Resources
A mix of poetry and service hymns for your pages.
- The Soldier and His Gun by Jane Lyon
- Now I lay me down to sleep by Charlene McGowan
- On Going Gold by Angelyn Taylor
- Wish You Were Here by Corporal Joshua Miles
- It is the Soldier by Charles M. Province
- A Tribute To Veterans by Jerry Calow
- The Pledge of Allegiance
- God bless America
- The Sound of Freedom by Thena Smith
- God Bless The U.S.A. by Lee Greenwood
- Taps
- The Difference by Colonel Steve Arrington
- The Army Song
- The Marine Hymn
- The "Navy Hymn" is Eternal Father, Strong to Save by William Whiting of Winchester
- Seabee Song
- The Air Force Song by Robert Crawford
- Coast Guard Hymn
"The Lord watch between me and thee, when we are absent one from another." — Genesis 31:49 (RSV)
THE SOLDIER AND HIS GUN by Jane Lyon
I remember the very day.
Mother's day, you became the soldier with his gun.
It's off to war, I heard you say.
This is something that has to be done.
My heart sank as it filled with fear.
I knew there would be changes in your life
Then I started to shed a tear.
For I was that soldier's wife.
A soldier's life is so hard to do.
There is so much work and so little time.
My life began to turn sad and blue.
I sat and heard the clocks, tick and chime.
We marked the months, day by day.
After you became the soldier with his gun.
I waited by the phone and hear you say.
It's cold nights here and days with so much sun.
I am your wife and here for you for a special reason.
I have lonely nights in my bed without you.v
With you gone hopefully, this will be just a season.
Keeping my mind occupied is a job I have to do.
I pray for your safety every night.
This is something I do not understand.
This battle you must fight.
And I know that you are a special man.
To protect our country to keep all of us free.
Your life is laid down on the line for your brother.
It is for reasons that people cannot see.
Why you fight for someone other.
Will you be the same man?
Are you the wonderful man that I did marry?
I know you are fighting beside your men, in the sand.
You have the big burdens of your unit that you carry.
You saw your friend killed in action.
Why must this be done?
This is your job fact or fiction.
You are the soldier with his gun.
As you come home to me to stay.
This is my biggest fear.
Are you the man I sent away?
Once again I shed a tear.
As the days go by and the sun sets.
You think of your wife, daughter, and son.
You have paid the ultimate debt.
YOU ARE THE SOLDIER WITH HIS GUN.
NOW I LAY ME DOWN TO SLEEP by Charlene McGowan
Now I lay me down to sleep
I pray my Daddy you will keep
Safe from harm and our enemy
And bring him home to Mommy and me.
‘Cause he’s a soldier proud and strong
and he’s been gone now for way too long.
Thank you Jesus for seeing him through
To protect us, our country and the Red, White & Blue.
Amen
ON GOING GOLD by Angelyn Taylor
I wrote this poem for my husband, a First Class praying to finally make chief! And presented him with a gold crow and 3 gold stripes to mark his 12th Navy Anniversary.
Years ago, we exchanged two shiny bands of gold.
Forever and ever — for better or worse — to have and always hold.
Through the years, hand in hand, we've learned what freedom means:
Sacrifices, Separation — Freedom isn't free.
Through countless deployments, moving every year or two,
Shore duty, selection boards...and sometimes missing you.
We've come this far, side by side, and now it's time to say,
"Congratulations, Baby! You go gold today!"
The gold you've earned is a sign of patriotism and of pride.
The gold that I still wear is a sign of a proud and loving Navy wife.
As the years move quickly by and retirement finally is in sight,
I'm proud to say that I've survived being part of the Navy's way of life.
So, wear this gold upon your arm as a sign for all to see —
The pride you have in your country and what you've done to keep them free.
But don't forget the gold you wear on your finger, most of all.
It still says, "I'll love you, forever...Navy and all!"
WISH YOU WERE HERE
by Corporal Joshua Miles and all the boys from
3rd Battalion 2nd Marines, Kuwait
The following poem sent to me by a fellow military wife, written by a group of Marines in response to the anti-war protests... feel free to pass it along, but please give credit to the authors.
For all the free people that still protest.
You're welcome. We protect you
and you are protected by the best.
Your voice is strong and loud,
but who will fight for you?
