~
The 101st Airborne
Division ~
There was a promise made
in Forty-two
By the first commander,
General Lee
He told his raw, brand-new
Recruits
They had a, "Rendezvous
with destiny."
He said, like the Eagle on
their badge
They would swoop down from
the skies
Come crashing, like a
Thunderbolt
Amongst the enemy's,
fearful cries.
And ever since that
fateful day
(Especially, for our
enemies)
The One Hundred First was
a part
Of, so many Battle's
histories.
They had led the way on
D-Day
With a night drop before
invasion
And ever since, they've
bravely fought
For a very proud, and
grateful Nation.
When surrounded at
Bastogne
"Nuts!" was McAuliffe's
reply
When a surrender was
demanded
Although, all knew it was,
do or die.
Those brave Soldiers
fought the fight
Until the siege was
finally lifted
They showed that in the
art of War
The Division, was truly,
gifted.
They earned four Campaign
Streamers
For their valiant deeds,
during the War
Along with, two
Presidential Citations
Just, the first of their
Honors, galore.
After the War, they moved
around
De-activated, and then
reborn again
In Fifty-six, at Fort
Campbell
As a permanent, Combat
Division.
The mid-sixties saw the
1st Brigade
And then in, Sixty-seven,
all the rest
Deployed, to the War in
Vietnam
To try to straighten out,
that mess.
In almost seven years in
Nam
And in campaign after
campaign
Fifteen fought in, to be
exact
They added honors, to
their proud name.
In Sixty-eight, they
changed again
To the Airmobile Force, we
now see
The World's only air
assault outfit
With, its unparalleled,
mobility.
In Ninety-one, another,
"Rendezvous"
In the first War, deep in
Iraq
Just one hundred hours to
win that one
And every one, lived, to
come back.
They've supported relief
effort s
Over in Rwanda, and
Somalia
They've supplied the
peacekeepers
There, in Haiti, and in
Bosnia.
Then, shortly, after Nine
Eleven
They shipped off to,
Afghanistan
The 3rd Brigade "Rakkassans"
Swiftly brought down, the
Taliban.
Into the other War against
Saddam
To help, to quickly bring
him down
Then, the humanitarian
mission
To help the folks, in
Mosul town.
They've come Home, gone
back again
To Serve and do, their
very best
It seems no matter where
they serve
Those "Screaming Eagles"
pass the test.
A TV series made about
them
Brings all of us, some
insight
Enough to know, in any War
We surely need them, in
the fight.
This day, is just a chance
To, thank them, one and
all
Those Soldiers, and their
Families
Who, answer, our Nation's
Call.
Del
"Abe" Jones
The Poor Man's Poet
© 04.11.2009
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