C. Douglas Caffey

THE MINDS OF OLD WWII VETS

Think it not strange
that many an old vet’s
thinking is out of range,
and they are not all back yet!

The Sailor whose
ship was lost
in the middle of the sea
can never forget the awful cost!

The Marine who fought
and won the battle of Iwo,
Can never forget
American red blood
on the dark black sand!

He sees that bright red blood
in the moonlight every night,
and remembers those
who died in the terrible fight!

Those vets who flew the skies
still see exploding flak
and remember the airmen
who never made it back!

The soldiers who drove the tank
from unprotected LST’s
still remembers wounded comrades
dying on their knees.

Tell me then, when you see
an old WWII vet
Is it any wonder that
his mind is not back yet!

Some of us came back
with the dreaded PTSD,
and since the days of the 40s
our minds are still not free!

So, let us die in peace
in a mixed up world,
where memories find no release
from images of the past.