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Just a Common Soldier

Originally published by The Capital Scot as "Memorial Day"
Updated and corrected by request of the author's son, Randy Vaincourt

    I am pleased to see my father's poem, Just a Common Soldier (often erroneously called Just A Simple Soldier, or A Soldier Died Today) on so many web sites. Unfortunately it is often uncredited or worse still, credited to somebody else.

    A. Lawrence Vaincourt (WW II Air Force veteran) wrote this poem in 1985 for his newspaper column and it was reprinted in his 1991 book RHYMES AND REFLECTIONS (available from its publisher at http://www.dialogue.ca/).

    When you have the chance we would appreciate it if you could affix a credit to the poem on your page. As there are also a variety of small errors that have crept into it, the complete correct text is available at (http://www.vaincourt.homestead.com/Common_Soldier.html).

    There's more of his work posted at (http://www.vaincourt.homestead.com).

    Thanks again for your help. If you have already been contacted about this, I apologize. I am trying to reach as many pages as possible.

    - Randy Vaincourt

Just a Common Soldier - the poem

He was getting old and paunchy and his hair was falling fast,
And he sat around the Legion, telling stories of the past.
Of a war that he had fought in, and the deeds that he had done.
In his exploits with his buddies; they were heroes, everyone.

And tho' sometimes, to his neighbors, his tales became a joke,
All his Legion buddies listened, for they knew whereof he spoke.
But we'll hear his tales no longer for old Bill has passed away,
And the world's a little poorer, for a soldier died today.

He will not be mourned by many, just his children and his wife.
For he lived an ordinary and quite uneventful life.
He held a job and raised a family, quietly going on his way,
And the world won't note his passing, though a Soldier died today.

When politicians leave this earth, their bodies lie in state,
While thousands note their passing, and proclaim that they were great.
Papers tell their whole life stories, from the time that they were young,
But the passing of a soldier, goes unnoticed, and unsung.

Is the greatest contribution to the welfare of our land
A guy who breaks his promises and cons his fellow man?
Or the ordinary fellow, who in times of war and strife,
Goes off to serve his Country and offers up his life?

A politician's stipend and the style in which he lives
Are sometimes disproportionate to the service that he gives.
While the ordinary soldier, who offered up his all,
Is paid off with a medal and perhaps a pension small.

It's so easy to forget them, for it was so long ago,
That the old Bills of our Country went to battle, but we know
It was not the politicians, with their compromise and ploys,
Who won for us the freedom, that our Country now enjoys.

Should you find yourself in danger, with your enemies at hand,
Would want a politician with his ever-shifting stand?
Or would you prefer a soldier, who has sworn to defend
His home, his kin and Country and would fight until the end?

He was just a common soldier and his ranks are growing thin,
But his presence should remind us we may need his like again.
For when countries are in conflict, then we find the Soldier's part,
Is to clean up all the troubles that the politicians start.

If we cannot do him honor while he's here to hear the praise,
Then at least let's give him homage at the ending of his days.
Perhaps just a simple headline in the paper that would say:
Our Country is in mourning, for a soldier died today.

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