Poetry

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It seems so strange to remember this day
The reasons he fought for the American way.
He was young, and idealistic; he was brave.
In a sense, it was adventure he craved.

Because he was there, our freedoms he secured.

Pearl Harbor, Okinawa were places of which he never knew.
Yet, aboard the floating destroyer, he and his crew
Would struggle against the unknown and their fears.
Brave as they were, some talked of family, even shed tears.

Because he was there, our freedoms he secured.

As dusk approached one lonely April night,
The skies were filled with enemy planes ready for a fight.
The ship was hit and men scurried to extinguish fires.
There would be no rest for the crew despite being bone-tired

Because he was there, our freedoms he secured.

The ship was saved, though lives were lost.
Families changed forever; they knew freedom’s cost.
A message from the President informed the family
A son, a brother, a sister, a daughter remembered for infinity.

Because he was there, our freedoms he secured.

The title “hero” he never sought, he never claimed,
A hero? “No,” he’d say. “For freedom, I fought,” he’d proclaimed.
“I believe in freedom of speech, religion, freedom from want and fear.
America for all its fault is still the place I want to live,” he declared

Because he was there, our freedoms he secured.
Because he was there, our freedoms endure.

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