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Sassoon's Public Statement Of Defiance

'I am making this statement as an act of wilful defiance of military authority, because I believe the war is being deliberately prolonged by those who have the power to end it.

I am a soldier, convinced that I am acting on behalf of soldiers. I believe that this war, upon which I entered as a war of defence and liberation has now become a war of aggression and conquest. I believe that the purposes for which I and my fellow soldiers entered upon this war should have been so clearly stated as to have made it impossible to change them, and that, had this been done, the objects witch actuated us would now be attainable by negotiation.

I have seen and endured the suffering of the troops, and I can no longer be a party to prolong these sufferings for ends which I believe to be evil and unjust. I am not protesting against the conduct of the war, but against the political errors and insincerity's for which the fighting men are being sacrificed.

On behalf of those who are suffering now I make this protest against the deception which is being practised on them; also I believe that I may help to destroy the callous complacence with which the majority of those at home regard the continuance of agonies which they do not share, and which they have not sufficient imagination to realise.'

poem by Siegfried Sassoon
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I believe that the purpose for which I and my fellow soldiers entered upon this war should have been so clearly stated as to have made it impossible to change them, and that, had this been done, the objects which actuated us would now be attainable by negotiation.

quote by Siegfried Sassoon
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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I am making this statement as an act of wilful defiance of military authority, because I believe that the War is being deliberately prolonged by those who have the power to end it.

quote by Siegfried Sassoon
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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I have seen and endured the sufferings of the troops, and I can no longer be a party to prolong these sufferings for ends which I believe to be evil and unjust.

quote by Siegfried Sassoon
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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I am a soldier, convinced that I am acting on behalf of soldiers.

quote by Siegfried Sassoon
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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I am not protesting against the conduct of the war, but against the political errors and insincerities for which the fighting men are being sacrificed.

quote by Siegfried Sassoon
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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What a big joke

What a big joke
the new defence force has become,
where three thousand soldiers
strike and run riot
and it’s people
who chooses to be soldiers.

If Jan Smuts ruled
they would have been dead
as he let them
load a gun
for Jopie Fourie
and to me it’s nothing less
than revolt
for which people in the past
could pay the ultimate penalty.

I almost laughed myself apart
when medical troops
where brought to justice
for whoring
and I wondered
what was now happening
at the once great 1 Mil?

What kind of army has no discipline
and in what defence force
troops and junior officers
tell generals
how to do their thing
and the President
is challenged
to take instructions?

In my time you where bound by law
to go without any choice
to the defence force
and if you did not go there,
the military police
quickly came to fetch you
at home.

In my defence force
nonsense was taken out of you
from the start
and the authority of higher ranks was supreme
and we exercised with a pole and tyre
and received
the best training there.
.
For two years we
had to do national service
against a pauper’s pay
and it felt at a time
as if the camps
would never end.

a Soldier pointed his finger
at a lieutenant
and received thirty days
in the detention barracks
for it.

It was a defence force
that showed its fist
to Swapo, Fapla,
the Cubans and Russians
and the best soldiers
knew their duty.

Against what foe
will this new army be able to stand
if there’s no discipline
and like in a asylum people run amok
and I wonder
what omen
is hitting the new South Africa
where patriotism
lies at the backdoor
and every soldier thinks
that he’s a general
and like all things
in this once great country,
this army is more than pathetic
against what it once was.

[Reference: 1 Mil=> One milatary hospital.]

poem by Gert Strydom
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Unconsciously Convinced

Now that they have completely destroyed themselves,
And others...
With every conceivable deception used,
They have returned upon the scene with fresh deceptions...
To declare themselves innocent for making mistakes,
Consciously and foolishly made to be forgiven for them.

They have stated those same mistakes,
They will 'try' not to make again unnecessarily.
And those who had endured through their sufferings,
Have been unconsciously convinced...
The same incompetent people,
Will deliver them from their miseries.

poem by Lawrence S. Pertillar
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A Little Wine

No longer drink water but,
Drink a little wine for your stomach's sake;
I write so that you may know.
Don't be a novice,
You shall not steal;
I write so that you may learn.
On behalf of the Kings,
On behalf of the Queens,
On behalf of all who are in authority;
We brought nothing into this world and,
We will carry nothing out of it.

