Only Time Will Tell

We were young and fought on Asian shores

The nightly news at home was keeping score

How many brave young soldiers died today?

How many faceless enemy were put away?

Day after day the news would tally

How many died in the A Shau Valley?

How many in the central highlands fell?

How many years would we endure this hell?

When it ended and was finally done

What was the gain, what had we won?

Did we fulfill our obligation?

To protect the sovereignty of an Asian nation

Some say only time will write

Only history can get the story right

But it has been some thirty years

History has no answer – only tears

©8/8/08Terry Sutherland

Awarded 16 August 2008