Show The Boy Who Didn't Come Back Printed by courtesy of Mrs D. D A. A Moss president of ot the Legion Auxiliary We are met here tonight to pay homage to the boy who didn't come back A nation pays him honor He lies with the great dead a medal of honor upon his breast Guns fire salutes stern generals grave governors care burdened leaders join in paying him For him the flags hangs at half- half mast nast For him the solemn strains of the funeral march For him the uncovered heads and the orations For him the reverence and the tears of a great people ou know and loved lovd him lIe He play played ed with you ou caned you on his shoulder dropped sweeties on your lap as he passed you ou You knew him by name and called to him familiarly ou on never thought of him as greatY He lie never thought of himself that way He lie was your our friendly playmate He lie passed you ou daily on his way to work down at the cor cor- corner ner ncr in the city or on farm His clothes were the cloth cloth- clothes es Cs of a worker and his hands were soiled and brown when he passed by at evening But he Ill still smiled at you ou Remember him now When the call to war came he said nothing about it He lie gather gather- gathered ed up his few things things there there weren't many a few shirts and handkerchiefs and a couple of photographs photographs and and bunched them into an old suitcase that was held together with one strap He lie smil smil- smiled smiled ed cd goodbye e to you as he passed on his way to camp Remember him now You missed him for awhile You heard he was out at camp 1 and as you wound the muddy wool that your mother was knit knit- knitting knitt t ting into socks you hoped he would get a pair of them He lie did J He lie wore them in the trenches and the fields He had them on when I they picked him up and tagged his c poor broken body and buried it with a little flag and a white cross crossI I mi 1 th nhi j Don't Dont t you y i remember r ber him now I p Why child hes he's the one that didn't come back the day the boys marched home the band playing the flags flying and all the moth moth- mothers mothers ers rs and sisters jumping up and down and shouting madly Hes He's the one the gold star is for on that hangs in the hall hail That's the one The very one you knew Hes He's every boy who went out when he was called and laid down his life in the struggle to carry earry through the duty that was his Died doing his duty the boy of America The boy bo you saw every day The boy who whistled and sang and played with you Remember him now That's the boy For him the flag is lowered For him the heads are uncovered For him America proudly mourns The boy who didn't come back |