A Tribute to Those Who Have Served or A Can of Alphabet Stew, Military Style

 

Army

 

At the break of dawn, it’s time to move out through an unfamiliar and unfriendly area through

Zones of danger far from modern civilization and any chances of resting easily from those above

Yelling at you to move it when getting into trouble makes it difficult to stand let alone hurry to

Extreme fighting that will never end and made worse from not fixing the messes left behind.

While the home front fights its own battles, the chosen ones risk their lives with the chances of

Victory are spoiled by rising anxiety from shadows growing closer and shifting at odd times,

Until some noise causes everyone to jump at the unknown from missing the safety of homes or

Taking a little time off to enjoy simple moments without routine or someone barking orders to

Spoil any chance of calming the rage from defending countless lives with little respect for some

Reward that never lasts long enough to escape the dread they saw in the wrong part of the world

Quick to condemn outsiders and it will be far too long before anyone can leave to finally heal.

People look at returning soldiers without giving them respect for doing jobs not many ever want

Only to avoid helping those who have come out alive and need a friendly soul to provide support

Not aware or confident to ask about the nightmares that almost claimed another brave warrior.

Many want to server their country, but don’t fit the mold and can never know the odd wonders

Lying across the world that only the bravest can go to appreciate what they’re fighting for to

Keep the peace too many take for granted every moment because bullets aren’t always flying by,

Jerking necks around to see if their paradise is in danger of turning a little sour without any real

Idea on how to fix a world built on many having too much and even more scraping by with less.

Help a soldier you know to let them know that you appreciate their sacrifice and that you want a

Good friend from someone who has likely been through far worse than a stressful day at work.

Find veterans and offer your ear to their stories to understand that our world needs protection to

Ensure that civilians can wake up in normal homes and not in a crater from someone starting the

Destruction right after people felt that the despair was over and that fighting doesn’t solve much.

Care for those who return and remember those who weren’t fortunate to make it back while you

Believe that the necessary evil is in the right hands, so raise yours and salute proudly.

Navy

 

No one has control over the mighty seas, but that doesn’t stop some from trying to brave the waves.

Out in the middle of deep water waiting for something to break the surface can drive some insane,

Pressured by the drifting on tides with minimal ideas how long it will take to reach land to love dirt.

Quests to islands used to be how people learned what was missing from the maps so that new trips

Required less worry about sailing off the edge of the world or running into a new odd civilization

Secured from not having visitors to share knowledge from people that didn’t need to go about a day,

Thinking less about what lied beyond the horizon and about what was happening in their domain.

Under the water lies even more mysteries, but this is not a place of exploration as enemies lie below,

Vexing other vessels with blips on the radar and fish swimming away quickly to avoid further issue.

When deep among mountain labyrinths, people don’t see sunlight or savor fresh air on gentle winds

Exploding in the faces from human sardines finally returning to the world that they’ve known and

Yearning to staying in this peaceful spot out of the darkness where they can feel alive and not being

Zipped up in a metal tube ready to fight in the depths, ready to claim more lives if the time is right.

All the world is connected by water, so it’s natural to use it for protecting lands from distant trouble

Before it has a chance to reach peaceful shores and turn the world beyond into wastelands to keep

Chaos everywhere because not everyone in the world can have the same thing leading to jealously.

Down periscope and towards the fleet to serves as a barrier for various countries to tempt others to

Enter the battle zone to see who has the power to keep trouble at bay and that making land isn’t a

Functioning possibility and ships will pursue those who don’t take the hint of not fighting against

Giant metal shapes that are floating small towns with people ready to fight those who don’t belong.

Hold tight against the tides of fate and sail on to keep out waters save for people trapped on land

Imagining what it feels like to have the wind in their face followed by the cool spray to keep the

Justice in more capable hands while sending some form of support far from the coast in safety.

Know that those who brave the seas are prepared to keep them safe no matter how long it takes to

Let people on land go about their lives so that there is a place to come back to raise others ready for

Marine life to continue the cycle of sailing around to prove that there is always protection.

Marines

 

Marching boldly into the fray before anyone else to clear the path for others to arrive safely,

Never looking back because there is a job to be done and going back has to wait a very long time

Out in the open to make sure no stone is left unturned to make the return that much sweeter.

Proud soldiers stand with their heads high, always watching for danger and blinking second to

Quiet the minds of enemies to not pick a fight at this moment without having a decent plan.

Roam your new lands looking for those who want to threaten the home front under a nice blue

Sky that we all must share and all dream of reaching past to find a little excitement on this rock

Troubled by people who can’t get along because some parts provide more comfort than others.

