The Unknown Soldier
There’s a graveyard near the White House
Where the Unknown Soldier lies,
And the flowers there are sprinkled
With the tears from mother’s eyes.I stood there not so long ago
With roses for the brave,
And suddenly I heard a voice
Speak from out the grave:“I am the Unknown Soldier,”
The spirit voice began
“And I think I have the right
To ask some questions man to man.“Are my buddies taken care of?
Was their victory so sweet?
Is that big reward you offered
Selling pencils on the street?“Did they really win the freedom
They battled to achieve?
Do you still respect that Croix de Guerre
Above that empty sleeve?“Does a gold star in the window
Now mean anything at all?
I wonder how my old girl feels
When she hears a bugle call.“And that baby who sang
Hello, Central, give me no man’s land.
Can they replace her daddy
With a military band?“I wonder if the profiteers
Have satisfied their greed?
I wonder if a soldier’s mother
Ever is in need?“I wonder if the kings, who planned it all
Are really satisfied?
They played their game of checkers
And eleven million died.“I am the Unknown Soldier
~ The Unknown Soldier, poem by Billy Rose
And maybe I died in vain,
But if I were alive and my country called,
I’d do it all over again.
The Unknown Soldier by Billy Rose. These words echo from the grave and remind us of those that paid the ultimate price for their country. Their names have been lost, their identities unknown, but we honor these soldiers at places like the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Arlington National Cemetery.
About the Author
Billy Rose (1899 – 1966) was born William Samuel Rosenberg to a Jewish family in New York City. Billy Rose began his career as a stenographic clerk to Bernard Baruch of the War Industries Board during World War I, and became head of the clerical staff. He would later become a famous lyricist and a huge figure in the entertainment industry of his time. Best known as a songwriter and lyricist, he became famous for the song, “Me and My Shadow” (1927). His poem of “The Unknown Soldier” continues to move many to tears by the breadth of emotions that it captures.
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