Forgotten
by
Danny Ingram
President,
American
Veterans For Equal Rights
In the
corner of the nursing home, next to the
artificial palm, sits an old man strapped in a
wheelchair, slumped over, as dusty and forgotten
as the plastic plant. He sleeps. Drool slips
unnoticed from his ancient lips. Dreams pass
through his silent mind. Clutching, clinging,
grasping hands of sand as bullets pop all
around, ringing off his steel helmet. Men
yelling, falling, everywhere, cries of pain.
Mother. Blasts, explosions, showers of sand
sting his face. Screams of shells rip overhead.
Red blood in white surf. He prays, pulling
forward, looking for a shelter on the open
beach. Gripping, crawling. Deafening. Dying.
D-Day. First landing. Omaha Beach. First on the
beachhead. Unending, longest, eternal day.
Finally, darkness breached. At last. And soon to
fall. Hero. Champion. Liberty. Light. Here now
sits freedom's mighty ward. Silent, soiled,
neglected.