I have very mixed emotions about this day. I lost my dad 7 years ago to cancer and I'm very sad to not have him with us for this special day. My dad was a Marine for many years, decided he was too old for that and after years in the civilian world joined the FANG as a weekend warrior and returned to active duty after forced into retirement at his civilian job. (Wow! I just covered 36 years in ONE very long run on sentence!!!) We all think our dad is the best whether he really is or not but mine really was! His men thought so and the outpouring of praise and respect he received during his lifetime, his battle with cancer and his eventual loss to it were truly amazing. In honor of my daddy and his absence this Father's Day I thought I would share a poem with you all that one of his men, Greg wrote for his retirement dinner.
"Hail to the Chief"
We're all here tonight, not to say goodbye,
But to pay tribute to Chief Sanders, one hell of a guy,
A stranger to no one, a good friend to many,
I thought of bad things to say, but there just aren't any.
A long and prosperous career that lasted many years,
Tonight we honor you and give you three cheers.
He started in the Marines, a young fighting man.
Learning to storm the beaches and crawl through the sand.
I'm sure the Marines were excited, but didn't know what was in store,
the day he showed up as a member of the Corp.
He completed his training, preparations no more,
When one day he found himself on a planed headed for war.
The jungles of Vietnam called a young Marine named Jim.
If you needed a partner in a foxhole, you would surely want him.
After many courageous battles, in one terrible fight,
His comrades beside him faced a terrible sight.
A day we all fear, every solder thinks of it,
Charlie got lucky, Sanders was hit.
With prayer he would recover, with no pity of fret,
For this sacrifice, Chief, your nation is in debt.
Now as he grew older, gained wisdom and knowledge,
From the school of hard knocks, not university or college.
He got out of the Corp and set a new course.
We are glad that he joined the Horse.
He's a great leader, the best I've ever seen,
Some day he's too hard, some say he's too mean.
He puts his people first, you know the kind.
No matter the danger, he won't leave you behind.
Looking out for his troops, that's his number one task,
But do what's expected, or he'll be on your ass.
All seriousness aside, now lets talk about,
The good times we had, the times we went out.
We've been many places, some far and some near,
Worked hard, saw some sights and shared a few beers.
Deployments around the world, emergencies in state,
Air bases in country, Aviano, and this year Kuwait.
Your legacy will be strong, and a few things may change,
But without you Chief, things won't be the same.
You're so special to us, we don't want you to go
We know you can't stay forever, or we would make it so.
So this day is special, a memory no doubt.
For no one will forget the day Chief Sanders got out.
So enjoy your retirement, may it be peaceful, long and full of joy.
Good luck, best wishes from "The Lake City Boys".
Show all
But to pay tribute to Chief Sanders, one hell of a guy,
A stranger to no one, a good friend to many,
I thought of bad things to say, but there just aren't any.
A long and prosperous career that lasted many years,
Tonight we honor you and give you three cheers.
He started in the Marines, a young fighting man.
Learning to storm the beaches and crawl through the sand.
I'm sure the Marines were excited, but didn't know what was in store,
the day he showed up as a member of the Corp.
He completed his training, preparations no more,
When one day he found himself on a planed headed for war.
The jungles of Vietnam called a young Marine named Jim.
If you needed a partner in a foxhole, you would surely want him.
After many courageous battles, in one terrible fight,
His comrades beside him faced a terrible sight.
A day we all fear, every solder thinks of it,
Charlie got lucky, Sanders was hit.
With prayer he would recover, with no pity of fret,
For this sacrifice, Chief, your nation is in debt.
Now as he grew older, gained wisdom and knowledge,
From the school of hard knocks, not university or college.
He got out of the Corp and set a new course.
We are glad that he joined the Horse.
He's a great leader, the best I've ever seen,
Some day he's too hard, some say he's too mean.
He puts his people first, you know the kind.
No matter the danger, he won't leave you behind.
Looking out for his troops, that's his number one task,
But do what's expected, or he'll be on your ass.
All seriousness aside, now lets talk about,
The good times we had, the times we went out.
We've been many places, some far and some near,
Worked hard, saw some sights and shared a few beers.
Deployments around the world, emergencies in state,
Air bases in country, Aviano, and this year Kuwait.
Your legacy will be strong, and a few things may change,
But without you Chief, things won't be the same.
You're so special to us, we don't want you to go
We know you can't stay forever, or we would make it so.
So this day is special, a memory no doubt.
For no one will forget the day Chief Sanders got out.
So enjoy your retirement, may it be peaceful, long and full of joy.
Good luck, best wishes from "The Lake City Boys".
Show all
