Grandpa was a brave young hero
Back in World War two,
So handsome in his uniform
Of cotton navy blue,
He made it out alive,
Unlike so many of his crew,

Grandma tried to scold me
When I spun the lazy-susan,
"It's made for grown-ups to use,"
she said, "not a toy for your abusin'",
"Dorothea, relax," said Grandpa,
"The kid is goin' cruisin'"

he taught me how to steer the ship
and ease her in the docks,
to watch for sings of submarines
and coral reefs and rocks,
we spoke the army language
of delta, echo, fox,

"Now turn hard left!" he bellowed,
"and pull as hard as you're able.
Brace yourself for the impact,
And try to keep the rudders stable,"
The torpedo quickly found its way
To Grandma's kitchen table,

"They were scattered all around me,
but I couldn't move my hands," he cried,
"I just held on the the life raft...
I never really tried.
They screamed, 'Michael! Michael! Help me!'
And then one by one they died."

"Nathaniel lost his arms," he choked,
"They were torn clean from the shoulders.
He couldn't even swim," he sobbed,
From behind his waiting cup of Folgers,
"We were all just kids, like you," he wept,
"but America made us soldiers."