Paratrooper Poems

	Garry Bowles	To Yearn A Bit Across the fields of yesterday They sometimes come to me. Young men, hard at war; The boys they used to be. In my mind, I see their faces As the memories begin. I wonder of the men they became, And of all the might have beens. Through the years, much has passed, And surely I've grown older. Yet, I sometimes pause to yearn a bit, To be once more a soldier.
	Ed Polonitza	Cowboy The troopers called him Cowboy, Cause they couldn't pronounce his monika. His name was hard to say and spell, Our Lieutenant Polonitza. The 3rd Platoon was his home, Where brotherhood was a trust. To fight and win, to persevere, Constant courage was a must. The fight was fierce, the climb was tough And the enemy fire was steady. He led the way up the hill, Our bayonets were at the ready. Troopers recall the day we took that hill, And earned our modest fame. And think with pride of our deeds, And the Lieutenant with the funny name.
	Leonard Lawrence	Point Man Leonard was our point man, On this there was no doubt. Whenever we were in battle, The enemy he would rout. Day by day, month by month, His body count was mounting. When someone asked, how many now, Leonard simply said ... who's counting.
	Marty Stango	Reflections This is about Marty...and proudly is his story, The saga of his men ...their honor and their glory. A noble trooper for sure ...it was often said, As were the young soldiers ... that Lieutenant Marty led. From Tuy Hoa to Mang Yang, Bong Song to Pleiku, Marty and his men ... they did it all for you. So if on parade ... you see his troopers pass, Bow your head in thanks ... they've all come home at last.
	Juan Fernandez	The Shootist Of all the guys in Company A, Juan was certainly the cutest. As bullets flew and mortars roared, He proved to be a shootist. Juan, he was a little guy, And that we all could see. But when the chips were down, He always was ...Airborne Infantry.
	Jim Rockwell	Blooper Rockwell, he carried a funny gun, We troopers called the blooper. A deadly weapon we all agreed, When fired by this trooper. In times of stress as bullets flew, We had no need to worry. Jim could always make it right, Our soldier from Missouri.
	Bobby Elkins	Medic My good friend, Bobby Elkins, Was a hero we all agreed. Doc was a combat Medic, That very special breed. When bullets flew and troopers fell, It was Bobby that gave them aid. Bobby was the best of us, And Airborne all the way.
	Bill Garlinger	RTO Bill, he was our RTO, Some said, the Captain's favorite. But whether napalm, mortars or HE rounds, Bill could always call it. In the heat of battle, in the dark of night, When the sit rep did look bleak, For napalm, mortars or HE rounds, To them ....our Bill would speak.
	Erle Taylor	XO Erle, he was our 1st Lieutenant, A natural combat leader. He came to us from mortars, Where they fired willie peter. He was there the day the Captain fell, And to Erle ...fell command. Taking charge.. he ordered us attack, We did ... and the enemy they ran.
	Duke Dushane	Sarge He was re-condo airborne, And that was plain to see. The Duke was a combat leader, And Ranger was his creed. Move swift, be silent, Duke would say, And stay alert ... it was a must. A seasoned Sergeant, that was true, Whose orders you could trust.
	Gill Cochran	Lieutenant Gill Gill, he was a 2nd Lieutenant, Just out of Yale. He was tall and skinny, Sorta like a rail. That day in the paddy, He rallied the attack, As the bullets sang past, With a whine and crack. We remember the fight That fateful day still, And the tall skinny Lieutenant, That we all called Gill.
	Mike Friedrichs	Wounded Mike was a trooper, With the Alpha Raiders. When attacked, he went forward Calling "better now then later!" He fired a rocket, his aim was true, And hollered "rockets away!" Then, in the hip he took a round, But, lived to fight another day.
	Isaac Guest	Above The Rest He was always there, standing tall, He was with us day and night. Unrelenting, he never wavered; He rallied us to the fight. There are some men you don't forget; They're remembered above the rest. One such man whose name is Isaac, Was our venerable Sergeant Guest.
	Art Miller	Returned From The Dead Art Miller was a young buck sergeant many considered the best He was there, the day of first day of contact, the ultimate test. He was there in the creek bed, the fiercest part of the fight, Without warning , thunderous explosion and flames of bright light. An artillery round had gone awry in what some call "friendly fire" The carnage was complete, casualties high and the situation dire. The thunder subsided and the smoke cleared and Art was killed many said, But then several days later, back he returned, like Lazarus from the dead.
	Dave Dement	Courageous and Bold Dave was a airborne trooper barely nineteen years old. During the attack up the hill he was courageous and bold. The enemy fire was withering and the battle intense, But up the hill he went firing, to Dave it made sense. Bunker after enemy bunker they all fell to young Dave, That day on the hill he was both daring and brave. That night after the battle in a fox hole quite alone, He paused to read a letter from Betsy back home.
	Banyan Tree	Banyan Tree Remember that big old Banyan tree That grew down by the golf course? It had grown there for a hundred years, A grand tribute to nature's force. I'd often sit and watch that tree, From a low lying nearby hill. And wonder now after all these years, Is that big old tree...there still?
	French Graves Supply Choppers Arriving SFC Carrera	Christmas 1965 Along the Mang Yang Pass The night before Christmas along the Mang Yang Pass, Dead Frenchmen everywhere, round graves in a mass. It was cold in the mountains, the weather was bad, The rain was freezing, worst weather we'd ever had. Our stockings weren't hung, they were all too wet, But Santa was coming, at least that was the bet. The rumor was two choppers were headed our way, And never forget that it's fact what I say. When the Hueys arrive they'd be supplies galore, But we only got c-rats, ammo perhaps a bit more. The rain was cold and with only c-rats to eat, It was a very grim night, the sit-rep bleak. We were wet and hungry that night and frozen to a man, But we're paratrooper trained, so the weather be damned. Then thru that black night, along the perimeter you can hear, Buddies wishing buddies, Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Garry Bowles

