The Troopers' Prayer

 

The Trooper’s Prayer

Lyrics by John Klawitter, ASCAP

Written for Wounded Warriers,

the Old Spooks And Spies Reunion,

June 2017, Cincinnati.

Inspired by a ballad by Willie Nelson

 

It's been rough and rocky travelin'
But I'm finally standing upright on the ground
Checked out my P.T.S.D.,  and surprised
to find my mind's still fairly sound

 

Tricked by Chi Coms down from China

Pourin’ south across that border wall

Made our point at Inchon

Determined there we wasn’t gonna fall.

Could be Vietnam was the roughest
But I know we’ve said the same about them all
We received our education
In the service of this nation, standin’ tall.

 

Almost ambushed north of Kabul, a little careless

After weeks without a rest.

Sweatin’ up and down the hills there

Don’t really bring out your best. 

 

And near the mosque in Bagdad
When the bad guys strapped the bombs to kids in cars

They nearly tore my ear off

With gasoline they stored in small glass jars.

 

And comin low with napalm blow at six hundred

miles an hour; a little left, a little slow

took out friendlies, I don’t know

 

I don’t believe the eagle shout

“Kill em all, God sorts it out.” 

Open that door, it’s hard to tell

The name of war, it’s total hell. 

 

Yeah, it's been rough and rocky travelin'
With metal legs we’re standin’ on the ground
After takin' several readings we’re surprised
To find our minds’ still fairly sound

Maybe Syria is the roughest
But I know we’ve said the same about them all
We received our education

In the service to our nation, when you called.

 

It's been rough and rocky travelin'
But we're finally standing upright on the ground
Checked out all our vitals  and surprised
to find our being's still fairly sound

And

We received our education

In the service to our nation, when you called.