The Wall
Some said: Don’t go, it will make you sad.
Some said: Go see it, it’s not that bad.
Yes some said: Don’t go, it;s best to forget.
But I know that for many... It’s not over yet.
So I thought: Hey why not, it’s been twenty years.
So long since the pain, so long, since the fears.
I went and I looked, and I stood tall with pride.
We gave it our best, didn’t win but we tried.
Most of us made it, but too many died.
Yes I looked at that wall, and I touched it and cried.
Over fifty eight thousand, Americans all,
Names engraved on that cold, unforgettable wall.
Brave men and women answered liberty’s call,
And fell, so that freedom itself would not fall.
The Wall, by Frank J. Montoya, CW3, USA, 9th Infantry
Division, Vietnam, 1967-1968. Current Fountain Valley Resident
