LET'S HELP THEM FIND THE AMERICAN DREAM
Love points the way to treasures untold,
A word fitly spoken is an apple of gold
Let's give our vets our deepest esteem
And help them find the American dream.
"Dear Folks," was the way the letter began
He'd joined the Marines; he wanted to become a man.
For the past several months, no letter had arrived
The parents hadn't known if their boy was dead or alive.
They were so excited to hear from their son
They hoped his hitch was over and his work was done.
With a trembling voice, his Mom slowly read each word
She wanted to make sure that each line was clearly heard.
"Mom, Dad, I'm sorry that I haven't taken time to write
But most of the time, we were caught in a fight.
"There was crying and dying, O how we feared the bomb
So many of my friends lost their lives in Vietnam.
"I'm coming home, and I'm bringing a friend
He has no one else, his injuries to tend.
"His needs are such that most simply could not meet
Without our help, his heart will no longer beat.
"He saved his men that night when he was on guard
But now, he's almost blind and his face is badly scarred.
"He has no left arm and his feet were both blown away
It's only by the grace of God that he lived to see another day.
"I know that what I'm asking you will come as a shock
But my friend can't handle another hard knock.
"If you can find it in your hearts to share your love,
Surely God in His mercy will bless you from above."
The mother and dad were filled with dismay
They couldn't believe their son was speaking this way.
"Son, they wrote, surely you understand
We're too busy to have a blind cripple on our hand.
"Wish him well and leave him and come on back home
There are many other places where he can roam.
"You know we have such great plans for you
Where we want you to go and things we want you to do."
The driver didn't see soon enough to apply his brake
The wheelchair was crushed, the body, no one could wake.
"It seemed that he wanted to die," someone cried
As they turned the lifeless soldier over on his side.
He was missing his left arm and both of his feet
A letter fell from his shirt as they wrapped him in a sheet.
The blood-stained, tear-soaked page read, "Son, surely you understand
We're too busy to have a blind cripple on our hand."
Since we were not there to see what they saw
The specter of death with its face wild and raw,
If we withhold mercy when it's ours to give
Our days will be bitter as long as we live!
Love points the way to treasures untold,
A word fitly spoken is an apple of gold
Let's give our vets our deepest esteem
And let's help them find the American dream.