Veteran’s Day
Ode to Vietnam
Nathaniel Bob Winters

She had a beauty to entice
her food delicious full of spice
beaches so clear blue to die for
emerald green jungles to adore

Yet danger lurked every mile
Who was friend? Foe?
Was it girl at the bar wih the pretty smile?
you could never really know

Grab them by the balls
and then hearts would follow
but watch your buddy and your back
you could not know who might attack

We had the power, guns, ships, planes
they had the jungle deep in their veins
home they were fighting for
we believed to know what they could endure

They kicked out the French
but we were smarter, better knew more
over 58000 dead we had the right to ask why?
Fathers grieved for their sons mothers did cry

After years without losing a battle
we stood no closer to winning the war
generals amd politicians slow to change
civilians and soldiers asked what are we fightin’ for?


Returned home everything had changed
peace was hip, heads were rearranged
no victory parades, when we came back from that hell
sadly watched on TV when Saigon fell

Called baby killers and devils
tried to go on with lives quietly
many became homeless,
or suffering with PTSD

Years passed many vets took a vacation
to the proud Communist nation
Saigon named after Ho Chi Mihn
resorts built to bring capitalist money in

She still had the beauty to entice
and food so delicious full of spice
beautiful beaches clear blue to die for
emerald green glowing jungle to adore

So tell me again I can’t recall what was the purpose of it all?