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[Lockheed Bob]

Remember Pearl Harbor,12/7/1941 & Honor all those serving in the Armed Forces & Vets of the past.

[Skyracer]

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[AlisoBob]

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To everyone in the Armed Forces.... Past or Present:

Subject: Daddy's Poem

Her hair was up in a pony tail,



her favorite dress tied with a bow.



Today was Daddy's Day at school,



and she couldn't wait to go.



But her mommy tried to tell her,



that she probably should stay home.



Why the kids might not understand,



if she went to school alone.



But she was not afraid;



she knew just what to say.



What to tell her classmates



of why he wasn't there today.



But still her mother worried,





for her to face this day alone.



And that was why once again,



she tried to keep her daughter home.









But the little girl went to school



eager to tell them all.



About a dad she never sees



a dad who never calls.









There were daddies along the wall in back,



for everyone to meet.



Children squirming impatiently,



anxious in their seats









One by one the teacher called



a student from the class.



To introduce their daddy,



as seconds slowly passed.









At last the teacher called her name,



every child turned to stare.



Each of them was searching,



a man who wasn't there.









'Where's her daddy at?'



She heard a boy call out.



'She probably doesn't have one,'



another student dared to shout.









And from somewhere near the back,



she heard a daddy say,



'Looks like another deadbeat dad,



too busy to waste his day.'









The words did not offend her,



as she smiled up at her Mom.



And looked back at her teacher,



who told her to go on.






And with hands behind her back,



slowly she began to speak.



And out from the mouth of a child,



came words incredibly unique.









'My Daddy couldn't be here,



because he lives so far away.



But I know he wishes he could be,



since this is such a special day.









And though you cannot meet him,



I wanted you to know.



All about my daddy,



and how much he loves me so.









He loved to tell me stories



he taught me to ride my bike.



He surprised me with pink roses,



and taught me to fly a kite.









We used to share fudge sundaes,



and ice cream in a cone.



And though you cannot see him.



I'm not standing here alone.









'Cause my daddy's always with me,



even though we are apart



I know because he told me,



he'll forever be in my heart . '






With that, her little hand reached up,



and lay across her chest.



Feeling her own heartbeat,



beneath her favorite dress.









And from somewhere here in the crowd of dads,



her mother stood in tears.



Proudly watching her daughter,



who was wise beyond her years.









For she stood up for the love



of a man not in her life.



Doing what was best for her,



doing what was right.









And when she dropped her hand back down,



staring straight into the crowd.



She finished with a voice so soft,



but its message clear and loud.









'I love my daddy very much,



he's my shining star.



And if he could, he'd be here,



but heaven's just too far.









You see he is a Marine



and died just this past year



When a roadside bomb hit his convoy



and taught Americans to fear.






But sometimes when I close my eyes,



it's like he never went away.'



And then she closed her eyes,



and saw him there that day.









And to her mothers amazement,



she witnessed with surprise.



A room full of daddies and children,



all starting to close their eyes.









Who knows what they saw before them,



who knows what they felt inside.



Perhaps for merely a second,



they saw him at her side.









'I know you're with me Daddy,'



to the silence she called out.



And what happened next made believers,



of those once filled with doubt.









Not one in that room could explain it,



for each of their eyes had been closed.



But there on the desk beside her,



was a fragrant long-stemmed pink rose.



Its tough to be in the Military, even tougher during the holidays...

Many thanks to all who proudly serve this country's Armed Forces..... Bob





























If you don't send it to anyone, it means you're



in a hurry and that you've forgotten your



friends.









Take the time...to live and love.



Until eternity. God bless

[G. van Dyk]

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AlisoBob
Thank you so very much for the poem.

Gerry

[ebutner]

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Very touching.. Thanks. Thanks a prayers to all service men and women, past and present.

[Strega Fan]

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Thank you all service men and women, past and present. We are free because they serve. God Bless All.

[ssgfx]

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Remembering the USS Oklahoma in particular this time around...

God Bless everyone in a US military uniform.

[deepsky]

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About ten years ago I actually got to meet six of the last survivors. What an amazing bunch of guys. It is a day I will always cherish. I just pray that this new generation doesn't forget them!