Part 5 (1/2)
The Wrist Watch Man
He is marching dusty highways and he's riding bitter trails, His eyes are clear and s.h.i.+ning and his muscles hard as nails.
He is wearing Yankee khaki and a healthy coat of tan, And the chap that we are backing is the Wrist Watch Man.
He's no parlor dude, a-prancing, he's no puny pacifist, And it's not for affectation there's a watch upon his wrist.
He's a fine two-fisted sc.r.a.pper, he is pure American, And the backbone of the nation is the Wrist Watch Man.
He is marching with a rifle, he is digging in a trench, He is swapping English phrases with a poilu for his French; You will find him in the navy doing anything he can, For at every post of duty is the Wrist Watch Man.
Oh, the time was that we chuckled at the soft and flabby chap Who wore a little wrist watch that was fastened with a strap.
But the chuckles all have vanished, and with glory now we scan The courage and the splendor of the Wrist Watch Man.
He is not the man we laughed at, not the one who won our jeers, He's the man that we are proud of, he's the man that owns our cheers; He's the finest of the finest, he's the bravest of the clan, And I pray for G.o.d's protection for our Wrist Watch Man.
Follow the Flag
Aye, we will follow the Flag Wherever she goes, Into the tropic sun, Into the northern snows; Go where the guns ring out Scattering steel and lead, Painting the hills with blood, Strewing the fields with dead.
But in each heart must be, And back of each bitter gun, Love for the best in life After the fighting's done.
Aye, we will follow the Flag Into benighted lands, Brave in the faith for which, Proudly, our banner stands.
Life for her life we'll pay, Blood for her blood we'll give, Fighting, but not to kill, Save that the best shall live.
But, when the cannon's roar Dies in a hymn of peace, Justice and truth must reign, Power of the brute must cease.
Aye, we will follow the Flag, Gladly her work we'll do, Banis.h.i.+ng wrongs of old, Founding the truth anew.
What though our guns must speak, What though brave men must die, Ages of truth to come All this shall justify.
Men in the charms of peace, Basking in Freedom's sun, Some day shall bless our Flag After our work is done.
Aye, we will follow the Flag Wherever she goes, Into the tropic sun, Into the northern snows.
Fearlessly, on we'll go Into the cruel strife, Gladly the few shall die, Winning for many, life.
Tyranny's wrongs must cease, Brutes must no longer brag, This is our work on earth, So we will follow the Flag.
We've Had a Letter From the Boy
We've had a letter from the boy, And oh, the gladness and the joy It brought to us! We read it o'er I'd say a dozen times or more.
We laughed until the teardrops fell At all the fun he had to tell.
He's in the navy, wearing blue, And everything is all so new That he can see in youthful style The funny things to make us smile.
He's working hard! Between the lines We gather that. The bra.s.s he s.h.i.+nes Without complaining, and the food He gets to eat is very crude.
And yet he laughs at all his ch.o.r.es.
He says the maid who scrubs our floors Will have to quit when he returns Unless a better way she learns.
”I've got it on the fairer s.e.x,”