The Footslogger
 

Here’s to the “footslogger” of the Infantry.
Who in battle has nothing in front of him, but the enemy.
You will fight, take, and hold the ground, Roosevelt said it.
You will win the war, but the Wac, Waves, and Air Corp will get the credit.
For us, there is no wonderful speeches or renown.
We are the queen of battles, but have no crown.

Come all you footsloggers roll your packs,
and put them high upon your backs.
We have a long  hike ahead and we have no pay,
But when the day is done all you’ll want is to stop and hit the hay.
You don’t need money, you’ll never get it spent.
For where you go none of our fighters have not yet went. 

To take that last cool drink from that French well,
Go out and meet Jerry and by God give him hell.
For with your faithful M1 and bayonet,
You’re the toughest fighter the world has seen yet. 

Through artillery shelling and Air Corp bombing,
Jerry will stay,
But to hear the tramp of your advancing feet,
he will runaway.
To see us coming is what they really dread
They even leave their stinking, uncovered dead.

Your buddy is killed, dead and gone,
But his act of heroism will forever live on.
We have just one more long, long trek
And that is on the somewhat lonesome road back.
We gave them hell wherever we went,
They learned we were the toughest yet.

The war is now over, Forever finished and through?
Or will we allow them to rise up and start anew?
If we still have the infantry you can bet,
We’ll again be the toughest they have ever seen yet.
So salute the footslogger of the infantry,
Who in battle had nothing in front of him but the enemy.

Pvt. Carl Hendry 
Friday, June 23, 1944,
POW in Germany

sent in by his wife, Gladys
7112 Pan American Fwy NE, Sp. 285
Albuquerque, NM  87109