poem by Edward Kofi Louis
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Soldier (not really a poem)

the american revolution was fought witha new breed of soldier.
this country was founded on that soldier.
that soldier is the one that those on the front lines calls the coward
that soldier is the one that those on the front lines call when they need help
because these soldiers dont miss.
these soldiers are trained harder than the most elite frontline man
these soldiers are tought to kill their enemy before there enemy sees them.
these soldiers are the ghosts in the night,
these soldiers are the wind in the day
these soldiers are everywhere.
these soldiers are the bush next to u.
these soldiers are the the tree across the field.
these soldiers are the lump of snow in the flat plain.
these soldiers are snipers.
snipers are the reason we are free.
snipers stop the enemy before the enemy gets close to u,

poem by Joshua Decker
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War Is Over

Old soldiers talk about the battles fought
To build a better world for me and you.
They sacrificed their lives to make a dream come true.
Now theyre forgotten men remembered by so few.
But the war is over and the fighting ended many years ago.
The war is over. the battles won but what is there to show?
Side by side they marched together fighting so their children
Could be free,
To build a better world, a new society
All classes unified to live in harmony
Now the war is over so lets forget and leave the past alone.
The war is over, its time for all the soldiers to go home.
Rich men, poor men make history,
Fighting for the land of hope and glory
A nations voice will sing as one,
A battle cry until weve won
The was is over and the patriotic comrades are no more.
The war is over
Now theyre going home to live just like before.
Arm in arm we sang our patriotic songs of love and sentiment.
Tears of joy to hide the sorrow,
New tomorrows till we meet again,
With a new world to build well say auf weidersein.
What did they do for us?
What did it prove to us?
As we stand beside the silent grave
The unknown soldier cant be saved.
The war is over
The war is over, its time for all the soldiers to go home.
The war is over.

song performed by by Kinks
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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A Soldiers Family

Today we lost another soldier, I do not know
His/her name.
Today we lost a soldier, I don’t know
From whence he/she came.

This was a soldier fighting in a war
As so many other soldiers had done this before.
It matters not what country the soldier is from.
For they no longer fight for country, but for each other.
All beliefs, religions, and honors are blown in the wind.
For war is not a joy, it is but a sin.

Once the soldier is gone, the family must live to carry on.
Wondering if it’s all been in vain
And if there was anything to gain.
The pains and the memories the families must bear
And with each other these they share.

A smile, a joke, a laughter, or two
These were the things they shared with you.
A love story or a relationship gone bad
These were the things that made them happy or sad.

A mother who inwardly cries
For it is so hard to say good-bye.
Nine months in her stomach, then tending
And caring for them and watching the child grow
This is what every mother knows.

A soldiers life is lost, but it’s not just any soldier you see
For this is the one that came from the father and me.
Yes! My child was a soldier and on the battle front they died
Trying to protect the freedom for you and I.

But let us mourn for all soldiers, for they are comrades
Who fought side by side, until the moment that they died.
It matters not if they are classified as the enemy
Death on all sides, there are so many.
They cry for their children, the same as we
And their hearts they do bleed.

If we as parents and family would be united as one
We would have these governments” under our gun”.
Until that day- we will always be “ a soldiers family”.

poem by Louis Rams
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I Want to be a Soldier

I will be a soldier
Only when soldiers realize
They are not animals or
cattles
Only if soldiers can ask
'Why should I shoot that
innocent man? '
I would be a soldier
If soldiers can ask the
commander
'Why should we shoot at
the children? '
I would be a soldier
If soldiers know that
The red blood that runs
through their veins
Runs in the rest peopl's too.
I would be a soldier if
Soldiers know they aren't
what they ask them to be
When they know that
The Emperor will never ask
them to kill his children
I would be a soldier
When soldiers realize war
is inhuman
When soldiers know war
always starts war
When they know that
World peace can not be
reached through war
When United Nations can
ask themselves
Is war the only way to end
corruption in the globe?
When soldiers know the
distance between peace and
war.
When soldiers realize how
intoxicative the gun is.
When soldiers realize
that gun does not control
them, but they control it.
I would be a soldier only if
soldiers know
why Martin Luther King jnr.
was killed.
If they know Adolf Hitler
also tried to make peace
through war.
I would be a soldier
If they can tell me why they
are only trained to kill.
I would be a soldier if
soldier can say
NO TO BRUTE LEADERS.
I would be a soldier if
soldiers know
the difference between
death and birth.
I would be a soldier if they
can tell
Why they are weapons of
destruction?
If they can explain why they
killed at Vietnam?
Why they killed at Somalia?
Why Ghadafi was killed
without trial?
Why Abraham Lincoln was
shot
Why Ghandi was killed,
Why they dont care if they
die in war in the name of
peace.
I would be a soldier If soldiers know they have rights If soldiers know they need Freedom. I would be a soldier If the goverments around the world realize How wonderful the world would be If the money invests in atomic weapons can be spent To feed billions of children on the streets of India, Nigeria, Brazil, South Africa The United States and all the streets of the World. I would be a soldier when soldiers can fight for liberty And not for slavery When soldiers know that nobody should think for them When soldiers know they are humans not cattles, When they realize that nobody should tell them what to think and what to feel. If soldiers can be humans, I would be a soldier.

