When Johnny Came Marching Home

I watched as Johnny was handed a uniform Saw him trained him to kill, in a regiment conform Marched by his side in Vietnam jungles warm There was little regard to how war did us harm By parachute dropped to a ghastly death scene Johnny ached for the life left behind, so serene His family, fiancé did not know what war means Especially the haunting of lost children's screams No ticker-tape parades, no welcome for us then We were scorned as monsters, baby-killing men Jeers from protestors and an uncaring government Greeted the lonely Vietnam Veteran No accolades received from a nation displeased But we had not asked to be sent overseas The rich sent their sons to universities For families with wealth dodging the draft was a breeze The "benefits" we found would astound all now Homeless Vietnam vets still dwell amongst the crowd And it leaves one to wonder how our hallowed ground Could have so many unnamed graves of men once proud I still see vets suffering disgraceful neglect To say Vietnam wasn’t “war” shows no respect by Carolyn Devonshire for Miranda Lambert's "World of War: Vietnam" contest