Patriotic Poetry dedicated to those who Protect Us

For our Protectors
by: Wendy Wirth
Poet and admirer of all who protect us
Ames, IA

Sgt Grit:
I just read your newsletter and would like to comment on Michelle Christman?s letter. I totally agree with her about the WWII memorial. I went to Washington, D.C. on the 9th of May. Even though this was to be my 3rd time visiting, I had never gone to any of the memorials. I had read that the WWII memorial was open somewhere, though my parents and brother kept insisting it wasn?t. On the 8th we went out there and I dragged them around the huge wall that surrounds the Washington Monument to the WWII memorial, and I was right it was open. It was a unique experience, I have the tendency to stop and let my eyes take things in, I seem to remember more that way. After we walked around the whole memorial, and saw the pillar for Iowa (my home state) we walked up the reflecting pool to the Lincoln Monument. On the way there we stopped at two more memorials. I?m not sure what the first one was called, it was round, sort of resembling the Jefferson, very cool, I happened to see it because I glanced over at a certain time. I don?t know why, I think it was God who wanted me to see it. The next one we stopped at was the Korean War Memorial, also very moving. On our way to a place to eat we stopped at the Vietnam Memorial, the Wall, as we were walking past it, we got the chance to view a crew inscribing a new name into it, it was an experience, I don?t actually have the words for it at the moment. I?d like to include a poem I wrote on my way back to the hotel that I believe my moving experience at the memorials helped me write.

I saw them
They who fought for our freedom
Gave their lives
And died for us.
I heard them,
Their ghostly voices
Calling from beyond.
They wanted to tell
Their stories of their lives,
Their fight,
And their death.
And I was the
Only one who could hear them.
So I listened
As they overwhelmed me
With pain, horror, sickness and fear.
And as I try to absorb it all
I think of those that are going through it all now
And I feel for them.

I?m not a Marine, or related to any that I know of. I subscribe to this newsletter because I have a great respect for all of the armed forces, the Marines in particular, though I?m not sure why. Reading this newsletter has made me so much more proud of the Marines, and deepened the respect I have for them. I feel it is my job to share the poems I write with the people I write them about. I know I don?t write them for myself, I just write what God tells me to write. In saying that I have another poem to share and close my letter with. This is dedicated to all who protect us.

Protectors of Our Country

You honored our country
By fighting for our freedom.
You gave your time,
Blood,
Sweat,
Tears,
And lives
To keep ours.
When we were afraid
You gathered yourselves
And left for us.
You left your families, so unselfishly
While we embraced ours
You left without knowing
If you would ever see
Your friends,
And family, ever again.
When we asked
You came.
We thank you
And will forever be grateful.