IT HAS BEEN 32 YEARS SINCE I STEPPED INTO THAT HELL HOLE CALLED VIETNAM
AND 32 YEARS OF WONDERING ABOUT WHO I AM
A LOT HAS HAPPENED IN THE TIME THAT HAS PASSED
IT WENT BY SO QUICKLY - WHO'D HAVE EVER GUESSED
THERE WERE SOME GOOD TIMES IN MY QUEST
TO TRY TO BECOME THE VERY BEST
THERE WERE ALSO SOME SAD TIMES WHEN I REFLECT BACK
WHEN IT SEEMED LIKE NAM WAS RIDING ON MY BACK
HE'S A HARD OLE CUSS TO GET AWAY FROM
AND THAT ACCOMPLISHMENT WILL PROBABLY NEVER BE DONE
I THANK GOD THAT I HAVE LIVED TO SEE MY OLD FRIENDS
AND HAVE THE HONOR OF BEING WITH THEM AGAIN
IT'S SO GREAT VISITING AND TALKING WITH OUR WIVES AND FAMILIES
FOR WITHOUT THEM WE WOULD BE NOTHING
I HAVE SO MUCH TO BE THANKFUL FOR IN THIS DAY AND TIME
WITH A LOVING FAMILY THAT I CAN CALL MINE
BUT THE ONE THING THAT I CAN NEVER FORGET
ARE MY FELLOW MARINES WHOSE FUTURES WERE NEVER MET
FOR IF IT WASN'T FOR A HANDFULL OF THEIR FELLOW MEN
WHO BECAME AS CLOSE TO THEM AS ANYONE CAN
AND THEIR DEAR FAMILIES WHO LOVED THEM SO MUCH
THAT THEY COULD NOT BELIEVE THINGS TURNED OUT AS SUCH
WHO WOULD REMEMBER OR CARE THAT THEY LOST THEIR LIVES
FIGHTING AN UNPOPULAR WAR IN ALL THAT STRIFE
MEN LIKE BARTHOL, J.J., ROBBY AND TONY
THESE WERE BRAVE MEN WHO WOULD FIGHT TO THE END
THEY SHOULD HAVE ALL RECEIVED THE HIGHEST HONOR THAT ANY MARINE CAN
BUT INSTEAD THOSE OF US WHO MADE IT RECEIVED IT IN THE END
FOR THERE COULD BE NO GREATER HONOR THAN TO HAVE SERVED WITH THESE MEN
AND BEING ABLE TO TELL ABOUT THEM AS WE KNEW THEM THEN
By: James "Tex" Evans
Jan. 30, 2001
3/26 Kilo Co.
1st Platoon
Vietnam - 68-69
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