poem by Idris Adesina
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(ballad) If I could...

If I could.....

If i could
i'd bring our soldiers home
If I could
I'd bring our soldiers home..
i would bring them safe and sound
home again on American ground
If i could
i'd bring our soldiers home.

If i could
I'd make this world free
If i could
I'd make this world free
no cold and hungry children
no pain or poverty...
if i could
I'd make this world free.

If i could
i'd bring or soldiers home
if i could
i'd bring our soldiers home
I'd bring them safe and sound
Home again, on American ground
If i could
i'd bring our soldiers home..

If i could
i'd change nine one one
if i could
I'd change nine one one
I'd give anything to change
the damage that's been done
if i could
I'd change nine one one...

If i could
i'd bring our soldiers home
If i could
I'd bring our soldiers home
I'd bring them all safe and sound
home on American ground
If i could
i'd bring our soldiers home
if i could
i'd bring our soldiers home

poem by Connetta Jean
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Let's Remember Those Soldiers

Let's remember those soldiers
No matter alive or dead
Hold them dear to our hearts
And keep their memories in our heads

Let's remember those soldiers
As they fight on foreign lands
And pray they make it back home
Because it is all up to Gods hands

Let's remember those soldiers
And the hell they are going through
Praise them when they get home
For all they've done for me and you

Let's remember those soldiers
And their families they left behind
Should you know some of these families
Try and treat them a little more kind

Let's remember those soldiers
They are fighting for our rights
Before you go to sleep tonight
Say a prayer for them tonight

Let's remember those soldiers
And let them know that we care
But for the grace of God
We might be the ones over there

Let's remember those soldiers
And let's wish them all the best
May they all make it back home
So we all can get some rest

Let's remember those soldiers
Even ones from wars of the past
Though some are dead and gone
Let's make sure their memories last

Let's remember those soldiers
And docs and nurses in those camps
Taking care of the wounded
Let's put their faces on postage stamps

Let's remember those soldiers
And not just count them as a loss
For they are truely the ones
That pay the ultimate cost

wrote 3/7/2008 by Norman Hale Jr.

poem by Norman Hale
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The soldiers fought

The soldiers fought a fight, and went for us,

They went not thinking of themselves, and no fuss;

Some were injured. Yet in such agony they fought,

And some carried back to safety, while the enemy was sought.

Those soldiers were so very brave, fighting in our place,

Marching altogether, In order and without grace;

They never knew if they'd get back home at all,

All they did was fighting to win, the problem wasn't small.

And a lot of those brave soldiers, lost arms and legs, it's so,

But some very brave soldiers, where they died we don't know;

And this is why the legacy, we remember them, at set of sun,

And thank all these brave soldiers, for the good that was done.

poem by Margaret Haig
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The Dear John Letter

The greatest fear of a military man
Wasn’t fighting the enemy on their land.
But a dear john letter from the states
Saying that his girl couldn’t wait.

This makes him less attentive
to what’s going around
That he doesn’t pay attention
To what’s on the ground.
He won’t see that mine
That is laying there, and if he does
He just doesn’t care.

As a soldier in a war zone
You must realize that your not alone.
Your fellow soldiers depend upon you
To help see them through.

You must take care of each other
For they are your sisters and brothers.
They are there when you need a friend
And will be there to the end.

Would you prefer to receive that letter?
Or to find out that she stepped out on you?
It is a decision that is hard to do.

Your life is worth much more than a letter
And once out of the war zone things will be better.
Confide in your fellow soldiers as they confide
In you, and they will help you see it through.

