"The
title came from the explanation my brother gave to his
granddaughter when the gun salute was given at the
funeral. It took me a couple of years before I could find
words to fit it and yet they kept haunting me."
---ELIZABETH HARTUNG |
It was a
cold and windy November morning at a National Cemetery
A retired nurse had died, and services had began already
The salute was being given, by five armed service men
And a little child cuddled closer to her Grandfather and
whispered just then--
With a frightened voice, and a wrinkled brow."Who are they
shooting at now?"
"No one honey," was his reply--"It’s to honor
Grandma, you see"--
Grandma was a soldier who never carried a gun.
She helped take care of the wounded until there were none.
The little child looked up at him and smiled as a tear rolled
down her face.
Then she took hold of his hand and they stood up together in
dignity and grace.
The haunting melody of "Taps"still echoed over the
graves
Bidding its mournful farewell as a gentle wind blew across our
face.
Yes, Grandma was a soldier, fighting in World War II.
One of the many nurses who laughed and cried with you.
She never told any stories about what had occurred before.
But she was proud that she could serve In the United States Army
Nurse Corps.
WRITTEN BY
ELIZABETH HARTUNG
Thank you,
Elizabeth for allowing me to share your poem............Bill
| To
learn about the U.S.Army Nurse Corps in WW2 Click
here |
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