Patriot Guard

Road the funeral for Cpl. Marion Gele (Jake) Turner US Army (ret) WWII Veteran, America has lost yet another of her true Heroes.

*A Soldier Died Today*
© 1987, Lawrence Vaincourt

He was getting old and paunchy
And his hair was falling fast,
And he sat around the Legion,
Telling stories of the past.

Of a war that he once fought in
And the deeds that he had done,
In his exploits with his buddies;
They were heroes, every one.

And 'tho sometimes to his neighbors
His tales became a joke,
All his buddies listened quietly
For they knew where of he spoke.

But we'll hear his tales no longer,
For ol' Joe has passed away,
And the world's a little poorer
For a Soldier died today.

He won't be mourned by many,
Just his children and his wife.
For he lived an ordinary,
Very quiet sort of life.

He held a job and raised a family,
Going quietly on his way;
And the world won't note his passing,
'Tho a Soldier died today.

When politicians leave this earth,
Their bodies lie in state,
While thousands note their passing,
And proclaim that they were great.

Papers tell of their life stories
From the time that they were young
But the passing of a Soldier
Goes unnoticed, and unsung.

Is the greatest contribution
To the welfare of our land,
Some jerk who breaks his promise
And cons his fellow man?

Or the ordinary fellow
Who in times of war and strife,
Goes off to serve his country
And offers up his life?

The politician's stipend
And the style in which he lives,
Are often disproportionate,
To the service that he gives.

While the ordinary Soldier,
Who offered up his all,
Is paid off with a medal
And perhaps a pension, small.

It is not the politicians
With their compromise and ploys,
Who won for us the freedom
That our country now enjoys.

Should you find yourself in danger,
With your enemies at hand,
Would you really want some cop-out,
With his ever waffling stand?

Or would you want a Soldier--
His home, his country, his kin,
Just a common Soldier,
Who would fight until the end.

He was just a common Soldier,
And his ranks are growing thin,
But his presence should remind us
We may need his likes again.

For when countries are in conflict,
We find the Soldier's part
Is to clean up all the troubles
That the politicians start.

If we cannot do him honor
While he's here to hear the praise,
Then at least let's give him homage
At the ending of his days.

Perhaps just a simple headline
In the paper that might say:
"OUR COUNTRY IS IN MOURNING,
A SOLDIER DIED TODAY."

Glad you did. I wasn't able to make this one. Thank you for the pics.

Hey if yall do a PGR ride please post the story and any pic's here also if you know of a PGR ride let everyone know, throughout the site....Working the way I do I cannot be their all the time

Absolutely!

Been a member for quite some time , several years , but so far cant hook on any missions
get emails all the time , but dates never geehaw

I know how that is, most of the guys there were retired and had pleanty of time on there hands, I just caught this one at the beginning of my 14 days off.....

Yeah my time off and those missions aren't meshing very well these days.

Another short notice

Lt. Col. Joseph Robert Strong
Korea and Vietnam Veteran
Saturday November 26, 2011
Mobile, AL

STAGING INFO:
Baldwin County Staging:
Location: Scenic Overlook Park on Hwy 98 in Daphne, AL located at the northwest corner of Hwy 98 and I-10
Time: 8:10AM
KSU: 8:30 AM
Mobile County Staging:
Location: Rangeline Chevron/ Corner of Rangeline Road and Halls Mill Road/ In front of the Walmart.
Time: 9:00 AM
KSU: 9:30 AM

I'll feel the same way. I want to show my support, but I always have to work during anything. One day I will make it.

How do I sign up for PG? I'm not sure I could contain myself if Westborro Baptist showed up with signs ect... I would go to jail.

Just go to PatriotGuard.com or google it.