My mother would sometimes send me over to our neighbor’s house to borrow a couple of eggs or some flour or milk. I hated doing that job but that’s how I first met Rick DeLeon. His dad completed three tours of Vietnam during the time they were our neighbors. Many families growing up in Lawton, Oklahoma (home of Fort Sill) made similar sacrifices. None of these soldiers returned home unscathed. Some never returned alive.

For Rick

in memory of Richard DeLeon Jr.,
Captain, United States Army, Retired
1957-1998

We were next-door neighbors;
the same age;
firstborn children and best friends
during those tumultuous times
long, long ago.

Your father was often
of necessity away;
a patriot and soldier,
(as was also your destiny).
You managed his absences as fittingly
as any child could.

Soon enough you learned
the subtle intricacies of war,
following his boot-steps
far to the fields of battle;
far from your own children's arms.

So proud your family was
of your achievements
for they knew, better than most, the many
hardships a soldier must face.

Oh, those who loved you dearly Rick
and those who knew you well
count it still a blessing and an honor
to have shared with you such precious hours;
to have once and forever been your friend.

Next poem: My Parent’s Aspirations

Author: Jerry Dan Deutschendorf
from: Red Earth Whisperings
Part III: Family and Friends