Veterans Day

[mickeys4life]

I did not write this. A buddy from one of the sports sites I frequent wrote this. Enjoy.

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the bob man is writing this all proper and such this evening

because i want to share it

because i want everyone to read it

because it is important to me

i do not know why

many people i have met

many miles i have traveled

many places have i been

but this sticks with me

i carry it everywhere i go



it was for a photograpy class in school

shapes and patterns and contrast was the order of the day

so off i headed to the cemetary

at least once in your life

walk through a cemetary

listening to nine inche nails the fragile

perfect



it was a crisp sunny day

blue skies

green grass

stones and monuments from white to black

and many shades of gray in between

just me and my camera and trent reznor

it was after a holiday

the place was awash in sea of little red white and blue flags

it is a big cemetary

it is an old cemetary

and there are lots of veterans there

many branches of service

many wars

too many wars

i took pictures of simple stones

and complex elaborate monuments

sun bleached angels and cool shady crosses

there were flags everywhere and everyone had a flag

big stones and big titles

small simple stones and ordinary men

who had done extraordinary things

but one man had two flags

how did he do that

everyone got a flag and he scored two

privates and admirals and generals

everyone gets one flag


i took more pictures

and walked around some more

lots of dead people

whole families died in plagues

husbands died 26 years before wives

little babies who never had a chance

and old people who lived complete lives

rows upon rows upon oblique stony rows

but off in the distance

on the edge of the cemetary

was the grandaddy of them all

huge

massive

spiraling skyward

i had to see it

i had to take a picture

who could have such a monument fit for the finest royalty

a doctor of course

he even started his own school

many lifetimes later his name has faded into obscurity

his school is no more

but he got the biggest pimpinest slamminest bunch of rocks in the place

i want to take a picture

but it is too tall

i back up

and back up some more

up the hill

and just when i find the spot

i gosh darned near fall in to a pit

who in the what the heck

under the bob mans feet are leaves and overgrown grass

i get down on my hands and knees and start digging

i clear away leaves

fresh crispy leaves

old nasty rotton leaves

i pull out longs strings of grass

and reveal

private harvey

private harvey was in The Great War

they did not know it was the First World War

it was just The Great War back then

private harvey survived the war

he went on to live a long life

and here he lay now

alone

no missus private harvey by his side

no family plot with sis and mom and dad

just harvey

long forgotton

how long had he been there

when was the last time anyone ever came to this place to visit him

why did it take a stupid kid taking pictures in a cemetary to uncover him

he had no flag

he may have never had a flag





then i rememberd

amongst the angels and angles

lined up with the privates and admirals

moms and dads

lawyers guns and money

was the man with two flags

i had to find him

surely he would give up one of his two for a fellow serviceman

i must find the man with two flags


i ran around the cemetary

it was like the end of the good bad and ugly

row upon row of headstones and monuments

blurring past me

an endless row of graves

i was running and running and running

trent reznor was yelling something in my ear

i was at my wits end



then i found it

the man with two flags

i explained the situation to him

i think he understood

he didnt put up much of an arguement

i went back and found private harvey

and stuck a flag next to his little stone



once forgotten

he is now always remembered


thanks to all of the private harveys out there

[Bazell, The Merry Prankster]

very nice.

[BWANAS1MBA]

I wish I had seen this sooner.

[ukblueky]

it's oddly touching.

[mickeys4life]

bump