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It is the Soldier

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A Poem by U.S. Army Veteran Charles M. Province

I was listening to Larry Elder's radio show recently and the popular host was dealing with an unusually high number of whiners calling the program, complaining about diminished government freebies and the sorry state of our union. Fans of Larry Elder know his pet name for complainers—victicrats. He responded by reading a lovely poem entitled It is the Soldier. The poem was written in 1970 by U.S. Army veteran Charles M. Province, a respected author and leading authority on WWII military commander General George S. Patton, Jr.

I was moved by the poem's simple yet profound message and was compelled to share it. There's a reason American citizens have always fought so hard for liberty. The freedom we enjoy was paid for with the lives of our fallen heroes. Let us never forget our soldiers.

IT IS THE SOLDIER

It is the Soldier, not the minister
Who has given us freedom of religion.

It is the Soldier, not the reporter
Who has given us freedom of the press.

It is the Soldier, not the poet
Who has given us freedom of speech.

It is the Soldier, not the campus organizer
Who has given us freedom to protest.

It is the Soldier, not the lawyer
Who has given us the right to a fair trial.

It is the Soldier, not the politician
Who has given us the right to vote.

It is the Soldier who salutes the flag,
Who serves beneath the flag,
And whose coffin is draped by the flag,
Who allows the protester to burn the flag.

It is the Soldier

Charles Michael Province, U.S. Army

It is the Soldier, not the minister
Who has given us freedom of religion.

It is the Soldier, not the reporter
Who has given us freedom of the press.

It is the Soldier, not the poet
Who has given us freedom of speech.

It is the Soldier, not the campus organizer
Who has given us freedom to protest.

It is the Soldier, not the lawyer
Who has given us the right to a fair trial.

It is the Soldier, not the politician
Who has given us the right to vote.

It is the Soldier who salutes the flag,
Who serves beneath the flag,
And whose coffin is draped by the flag,
Who allows the protester to burn the flag.

Gen. George S. Patton, Jr.

It is foolish and wrong to mourn the men who died. Rather we should thank God that such men lived.

The Patton Society

Charles M. Province

U.S. Army Veteran and Author, "It is the Soldier"

Charles M. Province is the president and founder of The George S. Patton, Jr. Historical Society. He has studied General Patton for decades and has written several books, including The Unknown Patton, Patton's Third Army, and Patton's One-Minute Messages.

Charles Province's personal collection of Patton memorabilia is the largest in the world, and his website, The Patton Society, is widely considered the best Patton resource on the Internet. In addition to archived speeches and quotes made by General Patton, the website includes a Patton biography in PDF format to assist students with school assignments.

More information about the poem is available on Charles Province's website, particularly on the page Northeast Kansas Korean War Memorial. The poem was incorporated in a memorial created by the Northeast Kansas Korean War Memorial Association.

They have honored me beyond measure by using my poem "It is the Soldier" on the left-side black granite tablet of the memorial. To give the poem a broader appeal for all U.S. military forces, my friend Charles McAtee (1st Marine Division Association) altered the name of the poem to "Freedom's Flag" for the memorial tablet. ~ Charles Michael Province

The Price of Freedom

Memorial Day is an occasion of special importance to all Americans, because it is a day sacred to the memory of all those Americans who made the supreme sacrifice for the liberties we enjoy. We will never forget or fail to honor these heroes to whom we owe so much. We honor them best when we resolve to cherish and defend the liberties for which they gave their lives. Let us resolve to do all in our power to assure the survival and the success of liberty so that our children and their children for generations to come can live in an America in which freedom's light continues to shine.

The Congress, in establishing Memorial Day, called for it to be a day of tribute to America's fallen, and also a day of national prayer for lasting peace. This Nation has always sought true peace. We seek it still. Our goal is peace in which the highest aspirations of our people, and people everywhere, are secure: peace with freedom, with justice, and with opportunity for human development. This is the permanent peace for which we pray, not only for ourselves but for all generations.

The defense of peace, like the defense of liberty, requires more than lip service. It requires vigilance, military strength, and the willingness to take risks and to make sacrifices. The surest guarantor of both peace and liberty is our unflinching resolve to defend that which has been purchased for us by our fallen heroes.

On Memorial Day, let us pray for peace - not only for ourselves, but for all those who seek freedom and justice.

Ronald Reagan (1986)

The Los Angeles National Cemetery

Resting Place of 85,000 Soldiers Who Fought in America's Battles

Thanks For Visiting

Thank You for Supporting Our Troops

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pawpaw911 May 31, 2012 @ 3:41 pm | delete

Well done.

Reply

VeseliDan May 29, 2012 @ 5:07 am | delete

What a beautiful tribute! *blessed*

Reply

CountrySunshine May 28, 2012 @ 3:39 pm | delete

Such a touching tribute to our soldiers & our country! Thanks so much for writing & sharing it with us!

Reply

OhMe May 26, 2012 @ 5:06 pm | delete

This is a beautiful tribute to our troops and to our country. God Bless America. Thank you.

Reply

Cari_Kay Apr 17, 2012 @ 9:51 pm | delete

Oh goodness, I love this! As a former soldier and an Army wife, this just really touches me. Thank you so much for sharing it. You made a beautiful presentation here!
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