Understanding those we know little about is far easier said than done because everyone can be

Vexed so easily and will respond in an unfriendly manner instead of giving people a small chance to

Work past their differences in order to prevent the fragile world from crumbling away into despair.

Extreme environments make everyone uncomfortable when others have simple luxuries in spades,

Yet sharing food, water or even a little cold air doesn’t cross the minds of those living with comfort,

Zero concerns of running out of dinner mints while others starve and are willing to do pretty much

Anything to voice their opinion to share the suffering, leading to soldiers to quickly end the fighting.

Before heading out into the next warzone, take a moment to enjoy everything around you without

Choking up at the thought of what it would be to lose everything and seeing others waste their many

Delights while even more hope to imagine what it would be like to have a safe home far from the

Erratic noises of combat disturbing the silence and fouling the winds with chemicals and blood.

For those at home, there will always those willing to enter any military situation while others wait to

Get up and wonder what happened miles away after something horrible comes on the evening news.

Heading out in the middle of the night isn’t easy, so pray for these few and proud that they return to

Inform others that more are needed to keep others safe, yet not everyone can make the certain cut

Just by wanting to fight and a rush for going into danger without the safety of a tank or large ship.

Kindred spirits can help in these chaotic times, to if you have someone fighting in another land,

Let them know they are loved every chance you get to practice for when they come home.

Air Force

 

Above the clouds looking at the world as it lies there like a massive table cloth covered in squares

Beneath a veil of bright blue littered with bits of white to distract from the struggles on the ground.

Close ranger combat may be how people used to wage war, but the skies were always open leading

Daring men to find new ways of overcoming their enemies while making it easier to see new places.

Everyone dreams of flying, however it takes real skill to handle giant a metal bird for casual flights,

Fighting is even harder as the skies are filled with flocks of these birds out to remove obstacles with

Guns blazing much like how it was on the ground, but seeking shelter is impossible in the open air.

Hiding on the ground may seem like a safe plan, yet no one is able to out run a jet on a rampage.

In clouds sounds like it would be like walking among heaven, but those on the ground below  

Just have to stay there in wonder whenever they see a long trail behind a dark shape to ideal a

King or queen of the sky knowing that there is no chance of becoming one of them to share a

Little bit of the glory or be there for them after a long mission where many didn’t make it back.

More planes are rising higher with better views to behold, yet this scenery has to be protected

Now and forever from anything wanting to blanket the earth in shadows from above like sun

Out of fuel and all too eager to share the gloom so that peace can’t return without some miracle

Pulled from the depths of space to serve as a beacon to prove that it’s not too late to stop the

Quarreling and act like civilized beings who just want to live their lives in peace under a blue sky

Reaching out to cradle those who are lost and inspire those who need a new direction to travel.

Savor the early morning and late night air knowing someone is out there keeping the skies clear,

Traversing the winds to prevent trouble from taking off to rain down ammunition on innocents

Unaware how hard the fight has gone on with many brave souls overcoming a fear of heights to

Void the chances of turning back before the battle begins while making the enemy turn back,

Wishing that they hadn’t dared to look at a plane let alone fly one just to ruin the skies with evil.

Expect great things from those who take to the air because they need support just like you or me

Yearning to see new things without fear of seeing something far worse than a man on the wing or

Zero signs of civilization from not taking off soon enough to keep the fight going.

Coast Guard

 

Close to home is the last place anyone wants to have a war, so it’s nice to have a people standing tall

Defending our borders ready to hunt down any form of flotsam and jetsam out of the mist while

Embracing those who were nearly lost at sea when the weather turned foul and land was far away.

Finding people after a ship goes down isn’t a piece of cake because people scare easily and thrash,

Getting nowhere but closer to a watery grave from exhausting themselves long before a chance of

Heroes coming to pull them from the waves and back to civilization to recover from their ordeal.

Invisible tides create deadly tides, giving strength to mighty waves that care little for boats that are 

Junk to the ancient waters choked out by the filth of humans, so treat the seas with respect or get

Killed from underestimating whatever the weather person say and become another rescue for those

Literally serving as life preservers after jumping into the cold water to pull the unwary towards the

Metal boat meant to deliver the unwary back to dry land not into Davy Jones’ locker on laundry day.

Nights with storms are the worse from not being able to see swimmers as they try to see anything

Out among the swells to give them a little hope that someone is coming to this tiny churning area

Providing a second chance at life back on land instead of tempting Mother Nature on a cloudy day.

Quick response is the only action in saving anyone’s life and having soldiers close to home creates

Relief in knowing that there could only be a little while between making a distress call and getting

Saved from being swept under like a small dusty bunny or tiny fish in the net, never be thrown back.

