OUR COUNTRY IS IN MOURNING, A SOLDIER DIED YESTERDAY

He was getting old and paunchy
And his hair was falling fast,
And he sat around the family,
Telling stories of the past.

Of a war that he once fought in
And the deeds that he had done,
In his exploits with his buddies;
They were heroes, every one.

And 'tho sometimes to his neighbors
His tales became a joke,
All his buddies listened quietly
For they knew where of he spoke.

But we'll hear his tales no longer,
For ol' Natha Singh has passed away,
And the world's a little poorer
For a Soldier died today.

He won't be mourned by many,
Just his children and his wife.
For he lived an ordinary,
Very quiet sort of life.

He held a job and raised a family,
Going quietly on his way;
And the world won't note his passing,
'Tho a Soldier died today.

When politicians leave this earth,
Their bodies lie in state,
While thousands note their passing,
And proclaim that they were great.

Papers tell of their life stories
From the time that they were young
But the passing of a Soldier
Goes unnoticed, and unsung.

Is the greatest contribution
To the welfare of our land,
Some jerk who breaks his promise
And cons his fellow man?

Or the ordinary fellow
Who in times of war and strife,
Goes off to serve his country
And offers up his life?

The politician's stipend
And the style in which he lives,
Are often disproportionate,
To the service that he gives.

While the ordinary Soldier,
Who offered up his all,
Is paid off with a medal
And a pension, meagre & small..

It is not the politicians
With their compromise and ploys,
Who won for us the freedom
That our country now enjoys.

Should you find yourself in danger,
With your enemies at hand,
Would you really want some Neta,
With his ever waffling stand?

Or would you want a Soldier--
His home, his country, his kin,
Just a common Soldier,
Who would fight to the skin.

He was just a common Soldier,
And his ranks are growing thin,
But his presence should remind us
We may need his like again.

For when countries are in conflict,
We find the Soldier's part
Is to clean up all the troubles
That the politicians start.

If we cannot do him honor
While he's here to hear the praise,
Then at least let's give him homage
At the ending of his days.

Perhaps just a simple headline In the paper that might say:
"OUR COUNTRY IS IN MOURNING, A SOLDIER DIED YESTERDAY"

Life in Army

Anybody who has ever donned an Olive Green Uniform would know how difficult it is to explain the Army as a Profession or a Job. It is neither  Job nor Profession. Its a way of life. A life which is above all jobs & professions. Although, ‘The Ultimate’ requires no illustrations, here is a kaleidoscope of myriad snippets which would, to certain extent, conjure up the vista of the soul and spirit of The Army. 

You do not have to chose Army, rather Army is when destiny choses ‘you’ over the rest.

 

Army is:-

• When a cold and shivering jawan gets you a cup of hot tea on a patrol break at 13,000 feet.
• When your sixth sense tells you there is something wrong with a guy at 50 meters.
• When you meet with an accident and the first thing you check is the serviceability of your legs.
• When you speak the language of your boys.
• When you sit from dusk to dawn in an ambush on Valentine’s Day, you know infantry is giving you the red rose.
• When you are a master at pump stove, lanterns, solar lights, bukharis and travelling in trains without reservations.
• When you know more about cramps and cold injuries than your average doctor.
• When a girl in the pub is indicated by clock-ray method.
• When only your batman can dig out the thing you want from your rucksack.
• When your pain submits to your will.
• When you find it funny when your relative says he’s going on a holiday to a hill station.
• When your arm is a matter of discussion during marriage proposals.
• When you do not believe in ghosts but do believe in Peer Baba and other high altitude babas.
• When you know the real meaning of camouflage, in field, in parties, in unit routine and in your own house.
• When you can live, anywhere, with anybody, on anything that nature can offer.
• When you know this Medium Machine Gun will be resisted by everybody up the ladder, till it comes back to where you had sited it initially.
• When somebody asks, “Do you play Golf?” and you look at the brass on your shoulder and
• When your girlfriend thinks you are Rambo, Commando, Gladiator and Braveheart, all rolled into one. Your Commanding Officer, by the way, thinks you are none.
•  say “Not yet!”
• When you are the biggest consumer of foot powder, DMP oil, water sterilization kit, ORS packets and Meals Ready to Eat in the Army.
• When you gave it all that you have got, and some more.
• When you are the only one to get trained in bayonet fighting. And expect it to happen.
• When you get lost in a multiplex with signboards but are at ease in a jungle with a compass.
• When you can die for, what you have lived for. 

