Friday, February 13, 2015

ISIS Shelling Marines


History has a way of repeating itself when lessons are not learned or we too quickly discard
At Pleiku the air base was attacked in 65 by the Viet Cong and hit hard
8 Americans were killed due to not enough boots there to protect
30 days thereafter Marines were landing on Da Nang's sandy beach
To keep the air base out of the Viet Cong's deadly reach
The news out of Iraq today should cause us to carefully reflect
Kerry’s claim that in the war against ISIS we are winning
Which looks more like wishful delusional spinning
ISIS now owns almost all of al-Baghadi town
A few miles away from where we have 320 Marines on the ground
At Al Asad air base trying to train Iraqis to fight and not turn tail
A mission we all hope is one in which they will not fail
Like Pleiku of old watch for more than just mortar fire
Unless there is constant air cover and tanks ISIS will attack in force and not retire
Putting less than a battalion of Marines without armor and artillery in harm’s way may be an error
Leading to the scene of body bags and a stream of stretcher-bearers
Overwhelming U.S. force is what we owe these Marines
Not having to rely on Iraqis who at the first shot quickly flee the scene
© February 13, 2015 Michael P. Ridley aka the Alaskanpoet
Alaskanpoet for Hire, Poems to Admire
Poet Extraordinaire Beyond Compare
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