Thread: Living in the Family of Thousands

For those of you who are in military families, or are in the Service or have served, you'll know exactly where this is coming from.

Forgive the roughness of this poem, haven't wrote one since I was in grade 9 (that was 8 years ago).

This poem pretty much sums up the last 16 years of my life. I was born in Edmonton Alberta, were my mom met my step-dad. Since then, I've lived in Ontario, Nova Scotia, and Manitoba, and now I'm back here in Alberta. During that time, I've seen my dad do two peace keeping tours in Bosnia (Bosnia and Herzegovina - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia - The 1992-1995 Bosnian War), the first one lasting 6 months, the second 3. He is now retired, after serving 25 years, with the Rank of Master Corporal (US equivalent to an E-4)

To explain some more things, A Hercules is a Transport air craft called a C-130. A Padre is, of course a priest. It is common practice for a Base Commander and the Base Padre to be the first to inform families of soldiers who have died.

That being said, the following poem is Free Verse.

Living in the Family of Thousands

My mom married him when I was six
He'd done nothing else since his 18th
He's retired now, I give a sigh of relief aloud

There are things I won't miss,
Things that make me pissed.

I won't miss the Artillery on sundy morn
The fly-boys buzzing the house in their jets.

Navy guys. 'nuff said.

My youth, spread across a country

Making new friends, leaving the old ones behind
Always starting over.

New teachers who don't understand army brats,
and punish them for it

The sounds of screaming drill
Always so shrill

Seeing your mom kiss him good bye at the Airport,
while the civi's stare, knowing where he's going.

Being a single parent family again.

The base holding its breath,
Knowing someone's been killed,
Waiting for the Base commander and the padre,
and the guilt from praying its not yours.

The waiting.

Military Funerals.

The Gunfire.

The injuries.

The stress.

Your dad's occasional blank stare,
from things no one should ever see.

And the worst of it all
thing thing that really gets my ire.

People who think of you less.
'cause you're in the family of thousands.

And there are things I miss,
The things that make me cry.

The people who cheered,
when Dad came home.

The friendships,
Bonded by the above no civi would understand.

Seeing my Dad promoted.
Seeing him Decorated.

Watching him on Parade,
Chest held high with Pride.
"There goes Dad!"

The safety and security from knowing
There's always an MP with nothing to do.

The latrine shoveling of a wife beater on exercise,
and the surprise that's waiting for him in the dark,
He shouldn't of made everyone else look bad.
It only happens once.

Always knowing someone's got your back,
'cause you're in the family of thousands.

And I'm grateful for many things.
For thing goodness and charity of others.

For the flight home on Christmas,
After the crash,
Thousands of miles from home,
In that Hercules,
and the angels(Nurses?) on board who cared for us.
For helping me forget I was hurt so bad.

For the community who met us at home.
For the base surgeon who kept in touch with my doc,

Coming home to a house fully decorated,
complete with a tree, and presents,
to replace those smashed and scattered on the highway,

For the base Padre,
"Don't worry for a thing, The God-squad's here"

Is it easy?
No, it never is.

Does it hurt?
At times it does.

Do I wish things were different?
No, can't say I do.

Cause I wouldn't trade it for anything.

Living in the family of thousands.

This poem is dedicated to the memory, and the families of (The following are either family friends, or I knew them personally):

• Corporal Francisco Gomez - 2PPCLI - Died July 22 2006 when a Suicide bomber attacked his LAV III personal carrier, killing one other.
• Corporal Paul Davis - 2 PPCLI - Died March 2 2006 in a vehicular accident involving a LAV III and a local taxi. Five others also injured.
• Private Richard Green - 3 PPCLI - Died April 18 2002 when an American F-16 fighter jet dropped a laser-guided 225-kilogram bomb on the Canadians who were on an exercise at Tarnak Farm, near Kandahar, resulting in the deaths of three others.
• And everyone else on this list: Canadian Forces casualties in Afghanistan - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia