The Land of the Free and the Brave (Original Lyrics)

I wrote this as a poem many years ago. I tried to put it to music several times, didn't work well. I did some tweaking to have the words work better in a song format and did my vocal overlays. I think it came out ok. For many who know me, they know the struggles of those who deal with toxic exposure from the Gulf War (Desert Storm). I hope this poem/song does them justice as I tried to express how I felt in 1998 when the Doctors simply didn't know how long I would live. My mobility was nearly gone and life got pretty difficult, but the Lord kept me around for some reason. The original Poem was called: The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier... as my generation are often called the Forgotten Warriors. https://experiencethescriptures.com/t... Verse 1 The tomb of the unknown soldier’s not unknown to me, He had a wife, a child, a fine family. He chose to serve his country, the land of the free, Not knowing that his body would be the price of liberty. Chorus There were Orders to follow, work to be done, Sometimes a chore, sometimes some fun. He completed each task, a country to save, To protect the land of the free and the brave. Verse 2 There were places to go, tasks to begin, He kept pressing on with no battle to win. What he didn’t know, the weapons of the trade, Were slowly causing his body to fade. Chorus There were Orders to follow, work to be done, Sometimes a chore, sometimes some fun. He completed each task, a country to save, To protect the land of the free and the brave. Verse 3 Poison coursed through, he pressed with pride, Smiling through pain, the tears he would hide. His wife saw beyond the smile, not knowing how it would end, A new silent war, yeah one he might not win. Chorus There were Orders to follow, work to be done, Sometimes a chore, sometimes some fun. He completed each task, a country to save, To protect the land of the free and the brave. Bridge The government he served fought him too, With words like "classified," making it hard to see through. The media calls him forgotten, but he cries, “I’m here.” Now just a page in history, on the left, in the rear. Chorus There were Orders to follow, work to be done, Sometimes a chore, sometimes some fun. He completed each task, a country to save, To protect the land of the free and the brave. Outro [spoken word] The tomb of the unknown soldier is not unknown me, For as I live each day, I know that tomb’s reserved for me. What’s written on the stone of a man who's life he gave? He chose to serve his country, the land of the free and the brave. #disabledveterans #gulfwar #desertstorm #americanamusic