We did it for honor; we did it for pride

not for self but our country and flag.

Not for the money,

we fought side by side

in deserts and in jungles against tyranny and lies

willing to give up our lives so others might not die.

 

We watched buddies fall

in those far and distant lands

left in shallow graves

with nothing but a broken rifle and helmet

to mark their place, with tarnished old tags

to tell us their number and name.

They were willing to die so that others might not

 

They did it for honor; they did it for pride

not for self but for country and flag.

Each one that fell

took a piece of our soul.

We live each day remembering that hell.

With each passing flag we remember their names

and in the tears of our hearts that fall from our eyes

we see the faces

of our buddies that fell

in those tears, on parade.

 

Kenny D. Hoke

Socorro

Kenny D. Hoke