A TRIBUTE TO THE AIR FORCE

A TRIBUTE TO THE AIR FORCE 

He was handsome ,dashing , and loved to fly,
I was just nineteen, awkward and shy,
With calculated charm he wooed me and persisted,
I demurred, protested, and half heartedly resisted,
But at last he managed to have his way,
I agreed to tie the knot , come what may,
We were wed and posted to KKD,
One month and he was off on his first TD,
Pilots wives ,I was told never cry,
Cheerfully send off their husbands to fly,
But here I was alone , stranded and sad,
Came the queries why the long face , why so sad?
They took charge and kept me busy,
Coffee mornings ,shopping sprees and kitties,
How warmly I was welcomed into the fold,
Into the squadron ,by young and old,
I cannot forget the warmth and the caring,
It was then I learnt the joy of sharing,
The picnics ,the parties and the sheer fun,
The pride and thrill when flying was done,
And now I am an Airforce wife of many years,
I look back and laugh at my fears,
We are so proud to be the wives,
Of these masters of the skies,
Men, who daily risk their lives,
For their country , in peace or strife,
May God bless them one and all,
May no harm ever befall,
If I ever was given another life
I,d rather be born an AirForce wife!

Arti Chopra

MILITARY SPOUSES

MILITARY SPOUSES  by a unknown spouse..

It was just another harried Wednesday afternoon trip to the commissary
(that's a military grocery store). My husband was off teaching other young
men how to fly. My daughters were going about their daily activities,
knowing I would return to them bearing, among other things, their favourite
fruit snacks, frozen pizza, and all the little extras you never write down
on a grocery list.

My list, by the way, was in my 16-month old daughter's mouth, and I was
lamenting the fact that the next four aisles of needed items would have to
wait while I extracted the list from her mouth. And in the middle of all
this, I nearly ran over an old man.

This man clearly had no appreciation for the fact that I had only 45
minutes left to finish the grocery shopping, pick up my four-year old from
tumbling class, then get to school where my 12-year old and her carpool
friends would be waiting.

I knew men didn't belong in a commissary, and this old guy was no
exception. He stood in front of the soap selections, staring blankly, as if
he'd never had to choose a bar of soap in his life. I was ready to bark an
order at him when I noticed a small tear on his face.

Instantly this grocery aisle roadblock transformed into a human. "Can I
help you find something?" I asked. He hesitated, then told me he was looking
for soap.

"Any one in particular?" I queried.

"Well, I'm trying to find my wife's brand of soap."

I reached for my cell phone so he could call his wife, and as I pulled it
out he said, "She died a year ago, and I just want to smell her again."

Chills ran down my spine. I don't think the 22,000-pound
mother-of-all-bombs could have had the same impact. As tears welled up in my
eyes, my half-eaten grocery list didn't seem so important. Neither did fruit
snacks or frozen pizza.

I spent the remainder of my time in the commissary that day, listening to a
man tell the story of how important his wife was to him; how she took care
of their children while he served our country. A retired, decorated World
War II pilot, who flew missions to protect Americans, still needed the
protection of a woman who served him at home.

My life was forever changed that day. Every time my husband works too late
or leaves before the crack of dawn, I try to remember the sense of
importance I felt that day in the commissary.

Sometimes the monotony of laundry, housecleaning, grocery shopping, and
family taxi driving leaves military wives feeling empty; the kind of
emptiness that is rarely fulfilled when our husbands come home, then don't
want to or can't talk about work.

We need to be reminded at times of the important role we fill for our
family and our country. Military wives aren't any better than other wives,
but we are different.

Other spouses get married and look forward to building equity and putting
down roots. Military spouses get married and know they'll spend years in
temporary housing, so the roots have to be short for frequent transplanting.

Other spouses say goodbye to their spouse for a business trip and know they
won't see them for a week. Military spouses say goodbye to their deploying
spouses and know they won't seem them for months, or a year, or even longer.

Other spouses get used to saying "hello" to friends they see all the time.
Military spouses get used to saying "goodbye" to friends they've made in the
past couple of years.

Other spouses worry about being late to Mom's house for Thanksgiving
dinner. Military spouses worry about getting back from Japan in time for
Dad's funeral.

I will say, without hesitation, that military spouses pay just as high a
price for freedom as do their active-duty husbands and wives.

