Rebecca SaraAnne “Becky” Grey Eagle

THE PASSING OF A WARRIOR

There is a saying in Spanish: Vaya Con Dios mi Amigo, which means: Go with God my Friend. May Toralf rest in his God’s Arms in the Peace that he so deserves; I am sorry to see another soldier lose his last fight, so very sorry.

A GIFT

Per, Suzanne,

You do not know me – nor I you, but I know your pain and I know your hearts are broken; nothing I can say will ease your pain but I wish you to have the attached. My Father, GreyEagle, who served with the United States Army in Vietnam, wrote “A Soldier’s Life” and “A Warrior’s Prayer” shortly before his death last year.

My Prayers and thoughts are with you.

Rebecca SaraAnne GreyEagle
June 7, 2002

A SOLDIER’S LIFE

A Soldier’s life is one of sacrifice and giving
Ordinary men performing extraordinary deeds.
Deeds of valor and deeds unsung as many go to
Their graves; Unknown deeds of great valor.

Living a lonely life so that others do not;
A life in the cold and the heat, a life in the rain and snow:
In the heat of the deserts to the snows of Europe, to live
Without family so that you and yours may.

A soldier’s life can end in an instant by either foe or
God forbid by friendly fire.

A soldier can die doing deeds of great glory or die alone
In a dark damp jungle, alone save for his team. His mortal
Remains to return to the earth, his family never to know his fate.

A soldier sacrifices his life so that you may live in freedom.
A soldier gives his self to his country and uniform.
A soldier leaves his family so that you don’t have to.

A soldier lives his life quietly and without notice, serving
His country and his family with quiet pride, determined that
They shall never taste anything but freedom all their natural lives.

A soldier lives and dies by his mottos and creeds, from Semper Fi
To liberate the oppressed, we do not leave our wounded or our dead,
All must be returned, all must be honored.

A soldier’s life is one of sacrifice and giving. It was my privilege
And honor to have served.

A WARRIOR’S PRAYER

From the hot deserts of the Southwest I came.
To the shores of Southeast Asia I did go.
I followed the path of the Old Ones,
Those Who Have Gone Before.
This is ever the way of the People.

For the people must follow the warriors’ trail,
it is our way.
The Old Ones have tried to give me their wisdom
in order that I might prevail and survive in a hostile land.

I have heard the stories of the Old Ones;
I have heard Those Who Went Before
as they have visited me at night.

My future is as yet unknown,
my destiny shrouded in mystery,
will I live or will I die;
only the Great Spirit can answer.

My blood is that of the Kiowa and Apache and White-eye.
We are as one with Mother Earth,
should I fall, I will return to Mother Earth.

Brother Coyote has taught me his tricks that will help me to prevail.
My spirit is with the Eagle as he soars on wings strong and bold,
His cry the clarions call of the warriors of old Who Have Gone Before.

The Great Spirit has shown the way,
should I fall in battle I will join Those Who Have Gone Before.

I have heard the distant drums and the bugles as they call.
I have heard the rattle of Sabers and the muffled cannons roar.
I must go even though I am afraid;
I must face my fears and follow Those Who Have Gone Before.

I must not falter,
I must not fail,
I must go forward,
I must prevail;
for to falter or fail is to bring shame and dishonor
to the Warriors of the People Who Have Gone Before.

I have sung my death song,
my future’s unknown;
I will follow the teachings of The Old Ones
and Those Who Have Gone Before.
I will go to that far away land;
that land so different from my desert home.

I will go the way of the warrior,
I may never return;
should I fall,
let me be surrounded by foes;
let me die a warriors death so that I may go in Honor
to the fires of Those Who Have Gone Before.

Great Spirit,
do not let my dishonor the People and my family and friends.
If you will that fall I must, let me die in battle
as a warrior should;
let my blood and body nourish Mother Earth where I fall.

Let my death mean life for another.
Tell the People and my family of my death;
do not let them mourn,
for I died as I wished in battle and with Honor.

Tell the People to sing of me in their lodges;
tell the little ones of the Warriors Who Have Gone Before;
it was a very good day to die.

A SOLDIER GOES HOME

A soldier died today a half a world away:
Another lost to man’s inhumanity.

Tonight I prayed to my God for the soul of my friend I have never met;
For him to take and keep and to let him rest in his eternal sleep.
As I prayed, my eyes to heaven did go, as I prayed, my tears began to fall.
As my tears fell and left their trails upon my face, I prayed for an end to this tragedy.
And as I prayed, my eyes to the heavens were drawn;
The moon was faint even though it’s clear.
As I watched I saw a heavenly white glow;
Tonight I saw a star where none had been before.

Tonight I watched as God brought his Soldier home;
Tonight God brought his soldier home and left a promise.
The new star marks the end of his journey;
The Star is God’s proof that his soldier is in his arms for evermore.
The Star is God’s promise to Soldiers all;
This will be your Rest.

Tonight I watched as God brought another Soldier home.

FOR TOR’S FAMILY AND FRIENDS

Today the Great Spirit called home another brave Warrior
Today here in the mortal world, hearts were again broken
Today Sorrow reigns in the warriors home, today tears fall like rain
Today a woman’s heart is again broken; today she too has given her all
Today a brothers tears fall, and his heart is also broken for his brother has gone ahead
Today a world away, friends bow their heads and send prayers for his soul
Today the World has lost another protector; another Warrior has fallen in battle
Today the our world is less for the loss of his brave soul,
Today his God called him home, for you see he was needed there as well
Today Torlaf Cod has gone home to his God!