Purple Heart: In Honor of My Father

I was a young man at the age of nineteen When I was sent to a country on the other side of the world that I had never seen. I was trained as an infantry soldier With an M-16 rifle on my back; And given an M-79 grenade launcher In case of enemy ambush or attack. Along with my Brothers In Arms, I fought in Cambodia and in the Highlands of the Vietnam jungles; As soldiers, we were always faced with threats and struggles. One unfortunate day, I was ambushed and shot with an enemy soldier’s rifle His bullet struck and went through my arm; At first, I didn’t know I was hit; perhaps my body was in denial. Eventually, intense pain set in, the blood began to pour; My lieutenant made the call for a medavac helicopter To take me to a hospital so that I could be treated and cared for. For my wounds sustained as a result of enemy action I was awarded the solemn distinction of The Purple Heart; My life has been forever changed Because of this war in which I had to take part. Flashbacks still haunt me in my head Wounded, yes, but I thank God that I’m not dead. As soldiers, we fight for our country and sometimes we make a great sacrifice; As Purple Heart recipients, it’s our bodies that have to pay that ultimate price.