They answered when called

They answered when called;
Asked for little and got less.
They made us poorer for their passing
But richer for their sacrifice.
In remembering the dead,
We embrace the living.
For we ought to remember
Better than we do.

Their war asked nothing of most
But demanded everything of a few.
They stood alone to face the fight
And suffered in silence.
Their courage is written in blood and pain
But their memory is etched in our hearts with love.
To remember often hurts
But we will never forget.
May our Just and Gentle God hold them
Close to his bosom.

Original poems by Steve Banko that are carved in memorials in the
Buffalo NY area honoring Vietnam war dead.