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thedrifter
01-09-03, 09:41 AM
Take a man and put him alone,
Put him twelve thousand miles from home.
Empty his heart of all but blood,
Make him live in sweat and mud.
This is the life I have to live,
And my soul to the devil I give.
You have your parties and drink your beer,
While young men are dying here.
You paint your signs and have your fun,
Then refuse to use your gun.
There is nothing else for you to do,
Then I'm suppose to die for you.
There is one thing that you don't know,
And that's where I think you should go.
I'm already here and it's to late.
I'll hate you till the day I die,
You made me hear my buddy cry.
I saw his leg and his blood shed,
Then I heard them say, "This one's dead".
It was a large price for him to pay,
To let you live another day.
He had the guts to fight and die,
To keep the freedom you live by.
By dying your life he buys,
But who gives a damn if a Marine dies.


Found in a dead Marines pocket.
Quang Tri Province, Vietnam, June 6, 1969




Sempers,

Roger

Sidewinder
01-09-03, 10:19 AM
Wow, Drifter. That poem cuts deep into the heart. It makes you wonder how many others felt that much despair that no one cared. The protestors received too much publicity and I feel that really hurt the morale of our military in Vietnam. I lost a friend at Quang Tri Province in January of 1968. I hope he wasn't feeling that alone while he was there. One thing for sure; I have always cared and will always care if a Marine dies. Everyone should. It was for our freedoms.

Michele Judah
01-09-03, 11:56 AM
I just had to reply. Just last night before lightsout, my fiance' (Veteran Marine) and I were discussing in great detail the large numbers of Marines being deployed to the other side of the world; their families, their bravery, their courage, their morale, their willingness to be placed in harm's way for our family, our community, our country, our American way of life. His only regrets ? (A woman knows with or without being told) - That he isn't going along to help, that he can't share the responsibility. Once a Marine .....

Some truly amazing, truly tragic, and truly wonderful things have been written into word and then recovered from the effects of Marines who paid the ultimate price for us. This verse got to my heart and soul in a big, beautiful way. I am very appreciative of this having been posted, and am passing it along to others. Thank you.

Michele C. Judah
Sacramento, California

firstsgtmike
01-09-03, 02:34 PM
Honey,

Let me tell you something. When I am with MY lady, shortly before "lights out", I guarantee we would NOT be talking about politics, war, or anything else. There is time enough for that in the morning.
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I lived in Sacramento for 15 years before I came here. Elder Creek Rd in South Sacramento, then the Fairgrounds in Central Sacramento.

You're into horses. I was married for a while to a Polish Arabian horse breeder. (The horses were Polish Arabians, not her) We hit the horse shows in Scottsdale, and even went to Poland for the auctions. That was 1985, you were barely out of high school.

I responded because I enjoyed your post. And then I got carried away. Memories do that sometimes.

Some of us are hung up in the bad times. I prefer to ignore the bad times and focus on the good times. I think we all have that choice. It's up to ME, how I choose to feel today. And I choose to feel GOOD.

Michele Judah
01-09-03, 05:00 PM
Greetings to you from Sacramento !

I assure you Sir, that once those lights are off, we are not discussing politics, war, or anything else BUT my Veteran's immediate preferences ! Like you, Feeling GOOD is one of his top prioroties....

We live in the Rosemont area, south of Folsom Blvd, near Watt. I recently moved here from Elk Grove. We lease pasture for horses, which is located north of Jackson Highway, off of Grant Line Road, bordering Blodgett Lake. Quarter Horses and Appaloosas. The Polish Arabs being bred in California and Arizona are the finest bred Arabs I have seen. Lovely creatures. I am not an Arab enthusiast, so my knowledge of them is limited, but they sure are a feast for the eyes.

I am glad you enjoyed my post, and would like to hear from you again.

Here in Sacramento, the camellias are all in full bloom, the pastures have all changed from gold to green ( you've lived out here - you know what I mean), and the almond trees are getting ready to bloom. By Valentine's Day, the daffodils will be in full riot gear. Speaking of daffodils, while you lived in Sac, did you ever get to visit Daffodil Hill, outside of Jackson near Volcano ? Millions of daffodils, as far as the eye can see. Truly a wonderful place.

firstsgtmike
01-09-03, 07:38 PM
I made many visits to Daffodil Hill, AND to Apple Hill (in season). But the best was to Sloughhouse for the corn.

Folks, take it from me, Sloughhouse (pronounced slew house)corn is the best in the world. The soil is fertile enough that they also grow hops, for beer.

The farm has been in the same family or generations. They plant in increments. They pick during the wee hours of the morning, and stop at daybreak. The ONLY pick enough for what they can sell during the day. Cars drive up from 100 miles around. An eight ear sack for a buck, a sixteen ear sack for two bucks, and that's it.

I've spent ten minutes, waiting in line to get into their parking lot.
Walk up, "How many sacks do you want?" "Thank you, have a nice day."

And if they sell out at one in the afternoon, and you arrive at one-ten, you're SOL. Come back tomorrow.

I've seen kids in Sacramento going door to door selling Sloughhouse corn, 4 for a buck. That's 100% markup, and no one complained. I would have paid it, except I enjoyed the drive.

I've been blessed. Whenever I look back, I can only see the good times, I can't remember the bad. Perhaps because instinctively, I don't want to overload my data discs, and the "empty the trash bin" button functions automatically.

If I could figure out how I do it, I'd patent it and make a fortune.

Michele Judah
01-10-03, 11:02 AM
is the variety of sweet white corn grown at Slouhhouse. They also sell yellow sweet corn, but it cannot compare to Silver Queen. The soil at Sloughhouse is very unusual indeed and the Silver Queen corn has a very high nastural sugar content, the highest ever found in any sweet corn grown in California or anywhere else. If there were a way to do so, I would ship out a few ears to each and every one of you folks out there. Makes absolutely fabulous corn chowder. And the corn chowder sure tastes good with Sierra Nevada Pale Ale. Oh, and the vine ripened tomatoes are indescribably delicious.

Our family belongs to the Sloughhouse 4-H Club. My 12 year old daughter raises show rabbits and rides horses. Sloughhouse is just east of Sacramento and is some of the prettiest country on God's Green Earth. Lots of softly rolling hills, good pasture, fertile class 1 soil, population 150. There is one restaurant and bar called the Sloughhouse Inn, an antique store, the farm where the corn and all kinds of other fruits and veggies are sold, a wonderful old elementary school ( about 100 farm kids go there and 4-H meets there), and that's it. Donny Dickels is the bartender. He is a wonderful guy, always ready with a good word and a friendly grin, football game is always on. And the dining there really is top notch. Oh, there's a grist mill that's 150 years old, and the Sloughhouse Inn is just as old and has a water wheel on the mill creek. Although I live on the edge of the Sacramento City Limits in a very regular 1958 suburban home, we are only 10 minutes from the lake and pasture, and about 18 minutes from Sloughhouse. This is a wonderful place to bring up our family.

We are very very lucky to live, work and play here, and we are mindful of our priveledges.

AND - all that brings us right back to "A Marine". That brave Marine who wrote those words before giving his life for us and all the others who went before him and all the others who came after him and all the gallant men who protect us today are the ones who keep ensuring that the way of life we enjoy in our safe little corner of The San Joaquin Valley farmlands goes on for our children and grandchildren. They ensure that all Americans - no matter where - remain safe and free.

Michele C. Judah

Sacramento, California