No one standing in your crowd.
We are your fathers, brothers, and sons,
wearing the boots and carrying guns.
We are the ones that leave all we own,
to make sure your future is carved in stone.
We are the ones who fight and die,
We might not be able to save the world,
Well, at least we try.
We walked the paths to where we are at
and we want no choice other than that.
so when you rally your group to complain,
take a look in the back of your brain.
In order for that flag you love to fly
wars must be fought and young men must die.
We came here to fight for the ones we hold dear.
If that's not respected, we would rather stay here.
So please stop yelling, put down your signs,
and pray for those behind enemy lines.
When the conflict is over and all is well,
be thankful that we chose to go through hell.
IT IS THE SOLDIER by Charles M. Province
*used by permission from the author
IT IS THE SOLDIER, not the reporter who has given us the Freedom of the Press.
IT IS THE SOLDIER, not the poet who has given us Freedom of Speech
IT IS THE SOLDIER, not the campus organizer who has given us the freedom to demonstrate.
IT IS THE SOLDIER, not the lawyer who has given us the right for a fair trial.
IT IS THE SOLDIER, who salutes the Flag, who serves under the Flag and whose coffin is draped by the Flag, who allows the protester to burn the Flag.
A TRIBUTE TO VETERANS by Jerry Calow
© Copyright 2003
In Vietnam, Korea and World Wars Past
Our Men Fought Bravely so Freedom Would Last
Conditions Where Not Always Best They Could Be
Fighting a Foe You Could Not Always See:
From Mountain Highs to Valley Lows
From Jungle Drops to Desert Patrols
Our Sinewy Sons Were Sent Over Seas
Far From Their Families And Far From Their Dreams
They Never Wrote Letters Of Hardships Despair
Only Of Love, Yearning That One Day Soon:
They Would Come Home, They Would Resume
And Carry On With The Rest of Their Lives
The P.O.W.¹S Stood Steadfast
Against the Indignities And Cruelties Of War
They Could Not Have Lasted as Long as They Did
If They Had Relinquished Their Hope That Some Day:
They Would Come Home, They Would Resume
And Carry On the Rest Of Their Lives
Medics, Nurses, and Chaplains Alike
Did What They Needed To Bring Back Life
They Served Our Forces From Day Into Night
Not Questioning If They Would Survive:
They Mended Bones And Bodies Too,
They Soothed the Spirits of Dying Souls
And for Those M.I.A¹S, Who Were Left Behind
We Echo This Message Across the Seas
We Will search For as Long As It Takes
You¹re Not Forgotten And Will Always Be:
In Our Hearts, In Our Prayers,
In Our Minds For All Time
A Moment of Silence, a Moment of Summons
Is Their Deliverance of Body And Soul
To a Sacred Place That We All Know
Deep In the Shrines of Our Soul:
In Our Hearts, In Our Prayers
In Our Minds For All Time
INTERLUDE:
GOLD STAR MOTHERS GRIEVE: ENDLESSLY,
ENDLESSLY, ENDLESSLY.......
These Immortalized Soldiers Whose Bravery Abounds
They¹re Our Husbands, Fathers, and Sons
They Enlisted For the Duty at Hand
To Serve the Cause of Country and Land:
They Had Honor, They Had Valor,
They Found Glory That Change Them Forever
Men Standing Tall and Proud They be
A Country Behind Them in a Solemn Sea
So Let the Flags of Freedom Fly
Unfurled in Their Majesty High:
In the Sun, In the Rain
In the Winds Across This Land
Years of Tears Has Brought Us Here
Gathering Around to Hear This Sound
So Let the Flags of Freedom Fly
Unfurled in Their Majesty High:
In the Sun, In the Rain,
In the Winds Across This Land
REPEAT:
In the Sun, In the Rain,
In the Winds For All Time
THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE
I pledge allegiance to the flag
of the United States of America
and to the republic for which it stands;
one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.
GOD BLESS AMERICA
God bless America.
Land that I love.
Stand beside her, and guide her,
Through the night with the light from above.
From the mountains, to the prairies,
To the ocean, white with foam.
God bless America! My home, sweet home,
God bless America! My home, sweet home.
THE SOUND OF FREEDOM by Thena Smith
* used with permission from the author
Listen my son to the sound of freedom!
