STAND UP PROUD

S.C.Jones

Hear me brethren, listen loud and clear.
Hear me from high rooftop and believe.
Open with your heart, body and soul.
Hear me, for you are about to receive,

With revelation from us, a gift of love.
We were young, ready and proud.
We fought gallant in a distant far land,
Fought for freedom on soil and in lofty cloud.

We were the men of Vietnam. REMEMBER US.
We rose silent from rural farm, town, and city.
Remember us not for ideals, but brother'n kinship.
We seek not your reverent sorrow, not your pity.

We ask only that you come to understand.
Understand our compassion, understand our care,
For these things in us had no greater value.
Should it be a thousand years hence do compare,

That we men of 'Nam stood tall. HONOR US.
We stood together. We sought to freely give.
Honor us not for valor and comely deed,
But rather with liberty, that all men should live.

Let know that we brave men of 'Nam did present,
What you, yourselves, deem honorable and right.
Stand now. Stand up proud. Stand with us.
Never let die freedom once begun. Never lose sight.

Take care least you forget - COMFORT US.
We who fought bravely, we are here.
Comfort us not with words, but with love.
Be proud of us. Give your heart sincere.

Study our faces. Understand the reason.
Feel it - feel it and then you will know,
The bonds of brotherhood, strong and true,
For it's in this Kinship, we soldiers do bestow.

We were the Vet's of 'Nam. STAND WITH US.
Come join us. Join the red, white, and the blue.
Stand with us not for Our glory, but Yours,
For We decree - Thank you boys - Thank You.

Our day has gone, but brief in passing.
We played our part. Let All men be endowed.
If no other tribute than this my friend,
Let it be known that we stood, Stood Proud.

Beyond the Wall

(version 1: rondeau)

S.C.Jones

Beyond the wall now free from pain
We, to you, appear comrades slain.
Taken in youth here we appeal
To you the living we now kneel.
Pray lasting peace, this last campaign.

Knowing what freedom shall attain
In those among you we remain
With you always were you to feel
Beyond the wall.

Names on granite can not explain
The cold chill of the wind blown rain.
A storm is passing, church bells peal.
Time goes on and time will reveal,
That we have not here died in vain
Beyond the wall.

Revised: August 17, 1997

Beyond the Wall

(version 2: rondeau redouble)

S.C.Jones

Beyond the wall now free from pain
A storm is passing, church bells peal.
The cold chill of the wind blown rain
With you now when hearts given feel.

Taken in youth here we appeal
Pray lasting peace this last campaign.
For you the living we now kneel
Beyond the wall now free from pain.

We, to you, appear comrades slain
Yet we are here of your ordeal.
Give vent to your hearts, all humane,
A storm is passing, church bells peal.

Let none among us here conceal
Knowing what freedom shall ordain.
All our shared suffering pain here real
The cold chill of the wind blown rain.

Names on granite can not explain
What further fate war and hate seal.
Rise up anew. Let peace now reign
With you now when hearts given feel.

We dead gave life your souls to heal.
Passing among you we remain.
Time goes on and time will reveal
That we have not here died in vain
Beyond the wall.

#1 LITTLE GI

S.C.Jones

Bitter remorse, why me here?
Why me, placed here, this war?
This war is not mine. I chose it not.
Why now do I find myself in fear?

Our mission today brought us this village.
where all these people care not for us.
We might as well go home. Nothing here.
Our planes drop bombs to make tillage.

We come and go and yet all remains.
Our efforts go for not. We've wasted.
I want to go home, see old friends.
War is not for me. This land detains.

Were it not for you, my little guy,
I would have departed long ago.
When we first came to your village
you were there. "Chop, chop - #1 GI !"

You with your other buddys in tow.
Why does war forget the children?
Why do we go in a manly fashion
to kill and maim? These answers I don't know.

Yet, you were there. "You come here off'n, GI ?"
Yes, we come to do what we can my friend.
It's not much maybe, but we sometimes care.
We care about you. We're not afraid to die. (Lie !)

Don't get to know me kid. - "You #1 Guy, GI !"
Why do you say that...Food? here...take it.
I wasn't hungry for it anyway. o.k.... here's more.
I've got to go kid. You know - take to the sky.

We'll be back. Tomorrow we have to do it again.
Hm...what? What's that you say? "You special, GI !"
Ah shucks kid - stop it. I Have to be here......
....on the way back I remember it all began.

Why did this kid work his way to my inner being?
How could I tell him I cared? Did I? Do I?
Even now, looking back remembering. "What you think GI ?"
Tomorrow we go back. This time a few extra C's. I'm seeing.

