To My Brothers And Sisters In Arms Past, Present and Future

As you all know, I’m a broken down old paratrooper. But broken or not, old or not, one thing I live by. As far as I’m concerned my Oath of Enlistment/Reenlistment didn’t come with an expiration date.

In the words of General Douglas McArthur, “Old soldiers never die…they just fade away.”

The 91st Psalm: The Soldier’s Psalm
Those who live in the shelter of the Most High will find rest in the shadow of the Almighty.
This I declare about the Lord: He alone is my refuge, my place of safety, he is my God, and I trust him. For he will rescue you from every trap and protect you from deadly disease.
He will cover you with his feathers. He will shelter you with his wings. His faithful promises are your armor and protection.
Do not be afraid of the terrors of the night, nor the arrow that flies in the day. Do not dread the disease that stalks in darkness, nor the disaster that strikes at midday.
Though a thousand fall at your side, though ten thousand are dying around you, these evils will not touch you. Just open your eyes and see how the wicked are punished.
If you make the Lord your refuge, if you make the Most High your shelter, no evil will conquer you; no plague will come near your home.
For he will order his angels to protect you wherever you go.
They will hold you up with their hands so you won’t even hurt your foot on a stone.
You will trample upon lions and cobras; you will crush fierce lions and serpents under your feet!
The Lord says, “I will rescue those who love me. I will protect those who trust in my name.
When they call on me, I will answer; I will be with them in trouble. I will rescue and honor them.
I will reward them with a long life and give them my salvation.”

A Soldier’s Prayer
By: Jon M. Nelson

Now I lay me down to sleep,
And hope my dreams are thoughtful and deep.
I pray that tonight I’m not awaken,
By bombs exploding and the ground shakin’.

I hope that I can get some peaceful rest,
And wish that the next day will be blessed.
All I want is to sleep through the night,
So that tomorrow I’m ready for another fight.

I pray my dreams are of my family,
As I make sacrifices to keep them free.
May you watch over and keep them safe,
As they wait for me and remain brave.

Dear lord please listen as I pray to you,
And proudly defend the red, white and blue.
I will always serve you and my country,
And be the best person that I can be.

May it be a peaceful night without a sound,
With no shots or bullets flying around.
As I lay and dream of back home again,
I’ll unfold my hands after I say Amen.

THE FINAL INSPECTION

 The soldier 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 soldier,

 How shall I deal with you?

 Have you always turned the other cheek?

 To My Church have you been true?”

 The soldier 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 worked 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 soldier waited quietly,

 For the judgment of his God.

 “Step forward now, you soldier,

 You’ve borne your burdens well.

 Walk peacefully on Heaven’s streets,

 You’ve done your time in Hell.”

 ~Author Unknown~

 Remember, 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 the freedom of speech.

 It is the Soldier Who salutes the flag,

     Who serves beneath the flag,

     and Whose coffin is draped by the flag,

  who allows the protester to burn the flag.

And to my Brother and Sister Sky Soldiers

 “Airborne All The Way”
By: Unknown Author

These men with silver wings
Troopers from the sky above
In whom devotion springs
What spirit so unites them
In brotherhood they say
Their answer loud and clear,
“Airborne All The Way”
These are the men of danger
As in open door they stand
With static line above them
And ripcord in their hand
While earthbound they are falling
A silent prayer they say
“Lord be with us forever,
Airborne All The Way”
One day they’ll make their final jump
Saint Mike will tap them out
The good Lord will be waiting
He knows what they are about
And answering in cadence,
He’ll hear the troopers say
“We’re glad to be aboard, Sir,
Airborne All The Way”