DAVID WINNETT: "Persian Gulf Warriors - Left for Dead"

"Persian Gulf Warriors - Left for Dead"

For two decades and more their government continually said;

"This illness is all in their heads,”

The Veterans who served were not being heard,

Their lives, their livelihoods, their families as well; their greatest dreams were literally going to hell,

Unbearable pain from toe to head,

Profound fatigue, their legs feeling like lead,

Eventually these Veterans began to understand,

They'd been abandoned and left for dead,

Beyond the pain and misery their illness brought to every waking hour,

By far the most pain derived was coming to grips with the emotional hurt inside,

To have lived and believed in the warrior creed that no one is left behind,

When the warrior finally understands the emptiness that's hidden behind often quoted slogans meant to entice new recruits,

"Semper Fi", "The Few, the Proud", "An Army of One", and "No One Left Behind",

When the truth emerges, when they're finished and have no further use for you,

It's out the gate you go,

"We wish you the best, you passed the test, a farewell and a hearty goodbye",

But woe is the warrior who later dares to connect unusual illness to wartime exposures; all manner of toxins, chemical and biological weaponry, medicines unapproved for human use and more,

How dare that warrior complain too loud,

Why doesn't the warrior follow procedure; suck up the pain, and die obediently proud,

Act like a warrior, be loyal and true, deal with your pain, your government is truly counting on you,

Don't give up hope, but above all else, don't you dare rock the boat,

It's all in your head, your imagination gone wild, we've seen this before,

Be a good little warrior, accept the consequence of going to war,

Whatever you do, never believe what they said; that your government doesn't care; that we've left you for dead,

We'll always be there, to you ‘til the end we'll always be true,

Just follow procedure; don't call us, we'll call you......

David K. Winnett, Jr. 

CAPTAIN, USMC (Ret.)