'We're back kid'. Where are you now. Reply.
"What's that Joe? Those kids the other day - Dead?!"
"Those shells in the night. They were Ours! Why?! How?!"
"Why did we place them so close?!" (Please God, Deny)

My little friend, how can this be that you've suddenly died!
When firing on enemy we killed so indiscriminately.
My agony this day, my sorrow. Bring tomorrow.
From the very depths of me, from within, soul has cried.

Why did you have to work your way into my heart - Why?
My bitterness, my hate - you've taken that, you know, kid.
This war was not mine. It Is now. It is because
____for a little time, a little time only,

_________You made me feel special. My #1 little GI.

IN SEASON

S.C.Jones

It was the Springtime of my being,
....when Vietnam was all strife and war.
It was zenith to young pilots of the rotor.
It was a time of soaring, blading free, seeing.

Seeing a time torn between valor and cause;
....valor in duty, valor in deeds and honor.
Cause thrown unjust, unjust from away.
Here I came to fight oppression, never pause.

Pause and reflect now to my aging sorrow,
....when long ago my youth was in season.
I was bold and dashing now in remembering,
....when my existence knew nor cared of tomorrow.

Tomorrow may bring joy unknown to my day.
It may bring me happiness unmeasured,
....or it may bring depths of despair and sorrow.
Yet, in my dreams, flying above, all cares away.

Away to memories past, present now appear,
Then I was young. Now young in remembering,
....when days were as new as the Spring of my life.
Now yesterdays gone forever; forever yet near,

....near as my longing days, days I hold dear.
Dear, when there I go to memories past,
....past all care and concern, past all my reason.
Life was young there. There I was in season.

STILL MY SON

S.C.Jones

Still my son I could have loved you more.
I could have been with you when first you cried
in the middle of the night. I could have done more.
I could have shown, yet I was never too sure. Tied.

Tied to you though I was, I was never too at ease.
You never doubted me, you never lost hope
that some day I would awake, someday I would care.
You never lost faith in me, you saw me stumble and cope.

In your growing years you saw me distant, you saw afar.
You knew I was there, you knew I cared, yet how,
how was I to know. How was I to know you would go to war.
War in a distant place. A place where I knew nothing, nothing still.

....still I hoped and prayed that you would return. But now...
Now these years have passed, knowing and knowing now still.
Still I yearn for you, still I call your name son. Still I grieve,
grieve your passing. I grieve your dying , dying in pain.
The pain is mine. This pain in my heart. I believe,

Believe had you returned I would have tried harder, harder to see.
I would have tried to love you more, more from now until,
until forever, forever my son, I would have loved you.
I would have loved you more still. My grief unreal,

Still with me now, still with me ever. I have tried my son.
Son, I will love you till my dying day, when I too will,
will be gone. Gone from this sorrow, gone forever.
Forever this pain, this pain in me. Still my son, help me be still.

OUR PARADE

S.C.Jones

March with the drums, ratta tat tat, this fall
Now I ask you...have you seen a parade?
I have...seen the grandest parade of all
Trumpet blasts, cymbal clangs; My, how they played

Pomp and pride smartly dressed, these I applaud
This was our parade, this was our proud pride
Then as now, we brought home from far abroad
Here to our hearts, with these honors we cried

Men had fallen and tribute we gave just
For glory we march to this flag we raise
When all the world gone mad, parade we must
For in praise we honor, honor we praise

Sing it from the heart. Sing it loud and strong
This was Our parade, this was our proud song

Sing it from the heart.

Sing it loud and strong

THE SWORD

S.C.Jones

What role call will serve those who bravely fought
And what duty this that sends men to graves
Be this a nobler deed which then enslaves.
They who follow a righteous path care not
When freedom in a distant land is sought
Yet give to higher cause when home flag waves
Sending clear message as they have always
Honoring country, these things they've been taught.

'Care not for self, but loftier ideals.'
'Stand firm knowing we serve Mightier right.'
Would battle-torn souls in past wars agree
This engagement that sword again reveals
Leading to more conflict and greater might
Wherein all are bound and none are then free.

What banner will fly over all of them
And what minion this that sends men to war.
Be this a wiser path to then ignore.
They who go suffer from those who condemn
When conflict is a constant theme for hymn.
Yet continue to give blood as before
Sending scholars more fact, legend and lore
Honoring to higher plain this of him.

Dare not for lesser gods which this appeals.
Hand to those among you wiser insight.
Should they forget what's for all eyes to see
Abyss, not honor, the sword of man seals
Proceeding swiftly down trails to excite
Therein lies the road to glory that be.
Therein lies the sword.