Terry D. Sutherland

ONLY TIME WILL TELL

Awarded: August 13, 2008We were young and fought on Asian shores
The nightly news at home was keeping score
How many brave young soldiers died today?
How many faceless enemy were put away?

Day after day the news would tally
How many died in the A Shau Valley?
How many in the central highlands fell?
How many years would we endure this hell?

When it ended and was finally done
What was the gain, what had we won?
Did we fulfill our obligation?
To protect the sovereignty of an Asian nation

Some say only time will write
Only history can get the story right
But it has been some thirty years
History has no answer – only tears