cincibuck
You kids stay off my lawn!
Time and Place; Traveling Space A
We spent the day in the Ramstein terminal,
Retired military, traveling for free, when space is available.
Ten seats to Dover Air Force Base,
We count noses; it looks like at least one of us will get out,
A change appears on the screen,
“9 seats, human remains on board.”
We forget that Dover is the military’s morgue,
One seat is taken by the escort, a sad but necessary duty
All morning troops in camo lug their duffle bags,
shuffle duty bound to planes headed East
We watch, silently wish them luck,
Turn back and share stories of the day we left, in camo, flying West
I think back to the sign, “remains on board,”
Remember that day of awakening I experienced
It’s April of 1969, a bright day at Ton So Nhut,
Honor guard in starched fatigues, at attention, colors snapping in the wind
Flag draped caskets are loaded into the belly of a 707,
I watch, catch my breath, as they head home.
Forrest Brandt
20 May 2013
Remembering 1st Lt. Al Lofton, USMC KIA Nov 1968 OSU Class of 67, Sp/4 Douglas Knott, US Army, KIA April 1966, Fairmont High School Class of 1961
We spent the day in the Ramstein terminal,
Retired military, traveling for free, when space is available.
Ten seats to Dover Air Force Base,
We count noses; it looks like at least one of us will get out,
A change appears on the screen,
“9 seats, human remains on board.”
We forget that Dover is the military’s morgue,
One seat is taken by the escort, a sad but necessary duty
All morning troops in camo lug their duffle bags,
shuffle duty bound to planes headed East
We watch, silently wish them luck,
Turn back and share stories of the day we left, in camo, flying West
I think back to the sign, “remains on board,”
Remember that day of awakening I experienced
It’s April of 1969, a bright day at Ton So Nhut,
Honor guard in starched fatigues, at attention, colors snapping in the wind
Flag draped caskets are loaded into the belly of a 707,
I watch, catch my breath, as they head home.
Forrest Brandt
20 May 2013
Remembering 1st Lt. Al Lofton, USMC KIA Nov 1968 OSU Class of 67, Sp/4 Douglas Knott, US Army, KIA April 1966, Fairmont High School Class of 1961