Web Exclusive: Unsung Heroes

In honor of Flag Day on June 14, Libby resident Judy Matott penned and submitted the following poem.

No bed to sleep on, no roof over my head,

Can’t get a job, so can’t plan ahead.

I got no money, so I’m livin’ on the street,

Life is tough in winter, and in summer heat.

My clothes are dirty, my hair the same,

And I’m thought to be a bum with no name.

I had a "stay-at -home" mom, and hard workin’ dad.

The best darn parents us kids coulda had.

They taught us manners and to respect other folks,

But today kids think those things as nothin’ but jokes.

Didn’t have much stuff but had lots of love,

Lots better than havin’ a bunch of toys you get tired of.

I sure miss them "growin’ up" years,

And to think on them brings a lot of tears.

People was honest and cared for each other,

Now there’s lots of hate, and brother’s against brother.

Kids havin’ kids is a problem today,

They’ll soon learn life’s pretty hard that way.

Gangs fightin’ gangs … such a violent mess.

Nothin’ better to do with their time I guess.

Where’s the moms and dads to guide ‘em along?

They need a sense of family and that they belong.

I see all these things and it makes me sad.

How in the world did things get this bad?

It ain’t no fun livin’ on the street like this,

Seeing others in mansions and financial bliss.

They give no thought to us less fortunate than them,

But look with disdain and too quick to condemn.

I was born here and fought for the good ole’ USA,

When I got back I never thought I’d see this day.

My wife couldn’t take the stress and walked away,

I needed her to stand by me so I could face each day.

I watched my buddies fight with honor and die,

And all I could do was bow my head, pray, and cry.

We fought with all our souls and our might,

So you guys could sleep safe in your homes each night.

I came back a broken man .. leg gone, tormented mind.

But the way we were treated sure wasn’t kind.

We needed care and rehab we weren’t able to get,

Is that too much to ask, to have our needs met?

Now I beg for my basics and hold my tin cup,

I really don’t want a hand-out, …. just need a hand up.

Give me a smile, a pat on the back, and say "Thanks."

I paid my dues crawlin’ into fox holes, and drivin’ tanks.

Us vets won’t be the same as we was before,

Because we lived with such unspeakable horror.

We seldom talk about what we did or saw,

Because those images will always be raw.

The mind wasn’t meant to deal with such things,

And the inner pain and torture it brings.

Tomorrow may be better and my future may brighten,

And just maybe my trials will finally lighten.

You walk where you want and say what you please,

And you live in peace with relative ease.

Do you ever wonder how that came to be,

That you’re able to live in a country that’s free?

It ain’t no accident, so let me say a thing or two,

Sometimes you just gotta do what you’re called to do.

It’s guys and gals like me who leave home and family behind

To serve our nation, to protect it, and carry out a mission defined.

Many of us wounded, many paid the ultimate price,

So before you judge us please think twice.

You don’t know what we faced, or what we lived through,

Just remember we fulfilled our duty to protect you.

We all volunteered to serve our country with honor and pride,

Now all we ask is that you stand by our side.

Freedom has never been free, but has had a very high cost.

Without that high price our freedom would have been lost.

So, I hold my head high, salute my flag, and have no regrets,

I hope you people appreciate your freedom and remember us vets.

I don’t have fancy words, and you don’t know my name,

And that’s OK, I’m a proud vet just the same.

America is worth our sacrifice and all that entails,

What really matters is that our freedom prevails.

I did what I was called to do, as did they all,

As I sit in my wheelchair, I’ve never stood so tall.

I proudly say I’m an American and have done my part,

And I love my country with all my heart.

May God bless America, and all within,

And may it always be that freedom will win.

What better cause could there ever be,

Than to help my country to remain free?

(Note from writer: The poem is dedicated to all the men and women who have unselfishly and willingly put their lives on the line for those of us who have benefited from their bravery and sacrifice. We are an indebted nation to their service.)