More than 40 years have passed and the words have never been uttered
No songs, no banners, no gratitude just people who closed their shutters
No parades, no ticker-tape, no standing ovation
Only silence, and whispers of a protesting Nation
Although there were many who might care to stand,
To reach out with gratitude and shake my hand
There were many more who took FREEDOM for granted
No concern where my mission and feet had been planted
Many had been called upon by our great Nation
To bring hope and democracy for a new generation
I served diligently with honor, humbly fighting to stay alive
The taste of FREEDOM was always my main drive
Now 45 years later as I memorialize in my mind
The battles for FREEDOM and the friends left behind.
Some ungrateful, taking FREEDOM for granted - that's ignorance
They have no concept of the cost of battle for independence
Today as I reflect on the years that have passed
I still see how Patriotism is standing steadfast
As I celebrate and appreciate another year of life
Loving my friends, my children, my wife
I embrace a generation of those that I served
And a new generation that seem un-assured
I hope that democracy, truth and decency are still alive
And the FREEDOMS many have died for will continue to thrive
God Bless America and the men and women who have sacrificed
In the name of FREEDOM!
And may I not forget the reason that I wrote this poem –
WELCOME HOME WARRIOR,
WELCOME HOME!
FOR ALL THOSE WHO WERE NEVER WELCOMED HOME
(or never made it home) THANK YOU ~ YOU ARE NEVER FORGOTTEN
My family is GRATEFUL –
Written by Sandra Eichler-Gonzalez
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| Sandra & Daughter With Navajo Code Talker, Joe Morris Sr. |
