Image provided by: Clackamas Community College; Oregon City, OR
About The Clackamas print. (Oregon City, Oregon) 1989-2019 | View Entire Issue (Nov. 20, 2013)
P R IN T : Arts& Culture Wednesday, November20,2013 g VETERANS: In honor, we read ------------ — E U R ----------- — — r--------- J i m — ----------- ----- Robert Crom bie The Clackamas Print Refreshments are enjoyed by the attendees o f the 2nd Annual Veterans Reading as they prepare to share stories and enjoy poetry readings from veterans and those honoring veterans. Good food, goodpeople and good readings are always on the menu and hopes are highfdr continuing the it fo r many years while increasing attendance as'yvell. Continued from Page 1 Myers remembers how veter ans were treated when they came home from Vietnam. “It is really important for peo- ple to understand that the people in the war aren’t the ones that create policy,” he said, adding, “the people who are disrespectful to the soldiers are knuckleheads in my opinion.”’^ While the honored veterans continued entering the room, Davis remembered stories from his Uncle 'Smoke who was tile 16th child bom to his grandpar ents. Davis shared a story about one night when his uncle and five friends pooled their money to buy a Hurst and drove around town wondering why they couldn’t pick tip girls. , , “Uncle Smoke took about 3,000 photos during the war and this August he gave them to me,” Davis said.'“Uncle Smoke never talked about the war, except about thè things that ■ directly contrib uted to his health issues...They would sit and watch- while the planes dumped the Agent Orange onto them.” Keith Grant came To show his respect to the veterans and shared a poem which he had written. In a peaceful and modest voice, * * * “Lives recognized indefinitely, Reflected upon a field where, crimson pedals lay atop the stems, a sea form ed in bloodshed, . portraying the beauty, sprung forth from this slaughter, immortalizing them, allowing us to honor sacrifice, an eternal mark sewn b yea rth ’s historians.” * * * . ' As Grant finished, the room was silent and emotion ran high. Lance Cpl. Joe Ballard, also a Marine, was not comfortable reading, but shared a poem that this reporter Was honored to ; read for him,, which he entitled “Forever Forward.” * The danger o f this place is real. Death in this place lives./ Keeping traditions o f ages past,/ Protecting innocent souls to the last,/ Falls now to our youngest gen erations o f kids. Grant said: * * Hate we constantly feel. Love we don ’t - f „ This desert is, evil.to your mind,/ Endurance itself, isn’t enough to survive./ You can try to understand it, but you w on’t. In an instant things can be bet ter. In a flash hope can begin./ Everything changes witKjust one letter from y o u ,/11 . A simple line o f encourcigement x>r afew dfr- Think that power you have with that, mighty pen. Somewhere across the ocean, - somewhere across the sky,/ , We jum p from planes, with our thoughts on the mission./ ® | No thoughts.of dying or nervous positions,/ Calm envelope’s these men that -fly- Shadows o f violence cover the lodals. Shadows o f despair cover us a tffr j Steel-rain travels miles, seeking people to f r e ç f i f You, wouldh’t believe how quiet very loud1 can b e./ Feeling destruction’s fire is awakening most o f alt. ' Oblivious o f time. Numb tqreal ity it seems / F f Lining up the sights and Hearing your heart race//. I t ’s ju st a dog-target you think, as sweat pours down yourface./ The end o f someone by any 'm e a n s' Ultimate sacrifice, or ultimate goal?/aj$ii . But you volunteered to sleep in . this hole. Listen: this isn’t pettiness: And it isn’t sympathy, my friend/ You must remember that blood ■ got us here./ It was hard. It was nasty. It was beyond fear./ . So the next time you see them say, ‘H appy Veterans Day... ■ Again. ’ f After the readings, the crowd had grown moderately and social ized for aw hile. - “It is neat that this yrill be ongoing.” Ballard said, “It would be, better if more people got the word out. We only had about 10 to 12 [attendees]. It Was also supposed to last from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m.,- and didn’t even goanhour, but it will get better.” Leque agreed. No one makes you fig h t in these “Turnout was nice,” he said. trenches, with esprit de corps./& “Interesting poetry and a variety th ey m u std iefo r their country^ 6 f subjects, Hope we get more not fo r yours./ [people] next time.” Forever Foreword ' by Lance Cpl. Joe Ballard The danger o f this place is real. Death in this place lives./ Keeping traditions o f ages past,/ Protecting innocent souls to the la stf Falls now to our youngest generations o f kids. Hate we lon^tanth feel Love we dont ' -. This desert is evil to your mind,/ Endurance itself, isn’t enough to survive./' -You can try to understand it, but you w on’t. In an instant things can be better. I n a flash hope can begin./ Everything changes with ju st one letter from you,/ A simple line o f encouragement or a few./ Think that power you have with that mighty pen. Somewheie uctow the ocean \omewhtre across the s k \ ' We ju m p from planes, with our thoughts on the mission./ No thoughts o f dying or nervous positions,/ Calm envelope's these men thatfly. « ( Shadows ofviolence cover the locals. Shadows ofdespair cover us all./ ALE YOU CAM EAT SPAGHETTI MQMBAYS! TACO TUESDAYS! LL YOU CAM EAT CATFISH THURSDAYS* AMD MBCH MORE! x Steel-rain travels miles, seeking people to free./ You wouldn t believe how quiet very loud’can be./ Feeling destruction’s fire is awakening most ofall. OFF Oblivious o f time. Numb to reality it seems./ Lining up the sights and hearing your heart race,/ It’s just a dog-target you think, as sweat pours down your face./' The end o f someone by any means. Ultimate sacr ifice, or ultimate goal?/ No one makes you fight in these trenches, with esprit de corps./ They must die fo r their country, not fo r yours./ But you volunteered to sleep in this hole. Listen: this isn ’t pettiness. And it isn’t sympathy, my friend/ You must remember that blood got us here./ It was hard. It was nasty. It was beyond fear./ So the next time you see them say, 'Happy Veterans Day Again. ’ WHEN YOB SH0WCCC ED 21950 SOOTH BEAVERCREEK R B EA VER C R EEK . OR 97004 a ' OHLY 5 MÎMUTES FROM CAMPOS!
