It's Not My Battle

While sitting upon the yard with my buddy talking about an Asian war now past - some 36 years ago. His words caught my ear as we discussed Fear. Its Not My Battle. His point was our "NOW" relations with our wives. They're Not Our Battle. Yet we don't quite relent and yield to their requests, for it's in us to fight. Drilled into us by DI's - that would NEVER QUIT!

Having never to be Honored or even Welcomed Home 
Shouted at to "Get our Pansy" 
at least in Our War we fought To WIN! 

It Wasn't Our Battle To Win
Oh Yes we fought & it cost us dearly our closest childhood friends. 
My Commander - EXO - Division Officer and Legal Officer.  All in one week.
I babysat their kids, knew their wives and where they lived, worshipped, and played.
Those memories still break my heart and cause tears to flow. 
Triple "A". 
A Mortar Round or the crack of a "native rifle", 
Lives forever changed.
 "But there was NOTHING I could do".
"I can't see my enemy" 
Oh God Help me find Him before He finds Me! 
There lays my closest friend, we played ball and ran and swam as kids .
Camped and told stories too.
 I'm alive and he Is dead .
Where can I ever find the words to tell his mom? 
I couldn't See Damn it!

It was my time to fight but not my battle you see .
It was me against them, & them against me.
If only, he had another tree! 
One week we'd take the Hill, the next we'd give it back! 
So you can plainly see...
It's Not My Battle.

Patch up the Holes 
Repair the Ray-Domes
Change out the parts and make new ones,
 Load Bombs, Bullets, Fuel, Mines & Rockets Too.
Clean windshields and keep-em-flying. 
Pray for them and give them a pat on the helmet. 
"Hurry for chow now, OK"? and Off the Cat and on their way .
Hopefully to fly again another day. 
After all It's not my battle... 
But theirs to fight, 
even sometimes late into the night.
Rain & Squalls so dense NO ONE can see .
Winds so cold and piercing I'll never forget.
And there in is my battle,
 Now I fight - here in MY night.

The Battle of Mind and Heart.
Forgiveness and moving ahead,
 and remembering those fallen.
Brothers, friends & ALL. 
For you see it was our fight but not our battle ... 
for all our blood sweat & tears an yes, even our fears!

I look in retrospect, 
What Have We Learned?
 Back in the east & fighting in a street, not in a Jungle.
 "Where the Hell is the 52 - Support? 
"Let's lay some carpet down here - NOW!" 
Nothing -  absolutely Nothing
a legacy of anger, fear, fighting, and cruelty beyond words.
Lord Come Quick!

Collateral damage, they now call IT! 
Civilians caught in the cross-fire.
Oh the Shit we've seen... 
Blood, Guts, and Gore to pale any movie you've yet to see.

For what I ask? 
Oil - Mineral rights, 
What's yours is Mine.
Take it by force! 
That's Not Right
and they've got me locked up?

Political wars are the worst.
After all, it's not My battle, but theirs.
 Lord come and make things all right and safe again. 
Put your Love & Peace in our hearts and minds. 
Help us get a decent night's sleep,
 and Yes, to even Love our wives - like we should.
We long to again hear you say,  "IT IS GOOD".