• HEROES UNAWARE
  By Mark A. Wright, HMC(SS)22 June, 2000
  
  I first saw him on a park benchI 've seen him every day
  Sitting in a shady grove Where my children come to play
  Sometimes he feeds the birds and squirrels
  Or whittles little toys
  Sometimes he just sits and smiles
  At the laughing girls and boys
  And I never paid him any mind
  'Till one day just this year I noticed that he wore a frown
  And on his cheek ... a tear.
  
  Well I asked him why he seemed so down
  He looked up, began to say
  I lost half my friends 60 years ago today
  He told me of the terror
  As he fought to reach dry land
  By the time the beachhead was secure
  Half his friends lay in the sand
  
  That was just in one long day
  He fought on for 4 years more
  And the 60 years from then to now
  Have not dimmed
  His sights of war
  
  He said they have reunions
  Just to keep in touch and share
  And for each comrade who has gone on
  They leave an empty chair
  
  Well, His park bench has been empty now
  About 6 months or so
  And if I'd never took the time
  Then I never would've known
  That sitting on that simple bench
  With bread crumbs and little toys
  Was a man who gave his all
  To guarantee my daily joys
  
  So give thanks to all the men and women
  Who're still here or have gone before
  And made the highest sacrifice
  In both Peace time and in War
  Because they bought our freedom
  Paid their own blood, sweat, and tears
  Then endured the heartache of those empty chairs
  For all these years
  
  So please do not ignore them
  Or speed by without a care
  'Cause you never know
  When you might pass by
  A hero, unaware
  
   
  Note by the poet: "The old man in this story is an amalgam of my grandfather who used to sit in a chair behind his house and tell me stories of WWI after I came in from the fields at the end of the day. He was mustard-gassed there, fighting with modern weapons, but using mules. Of Noris Tanton, of Commerce Texas, who barely made it off the ship with his life at Pearl December 7th, 1941. And all the other WWII survivors I have talked to throughout the years. My father-in-law, James Rowse of Wolfe City Texas, who, even though he fought in Korea, graciously considers me a Comrade in Arms because of my Naval Submarine service over the last 18 years. Lowell Clemens, Jim Sullivan, and all the other Viet Nam Vets who I have had the privilege of knowing and serving with. And lastly, all the people like Barry Shay, Thomas Galliher, Mark Heithaus, Patrick Rourk, Marv Mumblo, Chip Green, Chip Sumner, Tony Zilar and the list goes on, that I have served with on Submarines and Surface Ships, with the Marines, in clinics, Hospitals and school for all these years of turbulent peace.
  My heroes Unaware." -- Mark A. Wright, HMC(SS)