Thank you Papa!

            My grandfather, Howard Oshiro, proudly served in The United States Army in Vietnam in 1971.  What he didn’t know was that by signing up to serve his country, he was also sentencing his children and grandchildren to a lifetime of medical challenges.  You see, my grandfather was exposed to Agent Orange, and there is now empirical evidence to suggest a direct link to cancer as a result of Agent Orange exposure.  My grandfather passed away at the age of sixty-six as a result of cancer caused by his Agent Orange exposure while in Vietnam.  Before he passed, he battled beside his two children against the very same disease.  His youngest daughter, my aunt, was diagnosed at the age of 2 and again at the ages of 12 and 29.  She ultimately lost her leg and half of her hip to the disease.  My mom was diagnosed with cancer at the age of 33 and again at 37.  Now, I am the next generation.  I have been diagnosed with 3 tumors, including 1 in my brain.  Despite the adversity our family has faced, I believe in freedom and The United States of America.  Thank you Papa for everything!

The call to go to war

For something we know not what for

I was young and dumb looking for fun

But there was no fun in the presence of a gun

So I trained and trained hard

Hoping I would come out not too scarred

Scars were the thing to be least worried about

Death was surely inevitable and this I had no doubt

But this war was no average one

For many died not from a gun

But from Agent Orange, the poison gas

That made many soldiers pass

Even after the war this gas would kill

Although it already had its fill

Nobody knew it was the cause

Regardless it still made hearts pause

It ripped families in two

Only sparing a few

Leaving some on this world, but sending some to hell

This was not the only story to tell

The government was not elated

When they saw the mess they created

They hid from the facts

Hoping for a small impact

Finally they faced truth

Except they never acknowledged the youth

They offered most some pay

As if that would give them another day

To them soldiers were expendable

Like as if their families were mendable

Because cancer is an easy fight

Right?

More soldiers is more diseases and more diseases is more money

The government thought more money wasn't so funny

You see for the government their war was done

For many a new one just begun

Soldiers weren't the only ones who felt the side effects

Their children now suffered from birth defects

Not enough money to pay

Veterans expected some help from the VA

Our government so quick to sacrifice everyone

Why now do they run?

They fed us a lie

Hoping we would just die

When I signed up I didn't know my family was apart of that deal

But now it's all too real

My daughter has cancer

And I'm looking for an answer

She's in so much pain

It drives me insane

Baby girl if you can hear me just hang on

So that you can see another dawn

I'm sorry the government didn't care about you

And they left you stuck on a queue

But I love you

That's nothing new

Baby girl I didn't want you to be gone

But your war could not be won

You deserved so much more than this

But I’ll give you one last kiss