Monday, May 28, 2007

Memorial Day



We remember...

5 comments:

Paula said...

Thanks for this post. I know Mama never forgot.

Susanne Barrett said...

I don't know the story here, but this is a very powerful series of photos. My grandfather was a Pearl Harbor survivor, and his ship was kamikazied three years to the day after Pearl; all survived that, too.

I'm going tomorrow to the cemetery to put a flag on his grave. His birthday is Wednesday, so I'l slit the difference between Memorial Day and his birthday.

Thanks for this.

Unknown said...

Great use of the space for an important memory.

Paula said...

Becky, found this on the internet.
OVER THE HORIZON

There’s a story that needs telling

Of our friends that don’t come back

Of the boys who’ve left our Hell Hawks

Of the comrades that we lack.



There was Britt and Tate and Eckart,

There was Peck and Poncho too.

Every one of them is gone now,

But their mem’ries follow through.



When the legends that will follow

Are all spun in years to come,

We will talk of these dead heros,

They who died to sink the Sun.



Was there ever squadron so gifted

As were we with Britt to lead?

Was there ever a squadron struck harder

By a more ill-fated dead?



A man loved as well as respected

From the low to high in ranks

To have known and followed this leader

Was an honor. We give our thanks.



Then of Tate we’ll all remember

How he grinned and laughed away

All the luck misfortune sent him

Up until that fateful day.



And of Eckart, unassuming

With his pipe and quiet way

Of the four who turned back forty

Its’ for Lee we stopped to pray.



Next of those whose names we honor

Was a boy in years and ken,

But he flew and fought a veteran;

Peck was liked by all his men.



There is naught but good to say now

Of the one shot down in flame.

All the oldest of the Hell Hawks

Will long honor Poncho’s name.



That’s the story needed telling

Of our friends who won’t come back.

There are others who are missing,

Other comrades that we lack.



There is Winnia and Spoede,

There is “Bluebeard” Votaw, too.

There’s a chance they’ll be returning

And we fondly pray they do.



Tho’ we’ve gotten 67,

And we’ve only lost these 8

And these 8 are all we’ve lost

We’d return the 67,

For not one is worth the cost.

_________________________________________ Brown

Dancingirl said...

Paula, Thanks! Neat to see Uncle Herman's name there. But sad, too, isn't it? I think the author of the poem was killed in action himself later that year.