A NIGHT PATROL
On a hot and muggy July night
I instruct my men to be prepared to fight
In the pitch-black night I set them in line
Praying this night patrol will turn out just fine
As we walked in the rice paddies and on the dikes
In my soul I could feel my men sense of fright
When we approached a tree line I ordered them to halt
For I feared something was wrong and I didn’t want it to be my fault
A few seconds later their bullets whizzed by
Our return tracer rounds lit up the night sky
As the battle rages on I hear my men cries
I crawled to a wounded brother in my arms he dies
It seemed like an eternity for the firing to past
When in reality it took only minutes for the battle to last
I called in the choppers for my wounded and dead
Knowing this is another Nam night I won’t be able to get out of my head
Now that I am home and after all these years
Everyday I remember my fallen brothers and have cried a million tears
I know deep in my heart they are in a formation to wait
Because they realize my time is near to walk thru the pearly white gate
SEMPER FI
Written by: Dennis L. Ames
MY LOST BROTHER
The call came over the radio 2nd squad was pinned down
A reaction team was assembled to see if they could be found
We doubled timed down Hill 55 and out the rear gate
The night was Nov. 4th the year nineteen hundred and sixty eight
We hustled across an open field and barely could we hear any sounds
Until the N.V.A. opened up with their machine guns and mortar rounds
As we slowly moved forward we spotted 2nd squad in a tree line
We called ahead to tell them to hang in there and give us a little more time
When we reached the tree line I had the men set up a perimeter
The reaction team consisted of nine their names I don’t remember
The point man of 2nd squad was wounded and still lying in the field
I set out to find him thinking this task was no big deal
Thirty minutes of searching and still looking all around
It seemed like an eternity but I was determined to cover every inch of that ground
As long and as hard that I tried I failed to find my brother
A few years latter I learned his body was recovered by another
It was reported because of his wounds he had laid in the field and bled to death
Everyday when I wake up I try to convince myself I did my very best
When it’s my turn to leave this world and enter the heaven above
I pray my lost brother will greet me with wide opened arms and lots of love
SEMPER FI
Written by Dennis Ames
