Author’s Note: I wrote this eulogy for the funeral of a dear friend who loved flying. I’d like to take this opportunity to thank every person who has ever served in the U.S. military.
He was a true American hero
Who served his country well
He fought bravely through Satan’s jungle
In a Vietnamese Hell
His fellow soldiers called him Old Man
Though he was just twenty-three
Naïve new recruits faced a fate
Only Bill could possibly foresee
When offered an honorable discharge
And a ticket to fly home across the sky
He signed up for another tour of duty
So new recruits wouldn’t die—Semper fi
On his last day in Vietnam
Bill stepped on a land mine
He awoke three months later
Saved by a force divine
Over the years, civilian Bill volunteered
With Marine Corps instructors at a base nearby
He taught left-handed soldiers how to shoot
Guns designed for right-handed men—Semper fi
His humor and kindness
Endeared him to everyone
His extraordinary talents
Were second to none
He transformed a pan-head Harley
Into a fire-breathing work of art
He was a loving father to his son
And daughters right from the start
Bill could always be counted on
To help a friend in need
He was a truly honorable man
In both word and deed
A Citation X Captain, he was happiest
Jetting through the sky
Until that sad and fateful day
When cancer made him die
Fly high forevermore, brave Marine
And friend. I miss you—Semper fi.