“All the Beautiful, Young Men”
I see the beauty of his sober eyes.
At Omaha, it is his shining hour.
The camera has caught the scene at sunrise.
He’s standing in that moment of great power.
The ramp now opens; there’s the glint of dawn.
There is no turning back; no time to pause.
His choice is made and like a muscle torn
from out his heart , it is for raging cause.
“Oh, captain! I have done my duty now.
I’ve given you my soul and all my heart.
I’ve nothing more to offer or endow
as water takes my body, I depart.”
War cannot strip their beauty or that smile.
Our young men gone in such a little while.
Fantastic — The Whitman reference — was that intentional? Anyway it came out excellent and sad…
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No, the Whitman reference not intentional, but I have read him in my lifetime. I was thinking of all the old RKO/Pathe Hollywood news reports that still end up on the History Channel. I was thinking of all those wonderful, beautiful young men and how the camera picked up a young, handsome face and then he was gone minutes later… as they jumped off the landing craft and headed for Omaha Beach.
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Thanks for following, I will follow your blog as well. beebeesworld
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