HELL-O REMEMBER ME ?

HELL-O REMEMBER ME?....

SOME PEOPLE CALL ME OLD GLORY,

OTHERS CALL ME THE STAR SPANGLED BANNER,

BUT WHATEVER YOU CALL ME,........

I'M YOUR FLAG,

THE FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA .

SOMETHING HAS BEEN BOTHERING ME,....

SO I THOUGHT I WOULD TALK IT OVER .......,

BECAUSE ITS ABOUT ME AND YOU ..........

NOT SO LONG AGO

PEOPLE WOULD BE LINING UP ON

BOTH SIDES OF THE STREET TO SEE A PARADE GO BY,

AND NATURALLY

I WAS LEADING THAT PARADE,

PROUDLY WAVING IN THE BREEZE.

WHEN YOUR DADDY SAW ME COMING,

HE WOULD IMMEDIATLEY REMOVE HIS HAT

AND PLACE IT OVER HIS LEFT SHOULDER

SO HIS RIGHT HAND WAS OVER HIS HEART

AND YOU ...YOU AND YOUR LITTLE SISTER.......

WAS STANDING NEXT TO YOUR DAD.

YOU DIDN'T HAVE A HAT

BUT YOUR RIGHT HAND WAS OVER YOUR HEART.....

WHAT HAS HAPPENED NOW?"......

I DON'T FEEL AS PROUD AS I USED TO.

WHEN I COME DOWN THE STREET,

HERE YOU STAND WITH YOUR.....

HANDS IN YOUR POCKETS.

YOU DON'T SEEM TO CARE TO KNOW WHO I AM,

OR WHAT I STAND FOR OR WHERE I HAVE BEEN.

HEY, I AM STILL THAT SAME OLD FLAG

A FEW STARS HAS BEEN ADDED

TO THOSE PARADES OF LONG AGO.

A LOT OF BLOOD HAS BEEN SHED.

DON'T YOU UNDERSTAND

HOW TO BE PATRIOTIC ANYMORE?

HAVE YOU FORGOTTEN WHO I AM,

OR WHAT I STAND FOR

OR WHERE I HAVE BEEN ?

ANTILLES, KOREA, VIETNAM,

GRANADA, PANAMA, AND THE MIDDLE EAST.

TAKE A LOOK AT ALL THESE NAMES

RIGHT HERE ON THIS WALL

OF THOSE WHO NEVER CAME BACK.

THEY GAVE THEIR LIFE FOR YOU AND I

........TO BE "FREE"..............

AND THIS GREAT NATION TO BE "FREE" UNDER GOD.

WHEN YOU SALUTE THIS FLAG....ME.........

YOU SALUTE EACH AND EVERYONE OF THEM.

WELL, IT WON'T BE LONG NOW

AND I'LL BE COMING DOWN THAT STREET,

PROUDLY LEADING THAT PAPRADE

AND WAVING IN THE BREEZE.

SO WHEN YOU SEE ME COMING,..........

STAND UP STRAIGHT .........

AND SALUTE ........

AND I'LL BE WAVING BACK

AND THEN I KNOW .......

........THAT YOU REMEMBERED........

This poem was written for
Roy Benavidez Medal of Honor Recipient
the author is unknown

BACK TO SP/5 MICHAEL F MAY HOMEPAGE