To Yearn A Bit

Across the fields of yesterday
They sometimes come to me.

Young men, hard at war;
The boys they used to be.

In my mind, I see their faces
As the memories begin.

I wonder of the men they became,
And of all the might have beens.

Through the years, much has passed,
And surely I've grown older.

Yet, I sometimes pause to yearn a bit,
To be once more a soldier.

Ed Polonitza

Cowboy

The troopers called him Cowboy,
Cause they couldn't pronounce his monika.

His name was hard to say and spell,
Our Lieutenant Polonitza.

The 3rd Platoon was his home,
Where brotherhood was a trust.

To fight and win, to persevere,
Constant courage was a must.

The fight was fierce, the climb was tough
And the enemy fire was steady.

He led the way up the hill,
Our bayonets were at the ready.

Troopers recall the day we took that hill,
And earned our modest fame.

And think with pride of our deeds,
And the Lieutenant with the funny name.

Leonard Lawrence

Point Man

Leonard was our point man,
On this there was no doubt.

Whenever we were in battle,
The enemy he would rout.

Day by day, month by month,
His body count was mounting.

When someone asked, how many now,
Leonard simply said ... who's counting.

Marty Stango

Reflections

This is about Marty...and proudly is his story,
The saga of his men ...their honor and their glory.

A noble trooper for sure ...it was often said,
As were the young soldiers ... that Lieutenant Marty led.

From Tuy Hoa to Mang Yang, Bong Song to Pleiku,
Marty and his men ... they did it all for you.

So if on parade ... you see his troopers pass,
Bow your head in thanks ... they've all come home at last.

Juan Fernandez

The Shootist

Of all the guys in Company A,
Juan was certainly the cutest.

As bullets flew and mortars roared,
He proved to be a shootist.

Juan, he was a little guy,
And that we all could see.

But when the chips were down,
He always was ...Airborne Infantry.

Jim Rockwell

Blooper

Rockwell, he carried a funny gun,
We troopers called the blooper.

A deadly weapon we all agreed,
When fired by this trooper.

In times of stress as bullets flew,
We had no need to worry.

Jim could always make it right,
Our soldier from Missouri.

Bobby Elkins

Medic

My good friend, Bobby Elkins,
Was a hero we all agreed.

