Never Forget - An Eagles Tribute - GOE

Since 06-02-07

From: Lowell J Mix [mailto:ljmix@juno.com]
Sent: Friday, June 01, 2007 1:19 PM
To: CAdams5804@aol.com
Subject: Never Forget, An Eagle’s Tribute - GOE

Posted: 31 May 2007 11:16 PM CDT

 Never Forget

Submitted by an IL Eagle

I walked among the falling snowflakes today and met a soldier at Valley Forge. He held his musket in his bloody hands; he stood barefoot in the snow, starved from a lack of food, wounded from months of battle and emotionally scarred from the eternity away from his family-surrounded by nothing but death, carnage, and war.

He stood tough before me, with a bright fire in his eyes and the air of victory on his breath. He looked angered and disgusted as he said these words to me,

• I gave you a birthright of freedom born in the Constitution and now your children graduate too illiterate to read it.
• I fought in the snow, barefoot, to give you the freedom to vote; yet you stay home if it rains.
• I left my family destitute to give you the freedom of speech; yet you remain silent on crucial issues because it might be bad for business.
• I orphaned my children to give you a government to serve you; yet it has stolen democracy from the people.
• How easily you forget! It is the soldier not the reporter who gives you freedom of the press.
• It is the soldier not the poet who gives you the freedom of speech.
• It is the soldier not the campus organizer who allows you to demonstrate.
• It is the soldier who salutes the flag, serves the flag, and whose coffin is draped with the flag that allows the protestor to burn the flag!!
• How easily you forget! The names of those who stood beside me, who have come after me, who are coming to me now.
• It is the soldier, who in his duty and honor, gives you the freedom to be free!

He glared at me for a moment or two, while his breath hastened to ease; A single tear slid down my cheek and his heart began to bleed. I walked slowly up to him and placed my hand upon his wound. His blood drenched my skin and  I shook with tears and guilt while quietly he whispered, “Never forget!”

I raised my head and whispered back, “I never will!” …to the headstone on the grave that read, “Here a soldier died so you could live.”

GOE proudly salutes the men and women who have so valiantly fought to protect our country and our freedoms. To those who have served and are serving, we will never forget.