Posted by Joe_Denver USMC on Friday, March 28, 2003 at 7:16PM :
Subject: Valley Forge Soldier
I want you to close your eyes and picture in your mind the
soldier at Valley Forge, as he holds his musket in his bloody hands. He
stands barefoot in the snow, starved from lack of food, wounded from
months of battle and emotionally scarred from the eternity away from his
family surrounded by nothing but death and carnage of war.
He stands tough, with fire in his eyes and victory on his
breath. He looks at us now in anger and disgust and tells us this...
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
and you stay at home because it rains.
I left my family destitute to give you the freedom of speech
and you remain silent on critical issues, because it might be bad for
business.
I orphaned my children to give you a government to serve you
and it has stolen democracy from the people.
It's the soldier not the reporter who gives you the freedom of
the press.
It's the soldier not the poet who gives you the freedom of
speech.
It's the soldier not the campus organizer who allows you to
demonstrate.
It's the soldier who salutes the flag, serves the flag, whose
coffin is draped with the flag that allows the protester to burn the
flag!!!
"Lord, hold our troops in your loving hands. Protect them as
they protect us. Bless them and their families for the selfless acts
they perform for us in our time of need."
David A. Thompson
US Army Retired
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