Doc was a combat Medic,
That very special breed.

When bullets flew and troopers fell,
It was Bobby that gave them aid.

Bobby was the best of us,
And Airborne all the way.

Bill Garlinger

RTO

Bill, he was our RTO,
Some said, the Captain's favorite.

But whether napalm, mortars or HE rounds,
Bill could always call it.

In the heat of battle, in the dark of night,
When the sit rep did look bleak,

For napalm, mortars or HE rounds,
To them ....our Bill would speak.

Ed Taylor

Erle Taylor

Erle, he was our 1st Lieutenant,
A natural combat leader.

He came to us from mortars,
Where they fired willie peter.

He was there the day the Captain fell,
And to Erle ...fell command.

Taking charge.. he ordered us attack,
We did ... and the enemy they ran.

Duke Dushane

Sarge

He was re-condo airborne,
And that was plain to see.

The Duke was a combat leader,
And Ranger was his creed.

Move swift, be silent, Duke would say,
And stay alert ... it was a must.

A seasoned Sergeant, that was true,
Whose orders you could trust.

Gill Cochran

Lieutenant Gill

Gill, he was a 2nd Lieutenant,
Just out of Yale.

He was tall and skinny,
Sorta like a rail.

That day in the paddy,
He rallied the attack,

As the bullets sang past,
With a whine and crack.

We remember the fight
That fateful day still,

And the tall skinny Lieutenant,
That we all called Gill.

Mike Friedrichs

Wounded

Mike was a trooper,
With the Alpha Raiders.

When attacked, he went forward
Calling "better now then later!"

He fired a rocket, his aim was true,
And hollered "rockets away!"

Then, in the hip he took a round,
But, lived to fight another day.

Isaac Guest

Above The Rest

He was always there, standing tall,
He was with us day and night.

Unrelenting, he never wavered;
He rallied us to the fight.

There are some men you don't forget;
They're remembered above the rest.

One such man whose name is Isaac,
Was our venerable Sergeant Guest.

Art Miller

Returned From The Dead

Art Miller was a young buck sergeant many considered the best
He was there, the day of first day of contact, the ultimate test.

He was there in the creek bed, the fiercest part of the fight,
Without warning , thunderous explosion and flames of bright light.

An artillery round had gone awry in what some call "friendly fire"
The carnage was complete, casualties high and the situation dire.

The thunder subsided and the smoke cleared and Art was killed many said,
But then several days later, back he returned, like Lazarus from the dead.

Dave Dement

Courageous and Bold

Dave was a airborne trooper barely nineteen years old.
During the attack up the hill he was courageous and bold.

The enemy fire was withering and the battle intense,
But up the hill he went firing, to Dave it made sense.

Bunker after enemy bunker they all fell to young Dave,
That day on the hill he was both daring and brave.

That night after the battle in a fox hole quite alone,
He paused to read a letter from Betsy back home.

Banyon Tree

Banyan Tree

Banyan Tree

Remember that big old Banyan tree
That grew down by the golf course?

It had grown there for a hundred years,
A grand tribute to nature's force.

I'd often sit and watch that tree,
From a low lying nearby hill.

And wonder now after all these years,
Is that big old tree...there still?

Mang Yang Pass

French Graves

Supply Choppers Arriving

SFC Carrera

Christmas 1965 Along the Mang Yang Pass

The night before Christmas along the Mang Yang Pass,
Dead Frenchmen everywhere, round graves in a mass.

It was cold in the mountains, the weather was bad,
The rain was freezing, worst weather we'd ever had.

Our stockings weren't hung, they were all too wet,
But Santa was coming, at least that was the bet.

The rumor was two choppers were headed our way,
And never forget that it's fact what I say.

When the Hueys arrive they'd be supplies galore,
But we only got c-rats, ammo perhaps a bit more.

The rain was cold and with only c-rats to eat,
It was a very grim night, the sit-rep bleak.

We were wet and hungry that night and frozen to a man,
But we're paratrooper trained, so the weather be damned.

Then thru that black night, along the perimeter you can hear,
Buddies wishing buddies, Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!