the family's been here for the last hundred years and it's all that he's ever known life in the cotton fields swamps and the rolling hills always called Arkansas home but when the war came like his father before he joined the army and went to the war leaving the rolling hills swamps and the cotton fields bound for a Normandy shore the patch that he wore on his uniform was both blue and grey the colors of men who died fighting another fight and more would die today at Omaha beach against Germany a young country boy struggled out of the sea up on the sand where many a man would never know victory fought the entire time up on the front line it was lonely, bloody and cold the only relief he'd find might be some old French wine the water was all dirty and froze but he was luckier than some a better soldier than most he came back from Europe but never got home now he's back on the farm but not out of harm he drank so the pain wouldn't show well he left behind my brothers and I we never really knew him at all I barely remember him smoking with a grin but looking mean; standing tall well I can only hope that he wouldn't be ashamed of the man I become and the life that I made and he did the hardest part and lived life with all his heart and I hope I don't let him down