I HEARD YOUR NAME, SO MANY TIMES IN THE PAST,

I LEARNED THE FIRST, BUT KNEW THE LAST

THEN I MET YOU, ONE COLD BRISK DAY,

I REMEMBER, DO YOU? THE VETERANS DAY PARADE

YOU LOOKED AT ME AND SAID, I DON'T LIKE THIS GUY,

FOR WEEKS AND WEEKS I WONDERED WHY

YOU PULLED OUT YOUR LIGHTER, LIT UP A SMOKE,

SAID RELAX KID, IT WAS ONLY A JOKE

I REMEMBER THAT TIME IN POST 673,

YOU ORDERED A BEER AND THEN DRANK WITH ME

THE MEETINGS, THE TEACHINGS, WERE ALL IN THE PAST

ITS SOMETHING I LEARNED, AND YOU TAUGHT ME SO FAST

ON OCTOBER 3 RD 2003 , YOU ADOPTED A DAUGHTER RIGHT OFF OF
HER FLIGHT

YOUR KINDNESS AND LOVE GAVE HER A NEW LIFE

YOU CALLED HER YOUR DAUGHTER AND ME YOUR SON

IN BOTH OF OUR HEARTS YOU WERE ALWAYS NUMBER ONE

THE FOUR OF US WATCHED THE FIREWORKS ON THE 4 TH OF JULY.

I CALLED YOU DAD AND YOU STARTED TO CRY

WE SAT ON YOUR PORCH FOR HOURS AND TALKED, WE EVEN TOOK

SARGE OUT FOR A WALK

YOU STOPPED BY MY WORK, JUST ABOUT EVERYDAY , NOW

WITHOUT YOU ITS JUST NOT THE SAME

YOU SAID TO ME ONE BRIGHT SUNNY DAY,

TED, COME THE DAY I SHOULD PASS AWAY.

MAY I MAKE THIS MY LAST REQUEST.

MAY MY SONS LAY ME TO MY FINAL REST.

*****

This poem was written
by
Ted L. Shulenski (Duel Member)
Sons of the American Legion Chairman
District 12
American Legion
Luzerne County