Outstanding in Afghanistan
The man rose up at break of day,
His feet like thunder on the ground,
He marched through heat along the way,
But never heard the danger’s sound.
He ran through bases, full patrol,
He watched for targets, cold and gone,
He steadied breath and steadied soul,
And pressed the mission, carried on.
Between the talks on radio,
The position held behind him fast,
He shouted out what men should know,
And carried on from first to last.
Duty kept his discipline checked,
A fight to turn the raging tide,
Surrender never, even wrecked,
Wound after wound he did not hide.
Limb after limb hung worn and thin,
He pressed the line through smoke and fear,
The battle raged like discipline,
And death itself refused to near.
They found him where the bodies lay,
His helmet lost but head held true,
His mother wept and knelt to pray,
Beneath a flag red, white, and blue.
Brothers stared on through blinding grief,
Their eyes still fixed on those ahead,
A soldier’s oath brings no relief,
It only holds until you’re dead.
So lead with courage, lead with need,
The oath upheld in place of fear,
The battlefield proceeds to bleed,
Because that is warfare—severe.
Jared Chang is a small business owner born and raised in California.
Jared, this is a faithful dose of reality as though you were there. I appreciate your portrayal.
The poem gives an outline of how one man becomes “outstanding” in performance of duty. And works toward the final word “severe,” one we use for profound physical, mental, or emotional pain, and even for particularly stormy weather. You show, Jared, how the severity of warfare spreads out from the warriors who bear grievous pain together. It occupies the memory of survivors and the emptiness of family or friends who lose loved ones. The flag suggests that personal agonies color the warring nation. Thus most of us, though not in combat zones, have taken part in what your poem characterizes well.
It’s good to know that not all of California has gone crazy. Some people refuse to walk away from a bad situation, and I salute them. Others refuse to salute when warranted and would not walk a mile for a Camel.
Thank you! I believe the Union and this Republic will survive the political and economic mistakes of California if we defeat communism, tyranny, and corruption within the USA. Greater men than me have lived, fought, and died to preserve our shared freedoms and liberty. This poem was a way to give meaning to the honor, duty, valor, and service for the American spirit of our soliders that went to Afghanistan. It is how I rationalize the cost of that conflict and the price that was paid for American families and friends. Hopefully, history will look kindly on their accomplishments in the region, despite the controversy of why they stayed or left. In the words of another poet, “This is the way the world ends, not with a bang, but with a whimper.” Thats how I think many people feel about withdrawing from Afghanistan under Biden. After all the sacrifices, there were leaders and enlisted that believed in changing the hearts and minds. All while the rules of engagement lead to so many casualties.
This is an excellent war poem. It is neither jingoistic nor anti-American, and gives a dignified and highly personal portrayal of the tragedy and grief of a battlefield casualty.