Look, my child, and see it pass.
Breathe in deeply the air of liberty
Pray each day for it to last!
There are those who would seek to destroy it —
The freedom that we love today.
Pledge my child that you will be vigilant
And on guard that we stay free.
For there is a price for freedom
And a cost involved in liberty.
Men have bought with their lives our freedom
Freedom never has been free!
GOD BLESS THE U.S.A. by Lee Greenwood
© MCA Music
If tomorrow all the things were gone,
I’d worked for all my life.
And I had to start again,
with just my children and my wife.
I’d thank my lucky stars,
to be livin here today.
‘Cause the flag still stands for freedom,
and they can’t take that away.
And I’m proud to be an American,
where at least I know I’m free.
And I wont forget the men who died,
who gave that right to me.
And I gladly stand up,
next to you and defend her still today.
‘Cause there ain’t no doubt I love this land,
God bless the USA.
From the lakes of Minnesota,
to the hills of Tennessee.
Across the plains of Texas,
From sea to shining sea.
From Detroit down to Houston,
and New York to L.A.
Well there's pride in every American heart,
and its time we stand and say.
That I’m proud to be an American,
where at least I know I’m free.
And I wont forget the men who died,
who gave that right to me.
And I gladly stand up,
next to you and defend her still today.
‘Cause there ain’t no doubt I love this land,
God bless the USA.
And I’m proud to be and American,
where at least I know I’m free.
And I wont forget the men who died,
who gave that right to me.
And I gladly stand up,
next to you and defend her still today.
‘Cause there ain’t no doubt I love this land,
God bless the USA.
TAPS
Day is done, gone the sun,
From the lake, from the hills, from the sky;
All is well, safely rest, God is nigh.
Fading light, dims the sight,
And a star gems the sky, gleaming bright.
From afar, drawing nigh, falls the night.
Thanks and praise, for our days,
'Neath the sun, 'neath the stars, neath the sky;
As we go, this we know, God is nigh.
Sun has set, shadows come,
Time has fled, Scouts must go to their beds
Always true to the promise that they made.
While the light fades from sight,
And the stars gleaming rays softly send,
To thy hands we our souls, Lord, commend
THE DIFFERENCE by Colonel Steve Arrington
17th Training Wing, Vice Commander
Goodfellow A.F.B.
San Angelo, Texas
taken from the Goodfellow Monitor
May 11, 2001
(Thank you Stacy Aldridge for giving me the author information!)
Over the years, I've talked a lot about military spouses....how special they are and the price they pay for freedom too. The funny thing about it, is most military spouses don't consider themselves different from other spouses. They do what they have to do, bound together not by blood or merely friendship, but with a shared spirit whose origin is in the very essence of what love truly is. Is there truly a difference? I think there is. You have to decide for yourself.
Other spouses get married and look forward to building equity in a home and putting down family roots. Military spouses get married and know they'll live in base housing or rent, and their roots must be short so they can be transplanted frequently.
Other spouses decorate a home with flair and personality that will last a lifetime. Military spouses decorate a home with flare tempered with the knowledge that no two base houses have the same size windows or same size rooms. Curtains have to be flexible and multiple sets are a plus. Furniture must fit like puzzle pieces. Other spouses have living rooms that are immaculate and seldom used. Military spouses have immaculate living room/dining room combos. The coffee table got a scratch or two moving from Germany, but it still looks pretty good.
Other spouses say good-bye to their spouse for a business trip and know they won't see them for a week. They are lonely, but can survive. Military spouses say good-bye to their deploying spouse and know they won't see them for months, or for a remote, a year. They are lonely, but will survive.
Other spouses, when a washer hose blows off, call Maytag and then write a check out for getting the hose reconnected. Military spouses will cut the water off and fix it themselves. Other spouses get used to saying "hello" to friends they see all the time. Military spouses get used to saying "good-bye" to friends made the last two years.
Other spouses worry about whether their child will be class president next year. Military spouses worry about whether their child will be accepted in yet another new school next year and whether that school will be the worst in the city...again.
Other spouses can count on spouse participation in special events...birthdays, anniversaries, concerts, football games, graduation, and even the birth of a child. Military spouses count on each other: duty comes first, it can be no other way.
