Fading Soldiers

IN MEMORY;
General Douglas MacArthur's farewell speech to Congress
April 19, 1951
"old soldiers never die; they just fade away"

There is a gallant creed existing
Which grow smaller by the day?
They're the soldiers, men and women
Who gave so much our way?

In the service of their country
From lands so foreign and strange
They did what was needed
To save us from tyranny

No matter what the cost
No matter what the lost
In the many battlefields inflicted
Far across the raging seas

The sacrifice they made
Has often been forgotten
What we now enjoy today
Comes from the valor of their deeds

For all these brazen soldiers
Who displayed such bravery?
Remember them for what they gave
As they are laid to eternal rest

They paid dearly in their struggle
For the liberty we now possess
So take a small amount of time
In a prayer for what they did

Remember them with peace and love
As they take their final breath
I'm honored to pay them homage
For the gallantry they displayed

May God bless these aging warriors?
They will never be forgotten
For they gave their very best
For old soldiers never die

They just simply fade away

Written by: Roland R. Ruiz
July 8, 2008