Soldiers poem

The Soldier's Poem is a common military saying, representing the hardships a military service member must endure. The Quote often refers to World War II, although now it has grown to represent any wartime fight.

The Soldier


 * "And When he gets to heaven,


 * To Saint Peter he will tell;


 * One more Soldier reporting, sir.


 * I've served my time in Hell!"


 * --PFC. James A. Donahue, USMC. 1st Marine Division, H Company, 2nd. Battalion, 1st. Regiment

History
The quote is generally attributed as an epitaph to Private First Class Bill Cameron. It was found inscribed on his grave in 1942 after the Guadalcanal Campaign. In PFC Donahue's personal journal he writes, "We made a plaque for Bill today, " It is possible this plaque, made in September 1942 is the inscription that is attributed the quote. This is the only evidence supporting the claim that Donahue was the author. Furthermore it is speculated that Donahue only modified a World War I era poem, "Our Hitch in Hell" written by Frank B. Camp in 1917. The final stanza is, "When then we'll hear St. Peter tell us loudly with a yell, // Take a front seat you soldier men //For you've done your hitch in Hell! " The poem gained some notoriety in 2002 because it appears right before the opening level of the Medal of Honor: Frontline video game.

Alternatives
Many alternatives exist. The most common is the replacement of "soldier" (which refers to an enlisted person in the Army) with "Marine" (which refers to an enlisted person in the Marine Corps). Since the poem is so short it is often used as a last stanza for much longer poems. Another alternative is "and when he gets to Heaven, to St Peter he will tell; my brothers are still down there sir, I'm going back to hell"