Author: SgtGrit

THE MARINE CORPS WIFE
Billy & Maggie Bagget

We enjoy your newsletters so much and I would like to pass along a poem that my husband gave me when we were stationed at Camp Lejeune in the ’50’s. He gave this to me just after an IG inspection.

The Marine CorpS Wife

No stripes on her arm, but she’s no boot
A squared away gal who’s really quite cute
She takes her order’s as a real “salt” should
And takes care of her job as a good Marine would.
She want be promoted, though she deserves to be
She’s happy with the life the Marine Corps gave me
For the years to come and throughout her life
She’ll proudly bear the title of “Marine Corps Wife.” read more

Marine Corps Fiance Poem
By: Anonymous

You think you know me, but you haven't the slightest clue.

Im the brunette standing behind you in line at the grocery store, eyeing the newest "Support Our Troops" magnet while paging through the latest issue of Modern Bride. The look on her face is complacent and her thoughts are thousands of miles away on some military base she's only been verbally described of over the phone. read more

Memorial Day
by Michelle R. Christman

As we stand here looking
At the flags upon these graves
Know these flags represent
A few of the true American brave

They fought for their Country
As man has through all of time
Except that these soldiers lying here
Fought for your country and mine

As we all are gathered here
To pay them our respect
Let’s pass this word to others
It’s what they would expect read more

Memorial Day Parade
By MKM 5-25-05

She stood there on the sidewalk
With her heart upon her sleeve,
Stubborn and determined,
She was not about to leave.
A sign held high above her head,
Proclaimed for all to see,
Her anti-military stand-with passersby she’d plea:
“End the “war on terror”-pull our troops back out!
Murderers aren’t heroes!” she’d scream and yell and shout.
As fire trucks and clowns passed by, continued to protest, ‘Til there came a
‘Nam vet marching-said, “Girl, we did our best.
My buddy ain’t a hero? He saved ten other men.
He sacrificed himself and he’d do it all again.
My brother ain’t a hero? ‘Cause, Girl, he’s dead now, too.
He died protecting people like your “free-speech” friends and you.
My son is not a hero? He’s serving in Iraq.
There’s nothing I want more right now than just to bring him back You stand
and try to shame the ones who chanced to make it through- I wish that you
could understand, I wish you only knew.”
He held his head up higher,
Feeling proud of those who’d gone,
And didn’t feel her stare
As the parade continued on. read more

Memories Not to Pollute
by Vicki

Red white and blue
We fly this flag
In remembrance of you
On the ground it won’t drag

What you have given
Has cut you deep
And caused you to lose
More than peaceful sleep

These wars are over
But the battles go on
Yet still every year
Dress blues you don read more

In Memory of my friend
by Paula Barnhart

Whenever we meet someone, whether a chance encounter or a planned meeting, we come away with impressions on our heart and mind and pictures on our eyelids.

Whenever I saw Dave, be it three or four times in a single day or one time in three or four weeks, he always had a ready smile that came from the heart and reached all the way to his eyes. read more

Men in the Machine (The Silent Fallen)
by Rex J. Taylor

View the PDF

We were all trained by the machine.
The machine trained us all to be able to turn love, caring, & killing on and off like the flipping of a light switch.
One moment we cared about everything.
Then we get an order to flip the light switch
So our innate ability to wreak pain & suffering upon others takes over.
For some of us the pain & suffering of others is like candy it is an addiction.
They crave for more.
The ones that crave the pain & suffering of others often remain in battle they thrive on the carnage.
Never to leave the machine except in death, or retirement even then most do not survive more than a few years after they are out.
Then there are the few that are trained by the machine that have feelings.
They take a good long look around and watch the pain & suffering to their own people & people that are foreign to them.
They see small children & adults lying dead in piles along the road and around bombed out buildings.
This sickens them but they continue to fight for the machine. read more

I wrote this poem to my son the other day. He is in Golf Company 2/2 Mar Division currently on deployment. After sharing it with other moms it was suggested I send it to you and see if you agree other moms would like to read it and see how much it hits home. read more

JUST A MOMENT IN TIME
Murl D. Long

Those who knew me in my youth would say
He burned the candle at both ends, night and day
I would disagree, but that would be a waste
I just lived life, as though in haste

Certainly, there was an attempt to cram as much as I could
Into each day, sometimes more than I should
There is a question in my mind as to a premonition in my dreams
That this will come to an end, sooner than later, as it seems read more

A Mom’s Pride and Fear
Kelly Smith

The day you were born, my dear baby boy,
My world filled with delight, and my heart filled with joy.
That face full of innocence, your smile so bright,
I held your life in my arms, as I rocked you each night.
As I’d lay you to sleep, looking down with a tear,
I pondered your future, a mom’s pride and fear. read more