Ben Parker Poem: The Soldier I Never Knew
BOSTON (CBS) -- WBZ NewsRadio 1030's Ben Parker shares a poem for a fallen soldier from his hometown of Leominster, 22-year-old PFC Jonathan Roberge, who was killed in action in Iraq on February 9, 2009.
The Soldier I Never Knew
I never heard his voice
Or shook his sturdy hand
He did not know my name
But for me he made a stand.
Alone he made the choice
To rise above the crowd
To serve his God and country
And to make his nation proud.
For me this unknown soldier
Joined those who came before
To leave his home and family
And march to fight a war.
He never asked if he should go
I never told him, stay
He never wrote me letters
For him I did not pray.
I never knew his story
His life not mine to share
That did not matter to him
He served without a care.
Now his sacrifice is known
I know his face and name
His honor and his courage
Have put my life to shame.
He served and died for those he knew
And for those he never would
He did what he was called to do
And did the best he could.
A soldier that I never knew
Is being laid to rest
He never knew who I was
But for me he gave his best.
A hero is that someone
Who does more than he needs to do
For me, among those heroes
Is the soldier I never knew.
Listen to Ben's poem:
