You are America and I am your soldier.
You called me and I answered
“I do solemnly swear that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; and that I will obey the orders of the President of the United States and the orders of the officers appointed over me, according to regulations and the Uniform Code of Military Justice. So help me God.”
You called me to go, and I answered.
You called me to Lexington, Concord, Bennington and Saratoga.
And I answered.
You called me to Tippecanoe
And I answered.
You called me to the fields of Gettysburg
And I answered.
You called me to Inchon
And I answered.
You called me to Tannenberg
And I answered.
You called me to Iwo Jima, Stalingrad and Anzio
And I answered.
You called me to Khe Sanh and Hamburger Hill
And I answered.
You called me to Medina Ridge
And I answered.
You called me to Baidoa
And I answered.
You called me to Fallujah
And I answered.
You called me to Kandahar
And I answered.
You called me to fight.
And I answered.
I fought against tyranny and oppression.
I fought against Marxism and Fascism.
I fought against Nazism and Communism.
I fought against Terrorism.
I fought for your freedom and the freedom of people whose language I couldn’t understand.
I fought for your liberty, even while I saw you trampling and burning my Flag.
You called me to give.
And, I gave my time, I gave my treasure, I gave my sight, I gave my limbs, I gave my blood. I gave my life.
You called me Soldier, Sailor, Airman, Marine.
You called me Yank and Reb. You called me Dough-Boy and GI Joe. You called me ground-pounder, and squid. You called me fly-boy and swabbie. You called me Dogface and Grunt.
You called me Hero. Then, you called me “baby killer.”
You’ll call me again and I will respond by presenting your grieving loved one with our neatly tri-folded flag, its field of stars facing up. I will dutifully tell them
“On behalf of the President of the United States and a grateful nation, please accept this flag as a symbol of our appreciation for your loved one’s service to their Country.”
You’ll call me again and I will always answer.
There is no time limit on my oath. I am an American and a soldier forever.
