The muffled drum’s sad roll has beat
The soldier’s last tattoo;
No more on life’s parade shall meet
That brave and fallen few.
On Fame’s eternal camping-ground
Their silent tents are spread,
And Glory guards, with solemn round,
The bivouac of the dead.
No rumor of the foe’s advance
Now swells upon the wind;
Nor troubled thought at midnight haunts
Of loved ones left behind;
No vision of the morrow’s strife
The warrior’s dream alarms;
No braying horn nor screaming fife
At dawn shall call to arms.
Their shriveled swords are red with rust,
Their plumed heads are bowed,
Their haughty banner, trailed in dust,
Is now their martial shroud.
And plenteous funeral tears have washed
The red stains from each brow,
And the proud forms, by battle gashed
Are free from anguish now.
Americans who lost their lives in service:
Civil War: 498,332
World War II: 405,399
World War I: 116,516
Vietnam War: 90,220
Korean War: 54,246
Mexican War: 13,283
Iraq and Afghanistan: 8,000+(VA) #MemorialDay pic.twitter.com/IUbXN0TzpZ
— Norbert Elekes (@NorbertElekes) May 25, 2020