A 20's CHILD

Were you a 20's child,
Between WWI & WWII,
Often running wild
Until the day you volunteered?

The Army Air Corp you chose,
With G.I. issue clothes;
Even your shorts were olive drab,
Your transportation, a yellow cab.

Basic Training was in view,
And loud drill sergeants voices you heard;
Who had a strong hold on you,
And March, March, March was the word!

Basic training o'er and then a leave,
With one lonely stripe on your sleeve;
And for some it was off to OCS
For one shiny bar of gold near your chest.

To Basic flying in the PT,
With a note-pad on your knee;
You learned to take-off and fly
Like a sparrow in the sky.

And later on with silver wings
You learned to do lots of things,
Like flying Big Birds, even the 29,
With nose art of skimpy design!!

No longer a sparrow in the sky,
More like an Eagle, flying high...
They loaded 10,000 pounds or more,
And gave you a heading to soar.
Over the Japanese Isle,
You stayed a while,
Until your bombs knew release;
Then to Saipan or Tinian for a bit of peace.

Another mission now run,
With no time to lie in the sun;
For they found another load for you,
To fly 1500 miles, with your crew.

Now dodge the fighters and the flak
For 35 missions, if you're back.
You just qualified for another trip
North Eastward, but not by ship!

Home again; you've done your best,
With double bars and ribbons on your chest,
Or perhaps a gold star or silver bird,
To mark your station and your word.

Born, a child of the 20's,
Now a man of the fourth decade;
What will you do with your life
In supporting your kids and your wife?

You are not the man you were,
When first you learned to fly;
For you have witnessed sights
Long since, when buddies had to die!

The 50's, 60's, and to this present hour
Have turned your hair snowy white,
And if your hair you lost,
Not so with memories in the night.

The nights bring sounds and sights,
Heard and seen so long ago,
And in your maturing years,
You'd volunteer again to go.