The Marine stood and faced God,
Which must always come to pass.
He hoped his shoes were shining,
Just
as brightly as his brass.
“Step forward now, you Marine,
How shall I deal with you?
Have you always turned the other cheek?
To My
Church, have you been true?”
The Marine squared his shoulders and said,
“No Lord, I guess I ain’t.
Because those of us who carry
guns,
Can’t always be a saint.
I’ve had to work most Sundays,
And at times my talk was tough.
And sometimes I’ve been violent,
Because
the world is awfully rough.
But I never took a penny,
That wasn’t mine to keep . . .
Though I work a lot of overtime,
When the bills
got just too steep.
And I never passed a cry for help,
Though at times I shook with fear,
And sometimes, God forgive me,
I’ve wept
unmanly tears.
I know I don’t deserve a place,
Among the people here,
They never wanted me around,
Except to calm their fears.
If
You’ve a place for me here Lord,
It needn’t be so grand,
I never expected or had too much,
But if You don’t, I’ll understand.”
There
was a silence all around the Throne,
Where the Saints had often trod,
As the Marine waited quietly,
For the judgment from his God.
“Step
forward now, you Marine,
You’ve borne your burdens well.
Walk peacefully on Heaven’s streets,
You have done your time in Hell.”
~ author unknown ~
Do Not Stand and Weep
Do not stand by my grave and weep!
I am not there, I do not sleep!
I am a thousand winds that blow,
I am the diamond
glints on snow.
I am the sunlight on ripened grain,
I am the gentle autumn rain.
When you awaken in the morning hush,
I am the swift
uplifting rush
of quiet birds in circled flight.
I am the stars that shine in the night.
Do not stand at my grave and cry,
I am not
there, I did not die!
~Mary Elizabeth Frye
Taps The Bugler's Cry-The Origin of Sounding Taps
Jari Villanueva explains the origins of
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Memorial Day - Arlington (Trace Adkins)
Memorial Day Tribute to members of the United States Armed Forces who now rest in peace in Arlington National Cemetery - set to the song - "Arlington" by Trace Adkins -
In honor of the Fallen Heroes...
It is not the critic who counts, not the man who points out how the strong man stumbled, or where the doer of deeds could have done better.
The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood,
who strives valiantly, who errs and comes short again and again, who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions, and spends himself in a worthy cause,
who at best knows achievement and who at the worst if he fails at least fails
while daring greatly so that his place
shall never be with those cold and timid souls who know neither victory nor defeat.
-Theodore Roosevelt, From a speech
given in