Final posting !!!

Final posting !!!

Last night while sleeping

I died. .  or so it seemed

Then I went to heaven

But only in my dream 

Up there my Record Keeper met me
Standing at the Entry Gates,

He said, "I must check your record...
Please stand here and wait." 

He turned and said "Your record
Is covered with terrible flaws,
On earth I see you rallied
For every losing cause." 

I see that you drank rum,
smoked and killed too,
Fact is, you've done everything
A good person should never do. 

We can't have people like you up here....
Throughout your life all you did was hear,
You carried out orders without pausing to think.
You never asked for instructions in ink.. 

Then he read the last of my record

And his eyes grew moist.

He took my hand gently and said,

"Come in. 

'You stood in isolated places and shivered alone
You left your kith, kin, hearth and home
You come from an unresponsive, ungrateful nation
You were denied your rights by every Pay Commission' 

He led me up to the Caretaker of Heaven ...
"Take him in and treat him well,
He has served in the Indian Military ...
He's done his time in Hell. "

__._

Old Soldier

 

 Old Soldier

He was getting old and paunchy,
And his hair was falling fast;
And he sat around the Legion,
Telling stories of the past.

Of a war that he once fought in,
And the deeds that he had done;
And his exploits with his buddies,
They were heroes, every one!

And many-a-times to his neighbours,
His tales became a joke;
But his buddies listened quietly,
For they knew of what he spoke.

But we'll hear his tales no longer,
For the Old Soldier has passed away;
And the world's a little poorer,
For a Soldier died today.

He won't be mourned by many,
Just his buddies and his wife;
For he lived a very ordinary,
And quiet sort of life.

He held a job and raised a family,
Going quietly on his way;
And the world won't note his passing,
Though a Soldier died today.

When politicians leave this earth,
Their bodies lie in state;
While thousands note their passing,
And proclaim that they were great.

Newspapers tell their life stories,
From the time they were young;
But the passing of a Soldier,
Goes unnoticed and unsung.

Is the greatest service and contribution,
To the welfare of our land;
That of a jerk who breaks his promise,
And cons his fellow man?

Or is it that of the ordinary fellow,
Who in times of war and strife;
Goes off to defend his country,
And offers up his life?

The politician's stipend,
And the style in which he lives;
Are often disproportionate,
To the service that he gives.

While the ordinary Soldier,
Who offered up his all;
Is paid off with a medal,
And a pension, oh so small.

It is neither politicians nor news reporters,
With their compromise and ploys;
Who won for us the freedom,
That our country now enjoys?
If you ever find your state in danger,
With an ill-intentioned enemy at hand;
Would you really want a CM or a PM,
With his ever waffling stand?

Or would you want a Soldier,
All business and no fun;
Ignored, disliked and badly treated,
But who would fight until he's done?

He may be an ordinary Soldier,
But he doesn't come a dozen a dime;
And our borders should remind us,
We may need him any time.

For when countries are in conflict,
We find that the Soldier's part;
Is to clean up all the troubles,
That the politicians start.

If we cannot do him honour,
While he's here to hear the praise;
Then at least let's give him homage,
At the end of his days.

Perhaps just a simple headline,
In the paper that might say:
"OUR COUNTRY IS IN MOURNING,
A SOLDIER DIED TODAY".

"Freedom has a taste, and for those that have fought for it,

the taste is so sweet that the protected will never know…"

~ General George Patton

 

If I die in war zone,

Box me up and send me home.

Put my medals on my chest,

Tell my mum I did my best

Tell my dad not to bow,

He won't get tension from me now

Tell my brother to study perfectly,

Keys of my bike will be his permanently.

Tell my sister not to be upset,

Her bro will not raise after the sunset

And tell my love not to cry,

Cause I'm a soldier, born to die

Merry Christmas

Twas the night before christmas
in a war over seas
a soldier said a prayer
by his bed on his knees
He said 'I don't wanna be here
but i can not leave
Lord please let my family
have a great christmas eve'
This soldier I speak of
Will Have Christmas alone
all that he has
is a package from home
Inside of the package
was a great surprise
it was a picture of his family
he wiped the tears from his eyes
His wife left a note that said
we are all alone
the kids miss their daddy
please hurry back home
his six year old daughter
gave a teddybear to her dad
along with a note
that said this will help when you're sad
The soldier picked up his gun
and went back out to work
and then he noticed a kid
that looked like he was hurt
the soldier said
'What's the matter kid, what is your bother?'
the kid responded by saying
'They just shot my father.'
The soldier said
'I've got something for you, to make you less sad'
Then he pulled out a teadybear and said
let this remind you of your dad
The soldier went on his way
to continue to fight
and said 'Merry Christmas to all
and to all a good night

A SOLDIER DIED TODAY

He was getting old and paunchy
And his hair was falling fast,
And he sat around the Legion,
Telling stories of the past.

