“We few, we happy few, we band of brothers;”
For they that fight and suffer for just causes
They are our brothers, and we hold no one higher.
Our bonds were forged in the heat of battle
We were baptized in the struggle by fury and fire.
Be their fate err so marvelous or be it so vile,
They shall ever be recalled with abiding affection;
Let none besmirch their honor or deny their claim
What they earned is worth more than fortune;
And far more durable than fame.
Some who shied away from this dubious war,
Did so, not on principle, but due to fear
Protesters had honor; but not so the craven curs.
They made no stand and spoke not one doubt,
But merely sulked in the shade of bone spurs!
From the moments of our varied tribulation
Until the death of the last among us
Let us make sure it can be honestly said
Neither torment nor torturous trauma
Kept us from living well until we were dead.
The petulant and petty both prominent and obscure
All of us know beyond doubt,
Will be callous and vindictive to the absolute last
But in the hearts of all good patriots and true
The flag will long fly respectfully at half-mast!
Though some have smeared many you
And dismissed your numerous good deeds
Not one of you thought patriotism was a game.
You were firm while they were weak sneaks
Your abiding legacy these waffling weaklings cannot fame.
So, my brothers in protest and my brothers in arms,
Rest peacefully now; you are beyond pain
We will carry on with the glorious quest
Remembering your bravery and applauding your worth
As you finally go on to your well-deserved rest!
Larry Conley