Other spouses put up yellow ribbons when the troops are imperiled across the globe and take them down when the troops come home. Military spouses wear yellow ribbons around their hearts and they never go away.
Other spouses worry about being late for mom's Thanksgiving dinner. Military spouses worry about getting back from Japan in time for dad's funeral.
And other spouses are touched by the television program showing an elderly lady putting a card down in front of a long, black wall that has names on it. The card simply says "Happy Birthday, Sweetheart. You would have been sixty today." A military spouse is the lady with the card. And the wall is the Vietnam Memorial.
I would never say military spouses are better or worse than other spouses are. But I will say there is a difference. And I will say that our country asks more of military spouses than is asked of other spouses.
And I will say, without hesitation, that military spouses pay just as high a price for freedom as do their active duty husbands or wives. Perhaps the price they pay is even higher. Dying in service to our country isn't near as hard as loving someone who has died in service to our country, and having to live without them. Military spouses deserve America's gratitude for all they freely give. And if you know one, let them know how much you appreciate their sacrifices.
THE ARMY SONG
The song was originally written by field artillery First Lieutenant (later Brigadier General) Edmund L. Gruber, while stationed in the Philippines in 1908 as the "Caisson Song." The song was changed into a march by John Philip Sousa in 1917.
Intro: March along, sing our song, with the Army of the free
Count the brave, count the true, who have fought to victory
We’re the Army and proud of our name
We’re the Army and proudly proclaim
Verse: First to fight for the right,
And to build the Nation’s might,
And The Army Goes Rolling Along
Proud of all we have done,
Fighting till the battle’s won,
And the Army Goes Rolling Along.
Refrain: Then it’s Hi! Hi! Hey!
The Army’s on its way.
Count off the cadence loud and strong (TWO! THREE!)
For where e’er we go,
You will always know
That The Army Goes Rolling Along.
Verse: Valley Forge, Custer’s ranks,
San Juan Hill and Patton’s tanks,
And the Army went rolling along
Minute men, from the start,
Always fighting from the heart,
And the Army keeps rolling along.
(refrain)
Verse: Men in rags, men who froze,
Still that Army met its foes,
And the Army went rolling along.
Faith in God, then we’re right,
And we’ll fight with all our might,
As the Army keeps rolling along.
(refrain)
THE MARINE HYMN
"From the halls of Montezuma
to the Shores of Tripoli,
We fight our country's battles
In the air, on land, and sea.
First to fight for right and freedom,
And to keep our honor clean,
We are proud to claim the title
of United States Marines.
"Our flag's unfurl'd to every breeze
From dawn to setting sun;
We have fought in every clime and place
Where we could take a gun.
In the snow of far-off northern lands
And in sunny tropic scenes,
You will find us always on the job
The United States Marines.
"Here's health to you and to our Corps
Which we are proud to serve;
In many a strife we've fought for life
And never lost our nerve.
If the Army and the Navy
Ever look on Heaven's scenes,
They will find the streets are guarded
By United States Marines."
THE NAVY HYMN IS ETERNAL FATHER, STRONG TO SAVE by William Whiting of Winchester, England
The original words are:
Verse 1: Eternal Father, strong to save,
Whose arm hath bound the restless wave,
Who bidd'st the mighty ocean deep
Its own appointed limits keep;
Oh, hear us when we cry to Thee,
For those in peril on the sea!
Verse 2: O Christ! Whose voice the waters heard
And hushed their raging at Thy word,
Who walked'st on the foaming deep,
And calm amidst its rage didst sleep;
Oh, hear us when we cry to Thee,
For those in peril on the sea!
Verse 3: Most Holy Spirit! Who didst brood
Upon the chaos dark and rude,
And bid its angry tumult cease,
And give, for wild confusion, peace;
Oh, hear us when we cry to Thee,
For those in peril on the sea!
Verse 4: O Trinity of love and power!
Our brethren shield in danger's hour;
From rock and tempest, fire and foe,
Protect them wheresoe'er they go;
Thus evermore shall rise to Thee
Glad hymns of praise from land and sea.
There are have been alternate verses. These and their authors are:
Lord, guard and guide the men who fly
Through the great spaces in the sky.
Be with them always in the air,
In darkening storms or sunlight fair;
Oh, hear us when we lift our prayer,
For those in peril in the air!