When you get back to the states, then you
Can look her in the eye, and then tell her
It’s goodbye, but until then, take that letter
And tear it apart- the way she tore up your heart.

poem by Louis Rams
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My Soldier

I see it on the news.
Stories of soldiers being killed.
I always prayed that it's not you,
I wish I knew that you were safe,
I don't think that I can handle your death,
You are my soldier, and you
Mean everything to me….

The bombs exploding, I pray that you aren't hit.
That would cause my world to end.
I needed you in my life.
I pray that you would come home soon.
I know it was your dream
To be a soldier, protect the innocent
Tell me this, is it worth dying for?
Who is the enemy you are fighting?
Dead scared child with a gun?
Made me see that this war is useless
There is no hero, only a grief in a war

I wish war would end soon….
For you to come home, I missed you
I barely do anything these days
My heart stops, when I hear the door bell
Afraid to see a soldier on my door step
Telling me my worst fear, not seeing you live
Just heard the news of soldiers being killed.
I prayed that it was not you, my soldier.....

poem by Dush Swaranga
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Our Soldiers

A loaf of bread inside his hat

The young soldier was found there

At the middle of the road

His pure body was laying down there alone

Ah adorable ones broken are our hearts

How an ugly an admiring fact

The difference between the both

The goodness and the Badness

The destruction and sacrifice

How can some destroy and steal lives

The existence of the both

Simply two extreme points

The darkness of the haters souls

And the lightened pure spirited souls

How if we look to the world through soldiers pure souls

How peaceful would be the world for whole

On behalf of protecting other's lives they sacrifice their lives

For their country's sake and for their prides

Our martyrs the heroes who deserve the heavens above

Those who sacrifice their precious lives on behalf of others pride

Will forever live in our hearts adorable precious ones

poem by Sossi Khachadourian
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I was a Soldier once

Old, tired, physically worn out,
With every move my muscles shout.
Woodworking, gardening, lazing about,
nothing to do but widdle and pout.

I was a Soldier once, large and strong,
I was a Soldier once, doing no wrong.
I was a Soldier once, fighting your war,
I was a Soldier once, mighty to the core.

I sit behind a desk now, slowly getting fat,
Knowing where I should really be settling my hat.
This civilian life I live, is so deadly to me,
I should, again, be a soldier, a sight to see.

I was a Soldier once, Yes Sir, No Sir, anything you say Sir.
I was a Soldier once; it was the life I preferred.
I was a Soldier once, leading from the saddle.
I was a Soldier once, living in my battle rattle.

Those that have never been one shall never know.
Those that put them down can basically go blow.
In this day and age, Soldiers protect our Freedom
In this day and age, everyone should be one.
I know this because,

I was a Soldier once, protecting you and yours.
I was a Soldier once, with back to back fighting tours.
I was a Soldier once, dying for the American way.
and although I was a Soldier once,
I should be a Soldier Now, fighting for you every day.

poem by Rik Bertrand
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Every Soldier Has A Dream

After a war a soldier sometimes has to cry as dreams of those memories waters in the eye.

It's very sad when this world of ours goes to war.
Peace is the thing that soldiers have fought and died for.

With hands held in the air a soldier cries a bit but people are blind to dreams that do not fit.

Some people abuse this world but one day they'll find that they've lost their battlefields and they are unklind.

Lost battlefields and dreams with no victories won, following the forgotten hero.
Here they come.

They bury the dream because they cannot recall what it was that made the Soldier stand proud and tall.

Soldiers come from all walks of life.
Sisters.
Brothers.
Soldiers with many dreams seldom shared with others.

Soldiers who had loved ones and families back home.
Some soldiers are just children
and still on their own.

Honoured I feel to remember soldiers this way.
I salute them have I your attention I say.

Stand at ease,
fall out.
Sir nobody knew his name.
Dear God you know who he was our dream was the same.

Undaunted was the soldier in the face of fear.
No turning back.
Each soldier shed a silent tear.

But I wonder why no one hears the soldiers cry.
Listen today as soldiers go to fight and die .

Try to imagine the soldiers forgotten dream.
Keep the memory of what the Soldier
had been.

It haunts us today and remains here in our time.
Ghosts with forgotten dreams remain.
Its such a crime.

What the soldier fought for is what we must redeem,
as we look back and try to recapture the dream.

The ship's sunk and they say,
we're glad we missed the cruise.
Don't take for granted things in life we shouldn't loose.

When the battle is over and the dreams don't sit.
Every soldier must cry just a little bit.

By Paul McCann

poem by Paul McCann
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