|He was getting old and paunchy and his hair was falling
And he sat around the Legion telling stories of the past,
Of a war that he had fought in and the deeds that he had done,
In his exploits with his buddies. They were heroes. Every one.
tho' sometimes to his neighbors, his tales became a joke,
All his buddies listened, for they knew whereof he spoke.
But we'll hear his tales no longer, for old Tom has passed away;
And the world's a little poorer, for a Sailor died today.
He won't be mourned by many, just his children and his wife,
For he lived an ordinary, very quiet sort of life.
He had a job and raised a family, quietly going on his way,
And the world won't note his passing, tho a Sailor died today.
When politicians leave this earth, their bodies lie in state,
And thousands note their passing and proclaim that they were great.
Newspapers tell of their life stories from the time that they wereyoung.
But the passing of a common Sailor goes unnoticed and unsung.
Is the greatest contribution to the welfare of our land,
A person who breaks promises and cons his fellow man?
Or the ordinary fellow, who in time of war and strife,
Goes off to serve his country and offers up his life?
The politician's stipend and the style in which he lives,
Are sometimes disproportionate, to the service that he gives.
While the ordinary sailor, who has offered up his all,
Is paid off with a medal, and sometimes a pension small.
It's so easy to forget them, for it was so long ago,
That the old "Toms" of our country went to battle. But we know
It was not the politicians, with their compromises and ploys,
Who won for us our freedom that the country now enjoys.
Should you find yourself in danger, with your enemies at hand,
Would you want a politician, with his ever shifting stand?
Or would you prefer a Sailor who has sworn to defend
His home, his kin, his country, and will fight until the end?
He was just a common Sailor, and his ranks are growing thin,
But his presence should remind us we may need his like again.
For when countries are in conflict, then we find the Sailor's part
Is to clean up all the troubles that the politicians start.
If we cannot give him honor while he's here to hear the praise,
Then at least let's give him homage at the ending of his days.
Perhaps a simple headline in the papers that would say,
OUR COUNTRY IS IN MOURNING... FOR A SAILOR DIED TODAY.