The soldier is the Army. No army is better than its soldiers. The Soldier is also a citizen. In fact, the highest obligation and privilege of citizenship is that of bearing arms for one’s country.
…It is a proud privilege to be a soldier – a good soldier … [with] discipline, self-respect, pride in his unit and his country, a high sense of duty and obligation to comrades and to his superiors, and a self confidence born of demonstrated ability. – George S. Patton Jr.
– CLN Newsdesk
On the high pedestal they stand,
With empty eyes and outstretched hands,
To receive the highest honour of the land,
Amidst the lilting strains of the bagpipe band.
Alabaster statues clad in white,
With faces calm and clear,
Emotions like their lips compressed,
Quivering eyelids holding back tears.
Aged parents or young brides,
Sister, brother or ward,
They come here survivors all,
Unspared by the Gods of war.
A debt they have come to collect,
From the nation and its head,
For a price so bravely paid,
Alas, in blood so red.
A name is called,
A ballad is sung,
Of the gallant deeds,
Of a valiant son.
How he rose above and beyond,
The clarion call of duty.
His valour like his sacrifice supreme,
An act of timeless beauty.
And in the majestic minute,
Of the silence that then follows,
Comes a tidal wave of pride,
Sweeping across an ocean of sorrows.
Into palms trembling with emotion ,
By a pair of grateful hands,
Is placed a medal and citation,
Bearing debt and seal of the land.
Through this deed the nation shares,
Every sacrifice and sorrow,
Of those who gave up their todays,
For all of our tomorrows.
To the grieving families of our brave,
This is my heartfelt tribute.
Unto our fallen heroes,
This is my final salute.
Dr. Codanda Ravin Chengappa, Dedicated to the families of our fallen.
This is not merely a poem. It is a heartfelt salute to every soldier who answered the call of duty and to every family that silently bore the weight of that sacrifice.
This peice leaves readers with moist eyes and immense pride , honouring not just fallen solders but also the families whose sacrifice often remain unseen.