Mary C. D. Hamilton (1915)
Eternal Father, grant, we pray,
To all Marines, both night and day,
The courage, honor, strength, and skill
Their land to serve, thy law fulfill;
Be thou the shield forevermore
From every peril to the Corps.
J. E. Seim (1966)
Lord, stand beside the men who build,
And give them courage, strength, and skill.
O grant them peace of heart and mind,
And comfort loved ones left behind.
Lord, hear our prayers for all Seabees,
Where'er they be on land or sea.
R. J. Dietrich (1960)
Lord God, our power evermore,
Whose arm doth reach the ocean floor,
Dive with our men beneath the sea;
Traverse the depths protectively.
O hear us when we pray, and keep
Them safe from peril in the deep.
David B. Miller (1965)
O God, protect the women who,
In service, faith in thee renew;
O guide devoted hands of skill
And bless their work within thy will;
Inspire their lives that they may be
Examples fair on land and sea.
Lines 1-4, Merle E. Strickland (1972) and
adapted by James D. Shannon (1973)
Lines 5-6, Beatrice M. Truitt (1948)
Lord, guard and guide the men who fly
And those who on the ocean ply;
Be with our troops upon the land,
And all who for their country stand:
Be with these guardians day and night
And may their trust be in thy might.
Author Unknown (1955)
O Father, King of earth and sea,
We dedicate this ship to thee.
In faith we send her on her way;
In faith to thee we humbly pray:
O hear from heaven our sailor's cry
And watch and guard her from on high!
Author/date Unknown
SEABEE SONG
Words by Sam M. Lewis
Music by Peter de Rose
We're the Seabees of the Navy
We can build and we can fight
We'll pave our way to victory
and guard it day and night.
We promise we'll remember
the "Seventh of December"
We're the Seabees of the Navy
Bees of the Seven Seas.
The Navy wanted men
That's where we came in
Mister Brown and Mister Jones
The Owens, the Cohens and Flynn
The Navy wanted more
Of Uncle Sammy's kin
So we all joined up
And brother we're in to win
unofficial third verse
We're the Seabees of the Navy
The "Can Do" men in green
In war or peace you'll find us
ready on the scene.
And no matter what our mission
we'll uphold our proud tradition
We're the Seabees of the Navy
Bees of the Seven Seas.
THE AIR FORCE SONG by Robert Crawford
Off we go into the wild blue yonder, Climbing high into the sun;
Here they come zooming to meet our thunder,
At 'em boys, Give 'er the gun! (Give 'er the gun now!)
Down we dive, spouting our flame from under,
Off with one helluva roar!
We live in fame or go down in flame. Hey!
Nothing'll stop the U.S. Air Force!
Additional verses:
Minds of men fashioned a crate of thunder,
Sent it high into the blue;
Hands of men blasted the world asunder;
How they lived God only knew! (God only knew then!)
Souls of men dreaming of skies to conquer
Gave us wings, ever to soar!
With scouts before And bombers galore. Hey!
Nothing'll stop the U.S. Air Force!
Bridge: "A Toast to the Host"
Here's a toast to the host
Of those who love the vastness of the sky,
To a friend we send a message of his brother men who fly.
We drink to those who gave their all of old,
Then down we roar to score the rainbow's pot of gold.
A toast to the host of men we boast, the U.S. Air Force!
Zoom!
Off we go into the wild sky yonder,
Keep the wings level and true;
If you'd live to be a grey-haired wonder
Keep the nose out of the blue! (Out of the blue, boy!)
Flying men, guarding the nation's border,
We'll be there, followed by more!
In echelon we carry on. Hey!
Nothing'll stop the U.S. Air Force!
COAST GUARD HYMN
Eternal Father, Lord of Hosts
Watch o'er the ones who guard our coasts
Protect them from the raging seas
And give them light and life and peace.
Grant them from thy great throne above
The shield and shelter of thy love.
Lord, guard and guide the ones who fly
Through the great spaces in the sky
Be with them always in the air,
In darken storms or sunlight fair,
Oh, hear us when we lift our prayer,
For those in peril in the air!
Grant to them Your eternal peace, Oh Lord,
For they have followed your commandment,
That No Greater Love has he, who would give up his life for another.
