Jack Elroy Gardner

from Vacaville, California who was KIA in 1966 in Vietnam

Panel 07E - - Line 89

THE GREAT GOODNIGHT

I was only four

I don’t remember you

I have seen your pictures my whole life

Brother… in this great goodnight.

A black frame still protects those two

letters from the President

They start out: On this day in May 1966

for wounds received in action

Still hanging here after all of this time

right next to your purple heart

in this great goodnight.

I do have this one hazy memory

I think you had me up on your shoulders

playing on top of the world for a moment

that couldn’t last (it never does)

I love this black and white of you

playing the harmonica like a giant at our old house

sitting on that green sofa

You were only 19 but to this kid

you were probably more like 43.

I read an old clipping from the paper

It said they prayed for you

at the church

Now I know everyone

in the photograph

Long before the memorial rose

looking so much different than today

I haven’t touched that stone of names

but I have a tracing of yours

On this day in May 1966

for wounds received in action

Still hanging here after all of this time

right next to your purple heart

in this great goodnight

But for some unknown reason

we never discussed it much growing up

I pieced together the

whole story out of

that old trunk left in the attic

You’d been gone only 6 weeks

when the Army brass came

to the door knocking

Breaking the news -breaking our hearts

They broke the news to mom

she took it worse than anyone

She really believed- ‘he didn’t have to go

the draft missed him by a mile’

You could have walked away

but instead you had your final day in Vietnam

When they broke the news to mom

all I can say… she took it worse than anyone

She really believed he would make it back home

‘He didn’t have to go to Vietnam’

Here is what thay said;

The claymore went off and you went down

and you would have been ok

you would have been all right

but they could not get to you

The VC were everywhere

So the orders came…

We can’t pull Jack out

For him it’s getting late

But a hundred men

won’t see tomorrow

if we don’t quietly wait

‘We can’t pull Jack out’…

You knew exactly

what was happening

-why nobody came

You were a good soldier,

keeping still

holding out as long as you did

On this day in May 1966…

Within an hour you relaxed

somehow everything seemed ok

Cause in your soul you knew

your time in Nam had passed away

… my brother.

With your shirt wet with blood

and your forehead cool

You thanked the Lord

for this Great Goodnight

In this moment of acceptance

this Great Goodnight

brought you a peace

you’d never known

In this Great Goodnight

the war raging on

in this Great Goodnight

… my brother…

But brother let me tell you

it’s what I know

so maybe one day

we can fill in the blanks

Until we meet again - brother

I’ll choose this memory

We’ll keep remembering

what you did

in that great goodnight

You couldn’t hear the medic

yelling in your ear

While you dreamed of this

kid back at home

saying pick me up

so we can play

Brother let me tell you -

I remember

And I think you made it

in that Great Goodnight

In fact, it’s the only thing

I remember

from that Great Goodnight

Well brother let me tell you…

it’s what I know.

Maybe one day we will

stand together

Until we meet again

I’ll choose this memory

and thank you guys

for what you did

and what you tried to do

in this Great Goodnight

On this day in May

for wounds received in action

… and now I see, my brother

This is for you.

And someday you will see that this song

was for you, my brother.

Now that dad has joined you -

I’m sure that he would agree

got a son on my shoulder

and lots of work to do, brother.

…… like was done with me.

©Copyright January 01, 2002 by Trent Gardner