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ONCE
FORGOTTEN
Many years from now,
On a rainy cold day,
A young man wanders blindly,
searching on his way.
To find his great grandfathers grave site,
Pulling and yanking on vines and brush
with all his might.
Then, buried in years of neglect,
A darkened, once white marble stone,
Engraved deeply are words strange to him,
he wipes away dirt, with a moan!
MARVIN WARREN CAMP SR.,
he sits down in the tall grass and mutters away,
With reverence, he faces the stone,
eyes glazing over, thinking what to say.
What am I to say!
It took years to find you great-Grandfather.
Why didn't the family clean it up here,
They forgot, didn't bother.
Flowers in a pot,
blackened with age,
grace your resting place,
All pictures but a few remain,
Gone with out a trace!
He reaches deep in his pocket
and unfolds a paper photo, rare,
So, This is what you looked like!
He holds the photo and continues to stare!
With his hand,
He gently wipes more dirty away,
Words to find,
What does VIETNAM mean
and Bronze Star mean?
He searches his mind.
That was that police action
way back in the 60`s and 70`s,
The Draft?
He glances at the photo,
a skinny young man standing by a strange craft!
What was it like Grandpa?
What did you do?
You got wings!!
You fly?
I was only 2 when ya had to die!
WHY???
We skimmed over Vietnam in high school,
a paragraph or so,
Teachers would answer our questions with,
I don't know!
Some said it was a political thing.
That we lost it!
What was it about? Damn it Grandpa!
Shit!
You are a part of me,
yet I know so little about you!
I know so little about what you were about
and what you went through.
I must come back one day
and clean this up here!
If only I had the time I fear!
ONCE FORGOTTEN.............
Copyright 2002 - Marvin Camp
EMail: cobra070@earthlink.net
Member VHCMA and Heli-vets
Army, 101st Abn Div. Vietnam 70-71
4/77th ARA, HHB and Cbtry
Camp Evans I corps, Doorgunner and Crewchief
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