Stalingrad: 70th Anniversary
Stalingrad: 70th Anniversary
Francis
A. Boyle
February 3, 2014
We got off the
boat at the docks
Walking into town I was asked
Could
I lay some flowers
At the War Memorial
On the Banks of
the Volga?
Of course I said yes.
Honored and
pleased
My Dad had fought the Japanese
At Saipan, and
Tinian and Okinawa
The Nazis were not his war
But We
were Allies
In the Noble Cause to Defeat Fascism
As I
neared the Statue
On the Banks of the Volga
A young
Komsomol Girl appeared
All dressed in white
carrying a
wreath of roses
A band was playing
Joyful, not
somber
The Town Elders assembled
The sun was
shining
a most beautiful day
On the Banks of the
Volga
I lay my wreath of roses
To the Defenders and
Victims at Stalingrad
And bowed my head in silent
reflection
If the Soviets had not held at
Stalingrad
All Europe today would be speaking
German
And saluting: Heil Hitler!
Deutschland,
Deutschland
But not Uber Alles
My Dad was
smiling
On the Banks of the
Volga
ENDS