Sending the Old Man Home

While this song may be about a sailor rather than a soldier, the sentiment is the same ...

We laid the Old Soldier to rest this morning. It was a simple ceremony, the way he wanted it -- no fancy church service or procession to the cemetery, just a graveside service with no frills. Thanks to the American Legion, he had an honor guard of other old soldiers to fire a 21-gun salute and blow Taps on a bugle for him.

We shared stories of his adventures during the war, and generally remembered him and the way he was -- he went through the Great Depression and World War II, and he never considered anything after that to be anything important. He just went about his way.

In honor of the Old Soldier, let us remember all of the veterans of that war.

Sending the old man home

By: Jimmy Buffett

1979

They're sendin' the old man home

Back where the buffalo roam

Out in the Pacific, they say he was the best

Now he's in his "civies", headin' home like all the rest

He'll never forget Rosa Lee

Or sleepless nights he fought upon the sea

He'll only have the memories

Or great books by James Jones

'cause they're sendin' the old man home

Faraway (faraway)

Faraway (faraway)

Another life so very far away

They'll tear down the officers clubs

And write off the overdue subs

So let's drink to their memories

Our heroes and our pals

To those crazy navy flyers

To those swell Hawaiian gals

The sailors will dance in the street

Then they'll mothball the whole damn fleet

We'll only have the picture books

Of land, and sea, and foam

'cause they're sendin' the old man home

He'll only have his memories

Or great books by James Jones

'cause they're sendin' the old man home

(Thanks to metrolyrics.com for the words.)