Veterans Day poem from Kender MacGowan

Shaky Old Hands

He awoke before dawn as he usually did
But today wasn't just any day
He showered and shaved with shaky old hands
And went to the bed where it lay
A uniform worn by the passage of years
Slightly faded, lay in all its glory
The ribbons upon it were starting to fade
But to him it told quite a story
He was a kid in late '44
Shipped off to a beach head in France
When the fighting was done he put down his gun
While a french girl taught him to dance
A few short years later he fought in the snow
And become one of the Chosin Few
He thinks on those days when the weather is cold
And winter is breaking anew
He fought them in Nam as the monsoons poured down
While the media at home slurred his name
Never doubting his mission he had no regrets
He retired without any shame
Today he would ride down the main street of town
As the folks on the sidewalk would cheer
Tomorrow they'd not recognize him at all
It happened like this every year
But he doesn't care he knows what he did
In all of those far away lands
And he smiles as he buttons his uniform up
With his heroic, shaky old hands

--
kendersmusings.blogspot.com

Note: "Chosin Few" refers to the Battle of Chosin Reservoir