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A poem that says it all...

In loving memory of 1st Lt. Bert W. Justus, Jr.
from his daughter, Mary

World War II called out to him
And that was all it took
But he was there when I was born
I saw my baby book.
When I was six he left again
He looked into my eyes
"I'll be back with hula skirts"
And then he said good-bye.
His uniform was crisp and green
He held me in his arms
I knew he wasn't coming back
No Dad, no skirts, no charms.
And though I was a little girl
I cried upon his shoulder
I knew deep down this was good bye
He wasn't getting older.
I felt so old, so wise that day
I still can feel the shame.
The family gathered round and played
I thought they were insane.
Twas Christmas day and he was gone
Korea was the name
Two months later MIA
No words can share the pain.
Fifty years have come and gone
Since we received the letter
He never came back home to us
It never does get better.
I need to tell the story
Because old men forget.
It's not just soldiers that we lose
their families are bereft
They hold a family update
To pacify our hurt
And then they send more babies
Out to die on foreign dirt.
It's not that I'm a pacifist
I'm not against all war
But I'm for talk and talk and talk
And then you talk some more.
The wars may be inevitable
And we will be prepared
But war should be the last resort
So little girls are spared.