Of a war that he once fought in
And the deeds that he had done,
In his exploits with his buddies;
They were heroes, every one.

And 'tho sometimes to his neighbours
His tales became a joke,
All his buddies listened quietly
For they knew where of he spoke.

But we'll hear his tales no longer,
For ol' jimmy has passed away,
And the world's a little poorer
For a Soldier died today.

He won't be mourned by many,
Just his children and his wife.
For he lived an ordinary,
Very quiet sort of life. 
He held a job and raised a family,
Going quietly on his way;
And the world won't note his passing,
'Tho a Soldier died today.

When politicians leave this earth,
Their bodies lie in state,
While thousands note their passing,
And proclaim that they were great. 

Papers tell of their life stories
From the time that they were young
But the passing of a Soldier
Goes unnoticed, and unsung.

Is the greatest contribution
To the welfare of our land,
Some jerk who breaks his promise
And cons his fellow man?

Or the ordinary fellow
Who in times of war and strife,
Goes off to serve his country
And offers up his life?

The politician's stipend
And the style in which he lives,
Are often disproportionate,
To the service that he gives.

While the ordinary Soldier,
Who offered up his all,
Is paid off with a medal
And perhaps a pension, small.

It is not the politicians/news reporters
With their compromise and ploys,
Who won for us the freedom
That our country now enjoys. 

Should you find yourself in danger,
With your enemies at hand,
Would you really want some cop-out,
With his ever waffling stand?

Or would you want a Soldier--
His home, his country, his kin,
Just a common Soldier,
Who would fight until the end.

He was just a common Soldier,
And his ranks are growing thin,
But his presence should remind us
We may need his like again. 

For when countries are in conflict,
We find the Soldier's part
Is to clean up all the troubles
That the politicians start.

If we cannot do him honour
While he's here to hear the praise,
Then at least let's give him homage
At the ending of his days.

Perhaps just a simple headline
In the paper that might say:
"OUR COUNTRY IS IN MOURNING,
A SOLDIER DIED TODAY."

 

"Freedom has a taste, and those that have fought for it,

the taste is so sweet the protected will never know…"

• ~ General George Patton

ODE TO AN INDIAN ARMY OFFICER

ODE TO AN ARMY OFFICER

Dedicated to all those unknown unsung and unwept soldiers ,
Who were killed at the first sight by the dead drop looks ........
... For you contours are easy to read than the city maps ,

You feel comfortable in jungles and get lost in metros.
For you time is in hundred hours, 3 ' O clock is a direction,
Distance is always in multiples of hundred meters and you keep on loosing North.
When people meet near pubs, cafes and discs.
You meet near water tanks, bridges and culverts.
For you Kenwood and Motorola are familiar brands of Radio sets
and Apple and Blackberry are fruits.
You never knew cars, mobiles and bikes also had series.
The only series you know is the AK's.
You remember names of all Tanzeems,
but do not know the name of IPL teams.
Stamps on your passport are of Congo and Sudan
where as others go to US, UK and Japan.
You remember the raising days,
but forget the anniversaries and birthdays.
When others talk of CEO and COO,
You only know C with only one O.
For you lol and asap is greek
and you even look for them in Appx 'C'.
When others talk of Pune, Bangalore and Gurgaon
you talk of Poonch, Lalgarh and Bongaigaon.
For you , The Safety Honour and Welfare of your Country comes first ,
Always and Every Time
and women will be from Venus and not from Mars,
always and every time.
For you green and blue are own,
Red and pink are danger zones.
For you the choice of arms was more painful than the break up
and chasing girls tougher than the march up.
You will travel 500 miles to meet her ,
But will expect her to walk the last five steps.
You can take darbar of 120 rusty men for three hours,
But will be afraid to speak three magical words.
You will crack any code or language ,
But one line message of her's
with few dots and exclamation marks will confuse you.
For all those who thinks he is a flirt ,
He will be the last man standing ,
True to his vows and words.........