Dom DiFrancesco

Musings of an Aspiring Author and Poet

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Honor and Sacrifice

in

Army Command Sargent Major Kevin J. Griffin
Poem in memory of those killed Wednesday 8, August 2012
by a suicide bomber in Afghanistan
Army CSM Kevin J, Griffin
Air Force Major Walter D. Gray
Army Major Thomas E. Kennedy

By D. R. DiFrancesco

Another tour,

Another chance that I won’t go home,

A picture of my baby girl,

Another reminder of what I’ve left,

Another casualty of my sacrifice,

A lock of my loving wife’s hair,

Another night of restless sleep,

Another dream of holding her close,

Rockets screaming at 2 AM,

Another miss,

Another prayer thanking God,

I’m scared but I can’t allow it to show,

Another night of frayed nerves,

Another soldier can’t see my fear,

Too rattled to go back to sleep,

Another march dead tired,

Another struggle to push through the pain,

Today, the next of many, training our indigenous friends,

Another day of watching my back,

Another day working with people you can’t trust,

We didn’t see it coming,

Another blast,

Another vest laden suicide bomber,

I’m sorry,

There won’t be another day,

There won’t be another homecoming,

I won’t see my baby girl,

I won’t see my loving wife,

Just know that I love you,

And please…don’t ever forget me.

Comments

15 responses to “Honor and Sacrifice”

  1. onebravesurvivorhealing Avatar
    onebravesurvivorhealing

    These men and women in the military really sacrifice so very much. I am sending you a pingback as it’s not just those who lose their lives, but those who also come home remembering such difficult things that they witness. Either way, they are so very brave for sacrificing so very much.

    “Now, After” (PTSD from A Soldier’s Perspective)

    Reply
    1. blackandwrite Avatar
      blackandwrite

      Thanks you. CSM Griffin was my sons Battalion Combat Team commander. He is serving in Afghanistan right now with the 4th Infantry Division so this topic is especially near and dear to me as we never stop worrying about him.

      Reply
      1. onebravesurvivorhealing Avatar
        onebravesurvivorhealing

        You’re very welcome. One of my best friends, her Dad, is retired military and she grew up most of her life on bases. Those who return and carry a lot of emotional and physical wounds as well as those who sacrifice their lives should never be forgotten. I’ll keep your son in my prayers. :)

      2. blackandwrite Avatar
        blackandwrite

        Thank you so much. The more prayers the better for all of our brave men and women no matter where they are.

  2. Jeremy Nathan Marks Avatar
    Jeremy Nathan Marks

    What can I say?

    The compassion you have comes through here loudly and clearly. I want to share this with others.

    Reply
    1. blackandwrite Avatar
      blackandwrite

      Jeremy, fist off, I would like to thank you for all of your support and encouragement. Secondly, I would like to apologize, in the past you had mentioned that your father takes care of our wounded men and women and for this I give him my heartfelt thanks. I had neglected to give him the thanks that he deserves earlier and for that I am sorry. Command Master Sargent Griffin, honored in my post was my son’s team leader and an incredibly brave individual. CSM Griffin, along with the other men killed in this horrendous attack will be sorely missed. I would also like to thank you for re-posting this poem. The tragedy didn’t receive the coverage in the media that it should have and I hoped to play just a small part in recognizing the loss of these heroes.

      Reply
      1. Jeremy Nathan Marks Avatar
        Jeremy Nathan Marks

        You are very welcome. There is no need to apologize. I certainly wanted to help you get the word out and to call other’s attention to the lives of these fine men who were lost.

        I wrote a posting last winter about a story my father told me about a young soldier who was flown out of Afghanistan, through Germany, and then back to the United States. He was essentially in pieces and had blood poisoning. But he survived.

        The number of people who worked to save him from his buddies in the field, to the helicopter pilots, to the battlefield physicians and nurses, to the hospital plane (I forget the proper name for it) that brought him to Germany and then to the U.S., to the staff at Walter Reed Army Hospital in Washington D.C. . . . it was just overwhelming. And it was all done to save this young man’s life. I was so moved when he told me the story that I started to cry.

        I couldn’t post the story for confidentiality reasons. But it has stayed with me. I thought that would mean something to you.

      2. blackandwrite Avatar
        blackandwrite

        It does mean something to me, more than you may realize. People, from the field medics to those like your father are truly unsung heroes. They do what they do day in and day out and receive no accolades. Thankfully they do it for the love of the soldiers in their care and the love of their country. Thank you for sharing the story. :)

      3. Jeremy Nathan Marks Avatar
        Jeremy Nathan Marks

        You are welcome.

        So many of the very best people in the world go unnoticed but are who they are because of love.

      4. blackandwrite Avatar
        blackandwrite

        Here! Here! I could not have said it any better.

  3. Jeremy Nathan Marks Avatar
    Jeremy Nathan Marks

    Reblogged this on The Sand County and commented:
    My father takes care of our wounded men and women all of the time and he has always made it so very clear to me how much they sacrifice. This poem speaks to that sacrifice with such feeling that I had to share it.

    Reply
    1. blackandwrite Avatar
      blackandwrite

      Thank you, I truly appreciate this. :)

      Reply
      1. Jeremy Nathan Marks Avatar
        Jeremy Nathan Marks

        You are very welcome.

  4. Lois Avatar
    Lois

    My dad was a soldier in WWII… he came through but it affected him in many subtle ways. I never pass a war memorial without stopping and reading all the names, and whatever the politics of a situation, I always think of the men and women who are serving their country

    Reply
    1. blackandwrite Avatar
      blackandwrite

      This is so nice to hear. I appreciate the tremendous sacrifice your father made. If it weren’t for him and other brave Americans like him we would not have become the great country that we did after the war.

      Reply

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