Try to remember that these rescuers don’t get enough credit for not going into active warzones as

Unless the fight is too severe, it’s equally important to keep those at home secure so that some can

Vie to be like these close to home heroes and find a home if they want to prevent others from the

Woes of losing someone at sea any time, whether there is a war going on or not so that there aren’t

Extreme bouts of despair that creates further doubt in those unable to serve or have family that

Yells from getting the bad news that their proud warrior met their match after a ship went down in

Zero normal human population areas to warn that danger had long since come and the toll was high.

Along our shores are miles upon miles of open water that anyone can sail with far more chances to

Be taken, so for those who rescue these victims, you have out thanks wherever you roam.

Veterans

 

Victories are often bittersweet because while various evils has been thwarted, many lives are often lost

While serving in the name of the greater good, so we must thank the soldiers who came home and

Express further gratitude for those who gave their lives so that their country can enjoy some peace,

Yet there those who only saw fighting and not those who volunteered when many others wanted

Zero to do with the endless struggle that would return the next someone was denied more power.

Across our nation there are former soldiers who came back to find a place away from fighting to yet

Battle the fields of employment and scourge from civilians who desired freedom, but avoided having

Compassion for the brave souls who answered the beckon from Uncle Sam knowing that there were

Difficulties ahead in learning how to fight and that they could end up anywhere in the world, among

Environments where not everyone condones of outside ideas and going home seems nothing but a

Fleeting dream that gets farther away with every step marched further into the lands beyond our own.

Great soldiers of the past and present, I salute your efforts I and wish you peace wherever you go in

Holding onto your dreams of a normal life and that if you struggle to find your way that others won’t

Imprison you to the background where stories of long journeys where everyone returned unscathed,

Jumping for joy inside knowing that for a little while loved ones could be held instead of the random

Kingdoms of isolation in places unable to be spoken about and going mad waiting for relief words in 

Letters long overdue meant for providing hope that one day that the heroes will come home for good.

Most of the civilian population don’t have the guts to enlist, however still have to register for the draft

Never knowing if a small skirmish will turn into something more and requiring as many souls for some

Overkill display of power from politicians sending in as many new soldiers as possible, but this is very

Pathetic as not everyone desires being a great instrument of war no matter who says they have to fight.

Quelling the fears of a country isn’t easy because the news makes it hard to trust anyone and every the

Routine tasks of going to work or school are marred by many talks of enemy attacks creating further

Sorrow in that those who left to fight are doing it in vain, but every day someone can march means a

Total triumph wasn’t impossible and that if we believe in our soldiers, victories will come all the time

Unless fear consumes us then, it will take a miracle to inspire others to proudly take up arms again.

America

 

Appreciate your country and those who fought for centuries to make it possible to be spared of the

Zones of despair created from those unable to fathom the idea of peace after forgetting the times of

Yesteryears long ago where people tried to make their living without the need to cause mass chaos to

Exercise some arcane desire to do battle in order to claim the property of the person across the way.

Wars are inevitable, however the actions of today can extend our time in between fighting so that the

Void of combat can fill itself with other tasks where everyone can go home to their families and not

Upsetting the tranquility that many only know in order to see who’s eager to bite back whenever one

Twisted group doesn’t enjoy the way other countries don’t want to bow down to people miles away.

Soldiers are always needed because they can do other things for their country instead of wage war for

Riches, but even if there were a million soldiers fixing the damage from their battles, a few bullets can

Quash the efforts of good, leading to ire even on safe soil because someone fell apart from needing

Protection from the outside world and shelter for when they return to a land who want to see heroes

Out on the street with the garbage instead of giving thanks to those who spent years making sure that

New lives can have a future while enduring the idea of one dark day being called to give their own.

Make way for our veterans who want to enjoy their lives like anyone and like us they need friends to

Lean on whenever things become bleak and with one smile, can span across the great darkness often

Keeping many from finding peace in even small moments, like seeing someone smile on a clear day.

Just one act of kindness can go a long way in anyone’s world, so remember soldiers are people too

Instead of forgotten pieces of a game that can never be won unless people want to put their trust in

Heroes from anywhere who want to see their home maintain its glory, even though civilians are sadly

Great sources of distress that can lead to more trouble because of an intense sickness called greed.

Find those who society has all but forgotten and be their friend because they have a story to tell for

Everyone able lend an ear as finding the humor in the old days can make the times of today better to

Discover new delights possible from rising to the challenge of defending this great country so further

Champions can grow up without the constant fear of being under attack, yet such a dream can only

Become a reality if we believe in America and those willing to fight or have fought for our tomorrow.