On Veterans Day, we honor
those who fought...and those who fell
and hear the trials of soldiers in battle
from their comrades who lived to tell.

And on the holiday that's set aside
for the 11th of November,
I think that we should do much more
...than just stop and remember.

Because war to every Veteran,
is more than just a memory,
we need to search and ask ourselves
...just what if it was me?

What if it was me...a loving mother
whose face turned ghostly pale
as her son read aloud a draft notice
that he had received in the mail.

What if it was me...who didn't ask questions
while stationed in thicket so deep
unknowingly close to an enemy
facing death...just to fall asleep?

What if it was me...an anxious young wife
who opened the door one day
to uniformed men whose greeting was:
"we're sorry, maa'm...he's MIA."

What if it was me...whose life depended
on a stranger carrying a gun
wondering...as a Prisoner of War,
if today, I'd be the one.

What if it was me...who left my children;
their future to go and protect
not sure if this was the last time
their little arms would hug my neck.

What if it was me...who finally came home
and for years tried hard to erase
the memory of a comrade who perished
and the bewildered look on his face.

What if it was me...would I question my loyalty?
Would I hide my fears inside?
Would I act so brave and undaunted?
Would I have lived...or died?

For those who fought for our country,
the verses in this poem include
a different way to express to you
our everlasting gratitude.

And a thought from George S. Patton
for those who gave all they had to give...
He said, "It's foolish and wrong to mourn them,
rather we should thank God that they lived."

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