Politics, the military, and poetry. A strange conglomeration? But here is another example of the use of a poem on an important occasion.
Former senator and soon to be presidential candidate Fred Thompson addressed the VFW National Convention August 21 in Kansas City. He spoke of the importance of our military in securing our freedom and human rights over the centuries.
Thompson took the opportunity to read the following poem by Charles Province, titled “It is the Soldier”:
It is the Soldier, not the minister
Who has given us freedom of religion.
It is the Soldier, not the reporter
Who has given us freedom of the press.
It is the Soldier, not the poet
Who has given us freedom of speech.
It is the Soldier, not the campus organizer
Who has given us freedom to protest.
It is the Soldier, not the lawyer
Who has given us the right to a fair trial.
It is the Soldier, not the politician
Who has given us the right to vote.
It is the Soldier who salutes the flag,
Who serves beneath the flag,
And whose coffin is draped by the flag,
Who allows the protester to burn the flag.
Charles Province
Charles M. Province founded the George S. Patton, Jr. Historical Society. In addition to the poem, “It is the Soldier,” he authored three books on Patton: The Unknown Patton, Patton’s Third Army, and Patton’s One-Minute Messages.
Province is a veteran of the United State Army. He appeared in the documentary, The 100 Greatest War Films.
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