I’m swiping poetry of Russ Vaughn’s, Army Vietnam Vet with a real talent for coherent writing, from Matt. Published here for the record.

Today Is Veterans’ Day
On September 8th, I posted that Election Day would be Veterans’ Day…. Here’s something to commemorate the day by the MilBlog Poet Laureate (and fellow paratrooper), Russ Vaughn:

Their Veterans’ Day
Some said let you apologize
But that wouldn’t do it in our eyes.
A man astride of each position
Could we believe your true contrition?
And on deaf ears your words would fall
To those whose names are on that Wall
The vindication they now accept
In settling up this long-held debt,
Is that for them we gave our best
And denied you, John, your lifelong quest.
We fought for them, fought for our own,
To make you reap what you had sown.
Listen carefully John to what we say,
November 2d was their Veterans’ Day.

Russ Vaughn
2d Bn, 327th Parachute Infantry Regiment
101st Airborne Division
Vietnam 65-66