THE WALL

HERE IS THE POEM I WROTE ABOUT MY 2 FRIENDS WHO DIED IN VIETNAM.  IT'S ENTITLED  "THE WALL"

THERE'S A WALL IN OUR NATIONS CAPITAL

MADE OF A SPECIAL BLACK STONE

SOME 58,000 NAMES ARE THERE

THERE ARE 2 I PERSONALLY KNOW.

THE FIRST NAME LAVERN HISSONG

WE GREW UP A FEW MILES APART

WE SANG A SONG IN A CHRISTMAS PLAY

"WE THREE KINGS" IS HOW IT STARTS

THE SECOND NAME RONNIE IRELAND

WAS QUITE A BIT YOUNGER THAN I

I'VE KNOWN HIS FAMILY ALL MY LIFE

WHY I ASK DID THEY DIE

EACH NAME INSCRIBED WAS A PRECIOUS LIFE

WITH A FUTURE OF GOALS AND DREAMS

THEY GAVE THE ULTIMATE SACRIFICE

THEIR LIVES SO SHORT IT SEEMS

FOR CENTURIES OUR PEOPLE HAVE FOUGHT AND DIED

FROM SEA TO SHINING SEA

OUR SOLDIERS HAVE PUT THEIR LIVES ON THE LINE

FOR OUR COUNTRY, FOR YOU AND FOR ME

MY GRANDFATHER FOUGHT IN THE CIVIL WAR

MY BROTHER IN WORLD WAR TWO

MY NEPHEW A MARINE IN VIETNAM

THEY WERE PROUD OF THE RED, WHITE, AND BLUE

OUR NATION SET ASIDE A SPECIAL DAY

FOR OUR HEARTS AND MINDS TO RECALL

A MEMORIAL DAY IN THE MONTH OF MAY

FOR THOSE WHO GAVE THEIR ALL

I WROTE THIS POEM FOR LAVERN AND RON

JUST A WRITER AT THE END OF A PEN

BUT, I'LL NEVER FORGET THE PRICE THEY PAID

I'M GLAD TO HAVE KNOWN THEM AS FRIENDS