Over Here Part 5

The Wrist Watch Man

He is marching dusty highways and he's riding bitter trails, His eyes are clear and shining and his muscles hard as nails.

He is wearing Yankee khaki and a healthy coat of tan, And the chap that we are backing is the Wrist Watch Man.

He's no parlor dude, a-prancing, he's no puny pacifist, And it's not for affectation there's a watch upon his wrist.

He's a fine two-fisted sc.r.a.pper, he is pure American, And the backbone of the nation is the Wrist Watch Man.

He is marching with a rifle, he is digging in a trench, He is swapping English phrases with a poilu for his French; You will find him in the navy doing anything he can, For at every post of duty is the Wrist Watch Man.

Oh, the time was that we chuckled at the soft and flabby chap Who wore a little wrist watch that was fastened with a strap.

But the chuckles all have vanished, and with glory now we scan The courage and the splendor of the Wrist Watch Man.

He is not the man we laughed at, not the one who won our jeers, He's the man that we are proud of, he's the man that owns our cheers; He's the finest of the finest, he's the bravest of the clan, And I pray for G.o.d's protection for our Wrist Watch Man.

Follow the Flag

Aye, we will follow the Flag Wherever she goes, Into the tropic sun, Into the northern snows; Go where the guns ring out Scattering steel and lead, Painting the hills with blood, Strewing the fields with dead.

But in each heart must be, And back of each bitter gun, Love for the best in life After the fighting's done.

Aye, we will follow the Flag Into benighted lands, Brave in the faith for which, Proudly, our banner stands.

Life for her life we'll pay, Blood for her blood we'll give, Fighting, but not to kill, Save that the best shall live.

But, when the cannon's roar Dies in a hymn of peace, Justice and truth must reign, Power of the brute must cease.

Aye, we will follow the Flag, Gladly her work we'll do, Banishing wrongs of old, Founding the truth anew.

What though our guns must speak, What though brave men must die, Ages of truth to come All this shall justify.

Men in the charms of peace, Basking in Freedom's sun, Some day shall bless our Flag After our work is done.

Aye, we will follow the Flag Wherever she goes, Into the tropic sun, Into the northern snows.

Fearlessly, on we'll go Into the cruel strife, Gladly the few shall die, Winning for many, life.

Tyranny's wrongs must cease, Brutes must no longer brag, This is our work on earth, So we will follow the Flag.

We've Had a Letter From the Boy

We've had a letter from the boy, And oh, the gladness and the joy It brought to us! We read it o'er I'd say a dozen times or more.

We laughed until the teardrops fell At all the fun he had to tell.

He's in the navy, wearing blue, And everything is all so new That he can see in youthful style The funny things to make us smile.

He's working hard! Between the lines We gather that. The bra.s.s he shines Without complaining, and the food He gets to eat is very crude.

And yet he laughs at all his ch.o.r.es.

He says the maid who scrubs our floors Will have to quit when he returns Unless a better way she learns.

"I've got it on the fairer s.e.x,"

Says he, "since I am swabbing decks."

"A sailor's life, dear Mom," writes he, "Is not the life you picked for me.

And yet I'm getting fat and strong And learning as I go along That any life a man can find Is apt to grow to be a grind Unless a fellow has the wit To see the brighter side of it.

Don't worry for your sailor son; He sleeps well when his work is done."

We've had a letter from the boy, And oh, the gladness and the joy It brought to us! 'Twas good to know That he is facing duty so.

Between the lines that he had penned His mother's bitter fears to end, I saw his manhood glowing bright, And now I know his heart is right.

Behind the laughter I could see My boy's the man I'd hoped he'd be.

Exempt

They have said you needn't go to the front to face the foe; They have left you with jour women and your children safe at home; They have spared you from the crash of the murderous guns that flash And the horrors and the madness and the death across the foam.

But it's your fight, just the same, and your country still must claim The splendor of your manhood and the best that you can do; In a thousand different ways through the dark and troubled days, You must stand behind the nation that has been so good to you.

You're exempt from shot and sh.e.l.l, from the havoc and the h.e.l.l That have robbed the world of gladness; you have missed the sterner fate Of the brave young men and fine, that are falling into line, You may stay among your children who are swinging on the gate.

But you're not exempt from love of the Flag that flies above, You've a greater obligation to your country to be true; You must work from day to day in a bigger, better way For the glory of the nation that has been so good to you.

You are not exempt from trial, from long days of self-denial, From devotion to your homeland and from courage in the test.

You are not exempt from giving to your country's needs and living As a citizen and soldier--an example of the best.

You've a harder task before you than the boys who're fighting for you, You must match their splendid courage and devotion through and through; You must prove by fine endeavor, and by standing constant ever That you're worthy of the country that has been so good to you.

Duty

We know not where the path may lead nor what the end may be, The clouds are dark above us now, the future none can see, And yet when all the storms have pa.s.sed, and cannons cease to roar, We shall be prouder of our flag than we have been before.

We could not longer idle stay, spectators of a wrong, The weak were crying out for help against oppression strong; And though we pray we may be spared the bitterness of strife, 'Twere better that we die than live the coward's feeble life.

We could not longer silent sit, our glory at an end, And blind ourselves unto the wrongs committed by a friend; We must be tolerant with all, yet in these days of hate, Some things have happened that it would be shame to tolerate.

And now we stand before the world, erect and calm and grave, And speak the words that decency must rule the land and wave; Into the chaos of despair we fling ourselves to-day As guardians of a precious trust hate must not sweep away.

We must rejoice, if we are men, not weak and soft of heart That we have heeded duty's call, and taken up our part.

And when at last sweet peace shall come, and all the strife is o'er, We shall be prouder of our flag than we have been before,

A Prayer

G.o.d grant to us the strength of men, The patience of the brave; The wisdom to be silent, when The days with doubt are grave.

When dangers come, as come they must, Throughout the trying hours Let us continue still to trust That triumph shall be ours.

We have foresworn our days of ease To battle for the right, To venture over troubled seas Oppression's wrongs to fight.

And we have pledged ourselves to grief, And bitter hurt and pain, Then must we cling to this belief: We suffer not in vain.