by Cpl. Robert L. Cook
Jan. 42~Sept. 45
Now that I'm 80-plus,
I wonder how I made it.
We fought a war,
My buds and I,
And lived a life
That was no lie.
We made the world
Just what it is. . .
Yet still, somehow,
I wonder why?
We all came home
From war's demise,
We'd done the best we could.
It must have been
An alright job
'Cause our country
Still stood!
We did our bit in politics,
Some of us
More than others.
We sent good men to
Do our bid,
Only to discover
That they alone
Could not fix the
Faults that we'd uncovered.
The country needed
So much work,
To bring out its potential.
To have us all involved,
They say,
Was more than
Just essential.
My eighty years
Have taught me this:
That resting on our laurels,
May bring us joy
And the delight
Of memories
Of the good fight.
Still, we cannot rest
On victory.
We cannot cease
The struggle!
We will pass
The banner on,
To those who follow
In our wake.
And hope and pray
They seize the day,
Our banner to
The summit take!
*
**
**About the author: Robert Cook served with Reg. Weapons Co.(2d-2d) from 1942~44, at Guadalcanal
& Tarawa, during a 33-month overseas tour.
