A Man’s A Man For A’ That

In the Spirit of the Scottish Poet Robert Burns and his poem
A Man’s A Man For A’ That

For Sergeant Major Jerry L. Wilson (Top Soldier)

What is spoken here is spoken from the heart
not of politics, or religion,
nor of the ideology and cost we bear
for a man is a more than this
more than that and all that
a man who speaks the truth
and walks the truth
and carries the burden few will imagine
or endure
is a man who will lay down his life
is a man for that and all that

so today I speak of Command Sergeant Major Jerry L. Wilson
who gave life for country
and of the men who sent him
whose cross he bears
yes, I say to them
to those who sent him
a man is his word for all that and that
and a man who does not keep his word
but rather changes it from this to that
and wraps it around the pillars of fear
like a serpent
is not a man for that and all that

a man I tell you
lies in the dust of Mosul
nineteen years and ten months
country served
two months from the sweet embrace of home
two months from the warmth of a kitchen table
sitting, spinning tales of old
then sent to give his life
to bear our countries heaviest burden
for a lie of this and that
and tit for tat
men in suits in big white houses
men in suits surrounded
by marble and purple drapes
and portraits, and linen with
fine white china
decisions made by them

not for good of country and citizen
but made for the sake of them
these are not men for that and all that
and yet they stand before us
and wrap their words
around the fallen
around the coffins
that they will not let us see
will not let us grieve
they ask that we be one
that we be strong
they ask us to send our children
to their graves
but they do not let us grieve
they are not men for that and all that

no say I
I shall dissent
in honor of
in memoria of
Sergeant Major Jerry L. Wilson

for I listen and I see
I am hep to what the word means
their words tainted and cracked
they do not stand on the square
in the matter of men
honor and duty, God and country
what words are these to them?
I shall dissent

they who schemed the opportunity
to feel the burden of what
they ask him to carry
they are not men for that and all that

yes, I take my hat off to
Command Sergeant Major Jerry L. Wilson of
The 1st Battalion 502 Infantry Regiment
2nd Brigade
101st Airborne Division (Air Assault)
Top Soldier

into the twilight of time
fade not
for the sacrifice
makes the star bright
and a man for that and all that

HOO-AH
Top Soldier
I will not forget
I shall dissent
Command Sergeant Major Jerry L. Wilson
1st Battalion

Anti-war poem? I guess it could be, but more than anything it came out of a need to not forget those that have paid the ultimate sacrifice for country, and the Sergeant Major did and should never be forgotten. Personally, I had two brothers serve during the Vietnam Era, an uncle in Korea, another in WWII, and a grand-uncle in the Mexican Revolution. As a little boy I remember visiting my grand-uncle in San Ysidro, California. Honor and duty I respect.
However, someday I would love to see peace waged with the passion and courage reserved for war. I think violence is a form of insanity. What is it good for? Absolutely nothing.