www.PoetryPoem.com/onceawarrior by Terry Sasek

DEDICATED TO ALL WHO HAVE SERVED AND THOSE WHO ARE NOW SERVING OUR
NATION TODAY AROUND THE WORLD DEFENDING FREEDOM. THEIR COURAGE AND
GALLANTRY THROUGHOUT OUR NATIONS HISTORY ARE SECOND TO NONE. THEY
ARE ALL GREAT PATRIOTS AND HAVE ALWAYS DEFENDED FREEDOM WHEN ASKED,
THEY ALWAYS HAVE FACED THE DANGERS TO OUR COUNTRY WITH GREAT PRIDE
AND HONOR. I SALUTE THEM ALL FOR THEIR COURAGE AND GALLANTRY THEY
SHOWED WHILE DEFENDING OUR FREEDOM AND FOR THEIR MANY OWN PERSONAL
SACRIFICES THAT THEY MAKE FOR US. WE NEED TO ALSO THANK THEIR OWN
FAMILIES FOR THE SUPPORT AND THE SACRIFICES THEY MADE WHILE THEIR
LOVED ONES DEFEND OUR NATION AND FREEDOM IN THE WORLD. THE POEMS
ON MY SITE ARE NOT ONLY FROM MY OWN EXPERIENCES IN WAR, BUT THOSE
OF MY FELLOW VETERANS WHO HAVE SERVED DURING BOTH WAR AND PEACE.
MANY OF THEM HAVE HAD A HARD TIME EXPRESSING TO OTHERS THE THINGS
THAT WE ALL HAVE EXPERIENCED IN OUR OWN TOURS OF DUTY AND I TRIED
TO WRITE OF THE EXPERIENCES WE'VE BEEN THROUGH AND THE HARDSHIPS
WE'VE ALL HAD IN COMMON DURING OUR SERVICE. I HAVE WRITTEN ABOUT
OUR EFFORTS TO KEEP NOT ONLY OUR COUNTRY FREE, BUT ALSO THE SOUTH
VIETNAMESE PEOPLE AND THEIR COUNTRY AS WELL. I HAVE ALSO ADDED TO
MY SITE SEVERAL POEMS FROM OTHER VETERANS SO THEY'D HAVE A PLACE
WHERE THEIR POEMS COULD BE READ TOO. I HOPE THESE POEMS WILL GIVE
THE READERS SOME INSIGHT AS TO WHAT WE ALL FACED AND OUR PERSONAL
FEELINGS WE FELT WHILE DEFENDING THE FREEDOM OF SOUTH VIETNAM. I
ALSO WANT PEOPLE TO REMEMBER THAT JUST BECAUSE THE WAR ENDED, IT
DOESN'T MEAN THAT THEIR MEMORIES OR THE NIGHTMARES SOME HAVE FROM
THE BATTLES FOUGHT STOP AT THE SAME TIME AS THE WAR STOPPED, MANY
WILL LAST A LIFETIME. IT'S BOTH WITH HONOR AND WITH GREAT RESPECT
FOR NOT ONLY ALL MY FELLOW VETERANS BUT ALSO FOR THOSE CURRENTLY
SERVING OUR NATION AROUND THE WORLD THAT I SALUTE THEM.

USAF Security Police Statue

Vietnam Security Police Award I received for my
poems about our service in Vietnam and Thailand.

SELECTPOETRY'S CHOICE OF THE DAY FOR SEPTEMBER 28TH, 2009
It is my intention today to give front page recognition to
Terry Sasek's poem Titled "A False God And His ldiot Czars"
It's time to recognize poetry and prose that bring attention
to topics that we are now facing in our today's and tomorrows
in America (at least if you are an American). You have to
respect a poet who will stand up for his morals, values, and
beliefs with honor and pride in his writes such as Terry does.
So I am choosing Terry's poem "A FALSE GOD AND HIS IDIOT CZARS"
as my personal pick of the day as winner of all poetry here on
Poetry Poem Today! Thank you Terry for writing with such
substance and meaningfulness.

I WANT TO THANK SELECTPOETRY FOR THE HONOR OF BEING YOUR VERY FIRST
SELECTION ON YOUR NEW SITE GIVING RECOGNITION TO THE POETS HERE AND
THEIR POETRY. IT IS A FAR BETTER METHOD OF RECOGNIZING THE WORKS OF
POETS HERE THAN THE CURRENT SYSTEM BEING USED HERE WHICH EASILY CAN
BE MANIPULATED BY A FEW PEOPLE HERE TO ALTER AND ADD MULTIPLE VOTES
EASILY TO THEIR TOTAL COUNTS EACH HOUR. I THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR
THIS HONOR, AS I DO NOT WRITE MY POEMS FOR CONTESTS ESPECIALLY THE
ONE HERE, IT IS NICE TO HAVE PEOPLE READ MY POEMS HERE IN WHICH I
HONOR NOT ONLY MY FELLOW VETERANS. BUT ALSO TO HONOR THOSE MEN AND
WOMEN WHO ARE NOW SERVING OUR NATION ON TWO BATTLE FRONTS TO DEFEND
NOT ONLY OUR COUNTRY, BUT ALSO OTHER COUNTRIES WHO DESIRE PEACE AND
FREEDOM TOO.

I HAVE REQUESTED MANY TIMES IN THE PAST THAT IF ANYONE VISITING MY SITE
FINDS A POEM THAT THEY LIKE OR AGREE WITH, I'M HAPPY THAT YOU DID, BUT
I ASK ONCE MORE THAT YOU PLEASE NOT ENTER ANY OF MY POEMS HERE INTO THE
POETRYPOEM.COM CONTEST AS I DO NOT WRITE MY POEMS FOR THIS PURPOSE AND
CERTAINLY DO NOT WANT MY POEMS TO BE ENTERED IN A CONTEST ANYWHERE. I'M
HAPPY IF YOU LIKE MY POEMS IN WHICH I PAY HONOR AND RESPECT TO MY FELLOW
VETERANS FROM ALL WARS AND CONFLICTS WHO GAVE SO MUCH TO KEEP OUR
PEOPLE AND OUR COUNTRY FREE. TERRY SASEK / ONCE A WARRIOR