We owe you more, we owe you more
Thank you for your wondrous feats
For open speech and quiet streets
For worship as we choose to pray
For preservation of our way

Before you go, we need to show
That in your silence we still know
What you accomplished and what you did
For who we are and how we live
So go with love from wives and sons
and daughters for a job well done
From kids who’ve never seen a tank
We give you thanks, we give you thanks
Thank you for your wondrous feats
For open speech and quiet streets
For worship as we choose to pray
For preservation of our way
For homes and jobs and baseball games
For many colors many names
You saved our lives and we’re still free
From shining sea to shining sea
Thank you, thank youThank you.... Go in peace