“One Percent”
United States Marine Corps. Trained /MOS 0311
Never went to war
Did what was asked of me
For God and Country
One Percent
United States Marine Corps
One of
One Hundred Seventy-Five Thousand
Young Men
Fight and Die
Pasty White Man’s War
Some came back wounded
Some never seen again
One Percent
Fat Cats
Have Money
Stay Home
Never go
Reap Benefits Eat Caviar
Drive fancy cars
Smoke fat cigars
Spoils of war
War based economy
Controlled by
Senate
Congress
Fat Cats
K Street Addresses
Limo Rides
Beautiful Women
Wives
Maybe Not
Black Tie
Embassy Row
Deals Made
Money in Pocket
Nineteen Fifty Nine
Be Aware
“The Military Industrial Complex”
Pres. Eisenhower said
2020 Still the same
Retool
Pasty White Man’s War
Some came back wounded
Some never seen again
Night
Sometime Can’t Sleep
Guilt Trip
TEARS
Run down Cheeks
In Ears
South East Asia
Many Marines
Still There
My Brothers
NEVER SEEN AGAIN.
Editor’s Note: This is a new poem from Ted Pellegatta.
He is former US Marine 0311 a proud infantry riflemen living in Rappahnnock County Virginia. We reviewed both Ted’s wonderful book of nature photography and recently published book of poetry “Lyric;Words on a Page.”
And he was also featured in Rappahannock News:
Rappahannock wordsmith and photographer Ted Pellegatta Jr., has a new book available via Amazon.com — print and Kindle editions — titled, “Lyric: Words on a Page.” “Stories of almost eight decades of living,” explains the Sperryville resident, “the whole world to Rappahannock County.
A great lesson from serving in the Marine infantry was brilliantly expressed by my friend Bill Jayne, a Marine Lance Corporal, wounded at the siege of Khe Sanh. When things get tough remember infantry rules; just put one foot in front of another and keep going forward.
Ted with both his great photographers eye and insightful way with words offered a new poem and it is a worthy work of art from a former Marine moving forward in his life’s journey; Heavy Wind 41 Degrees, Saturday 1430