Maybe you noticed them…
Three old friends of mine
Sitting in lawn chairs
Right alongside the parade route.

One was ex-Army…
One was a Marine;
The other was an ex-Air Force bomb jockey
With 100 missions under his belt.

They were overdressed for the day
In tattered uniform remnants and memorabilia.
They were basking in the moment;
Replaying service history in their minds.

They were the first to stand
When the colors passed,
And the anthem was sung.
Proud to be Americans!

You never would have guessed
By just looking at them
That they were once young and tough;
Fine specimens of All-American manhood.

In addition to their military service,
They all had been hard workers
With strong arms and backs;
All had been stellar athletes.

But now, they are mere shadows
Of their former selves.
Their personal histories
Are known to only a few.

Yes, you would never guess
Who/what they had been, but
I need not guess;
I knew them back then!