Name: 'The Old Veteran'
Duration: 5 min 22 s
Channel: Written by Ed Gowens/Tripp
Description: Free MP3 download. Performed by Tom Tripp and Written by Ed Gowens/Tripp

'The Old Veteran'

Tom Tripp

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Free download

Performed by Tom Tripp and Written by Ed Gowens/Tripp

church storyteller classic country red sovine

Tom Tripp

Country Music, Gospels, StoryTeller, psalmist , Spoken Word

I want to say thank you to John Goode at radio Yass FM100.3 in Australia and Radio Southland 96.4 FM, Invercargill, New Zealand , presented by Noel Parry, and ?COUNTRY ROADS? RADIO SHOW AT FM 98.5 THE PULSE OF THE VALLEYS SHEPPARTON VICTORIA, AUSTRALIA and other radio station around the world for giving my songs/stories air play .................................................................... Welcome to my "Sound Click" web pages. I am a Storyteller and a psalmist , a talker of music. and a writter. Please visit my Home Page at www.countrylovin.us or go to my link page here on SC and click on the link there. All my web pages are family safe,so please feel free to email my links to your family and friends. Here is a little about myself: TOM TRIPP's love for country music can be traced back to his growing up on a small Kansas dirt farm. Tom was the youngest of seven children. His father was a storyteller (as his father was, and his father before him). Tom's father and mother both worked hard to keep their family fed. At the end of a long day, his father would sit next to the old coal-burning stove and tell stories about growing up in the coalfields of southeast Kansas, and of his many adventures in life. Tom learned the art of storytelling at an early age in life, and it can be heard in the stories and songs he writes today. Tom has traveled across every state in the USA but two... Alaska and Hawaii. When asked why he hasn't visited those states yet, Tom just smiles and says: "I always leave the best for last, and my life is far from over." Tom has looked down upon this old earth from the top of the Rocky Mountains. He has watched the sun rise and set over two oceans. He has traveled through the hot desert and walked upon the frozen ponds of the northland, but he has always returned to Kansas... the place where he hangs his hat. Tom Tripp is the proud parent of 4 grown children , Jason , Chris , Nicole and Gina and a Grandfather of 4.

Song Info

Genre

Podcasts • Stories

Charts

#1,898 today Peak #39

#131 in subgenre Peak #4

Author

Written by Ed Gowens/Tripp

Uploaded

July 29, 2009

Track Files

MP3

MP3 7.4 MB • 192 kbps • 5:22

Lyrics

The old Veteran 
Written by Ed Gowens and Tom Tripp July/2009

 I what to share something  I witness a few years back, on veteran's day and it has been with me every since. 
I was attending a parade in my hometown. 
and both sides of the street were lined with hundreds of people. 
It was a hot day, that day, we all knew from years gone by that is was going to be another long and slow moving parade
so a lot of onlookers brought folding chairs and blankets to sit on under the shade trees that line the streets, of that little Midwest town, and everyone had settled down to enjoyed the festivities of that day..
Down the street came the Local High school marching band led by those beautiful majorettes, with Baton Twirling high into the air. 

Next came the local football team. and boy did crowd really cheer loudly as they passed by.
Then came the Home coming Queen and King, being chauffeured by in that shinny convertible they always seem to use just for that purpose in the parades every year.


Next comes the beautiful floats with all of the beautiful flowers, then came the local Shriners' chapter on their Mini-Motorcycles and clown cars. 
Everyone keeps cheering and seems to be having a lot of fun

I heard the sound of a military marching drums and down the street comes a detail of young Marines marching in perfect (formation) . 
One of those fine young men was proudly carrying an American flag held high and blowing in the wind for all to see


Several of us on our side of the street stood as the flag was passing by but on the other side of the street I noticed something curious was happening. 
As the flag was passing by, there was only one old man in a group of about fifty people, that stood up, as the flag was passing by and I could see him placed his hand over his heart and looking so proud. 
You could tell this old timer was a Veteran by the old vet hat he wore so proudly. 


I could see that the old vet was in a wheel chair and he wasn't asking anyone for no help and it didn't seam like he was receiving any from the people in that group who continued to sit, laughing and talking as old Glory went passed by. 
The old Vet was stooped over a little so he could better balance his small frame ....with one hand on his wheel chair, , his legs straining to stand up right ad his other trembling hand over his heart.

I could see that he was trying his best to wipe the tears from his eyes has the flag was passing by and he got off a shaky but proud salute toward the young marines that was carrying it

After about 20 minutes passed by, the parade came to an end, but before the old vet could leave , I noticed several young marines in uniform, that had marched by earlier, walked over to him. 
They stopped directly in front of the old veteran and one of these young men placed a folded flag in the old Veterans hand and stepped back and saluted him. 
Tears were running down the old mans cheeks..as slowly he stood to attention and with chest out and a trembling hand, he saluted back. 
Then after a few hand shakes the young soldiers slowly faded into the leaving crowd. 
There were hundreds of people there that day, but it was the old Veteran who captured all my attention and my heart. 
He was honored that day but it was me who was honored the most.. seeing the old vet that was weaken with age, still standing tall when he seen old glory..
I could see in the face of that old veteran that day.. a thousand wars, a thousand victory's and a whole lot of pride when that old flag came passing by.
God bless our men and women in uniform, today, yesterday and forever and God Bless the USA
rec time 5:12