USA Patriotism! ... "Showcasing Pride of America"

Home - Articles - USA's Birth - Great Patriots - Heroes - Honor Halls - Music - Photos
Poems - Quotes - Reference - Speeches - Stars for Troops - Stories - Student Patriots
Videos - New Content
- About - Contact - Submit - Press - CureNow - Donate
- Privacy

Click To Google Search USA Patriotism!

USA Store! ... American / Patriotic themed gift products at USA Patriotism!
USA Patriotism! YouTube Channel Join / Like the USA Patriotism! Facebook page LinkedIn
PinterestUSA Patriotism! Instagram ChannelUSA Patriotism! On Twitter USA Patriotism! at Flickr

Patriotic Poems
War and Tragedy

Patritoic USA and Military Gifts from The Bradford Exchange Tough Tex USA Flag
 
Collectibles, apparel, and other gifts ... for Marines, Soldiers, Airmen, Sailors, and veterans!  
 

Contributor: Lou J. Klaiber || Poem Categories

Troopship

country as flag
A long line of Brothers in arms

California
November 1965

Soldiers
come from everywhere
to stand
sit
and sleep in piles

like laundry bags
on the docks in Long Beach

Where ships arrived

MSTS
ships
that silently loaded them all

and quietly
slipped away

The journey started
with a last look

silence
and a thousand eyes
gazing at the land called home

None knew
then
that we would never
ever
return
the same

again

... November 1966

Class A's
and more silence

Ton Son Nhut
homeward flight
that... arrived at night

and into morning light

that saw silver caskets
in the silence of the Sun

silence living and dead
... and soldiers flying home

... coming in
through the OUT door

yet never
ever
really coming home

inside...

... growing old

restless at night
and in dreams

... of Troopship

Vietnam.
By Lou J. Klaiber
Copyright 2004
Listed November 10, 2009
 

Lou served in Vietnam in 3 Corps Vietnam during 1965 - 1966 as a Sergeant E-5.

It is illegal to use this poem without the author's permission.
~~ Send your comments and/or use permission request to
Lou. ~~

Poem Use Permission Request
USA Patriotism! cannot provide use permission for a poem or an author's email address if not listed below the poem. Only the author or a legal representative can grant permission. Try a search engine to find the author's contact information for a use permission request or if it is available for public use.
Note: Poems authored in the 1700s and 1800s can be used with reference to the author.

Comment on this poem

USA Gifts Store! ... over 1,000 American / Patriotic themed products at USA Patriotism! USA / Americana theme ... polo shirts, t-shirts, shorts, hats, caps, swimwear, sweatshirts, hoodies, hats, jackets, under garments, and other apparel items American Pride: Poems Honoring America and Her Patriots! by David G. Bancroft
War and Tragedy Poems | Poem Categories