I was only four    I don't remember you    I have seen your pictures my whole life       Brother...in this great goodnight.    A black frame still protects those two    letters from the President    They start out: On this day in May 1966    for wounds received in action    Still hanging here after all of this time    right next to your purple heart    in this great goodnight.       I do have this one hazy memory    I think you had me up on your shoulders    playing on top of the world for a moment    that couldn't last (it never does)    I love this black and white of you    playing the harmonica like a giant at our old house    sitting on that green sofa    You were only 19 but to this kid    you were probably more like 43.       I read an old clipping from the paper    It said they prayed for you    at the church    Now I know everyone    in the photograph    Long before the memorial rose    looking so much different than today    I haven't touched that stone of names    but I have a tracing of yours       On this day in May 1966    for wounds received in action    Still hanging here after all of this time    right next to your purple heart    in this great goodnight       But for some unknown reason    we never discussed it much growing up    I pieced together the    whole story out of    that old trunk left in the attic       You'd been gone only 6 weeks    when the Army brass came    to the door knocking    Breaking the news -breaking our hearts    They broke the new to mom    she took it worse than anyone    She really believed- 'he didn't have to go    the draft missed him by a mile'    You could have walked away    but instead you had your final day in Vietnam       When they broke the new to mom    all I can say...she took it worse than anyone    She really believed he would make it back home    'He didn't have to go to Vietnam'       Here is what thay said;    They claymore went off and you went down    and you would have been ok    you would have been all right    but they could not get to you    The VC were everywhere    So the orders came....       We can't pull Jack out    For him it's getting late    But a hundred men    won't see tomorrow    if we don't quietly wait       'We can't pull Jack out'...       You knew exactly    what was happening    -why nobody came    You were a good soldier,    keeping still    holding out as long as you did       On this day in May 1966...       Within an hour you relaxed    somehow everything seemed ok    Cause in your soul you knew    your time in Nam had passed away       ...my brother.       With your shirt wet with blood    and your forehead cool    You thanked the Lord    for this Great Goodnight    In this moment of acceptance    this Great Goodnight    brought you a peace    you'd never known    In this Great Goodnight    the war raging on    in this Great Goodnight    .....my brother....       But brother let me tell you    it's what I know    so maybe one day    we can fill in the blanks       Until we meet again - brother    I'll choose this memory    We'll keep remembering    what you did    in that great goodnight       You couldn't hear the medic    yelling in your ear    While you dreamed of this    kid back at home    saying pick me up    so we can play    Brother let me tell you -    I remember    And I think you made it    in that Great Goodnight    In fact, it's the only thing    I remember    from that Great Goodnight       Well brother let me tell you...    it's what I know.    Maybe one day we will    stand together    Until we meet again    I'll choose this memory    and thank you guys    for what you did    and what you tried to do    in this Great Goodnight       On this day in May    for wounds received in action    ...and now I see, my brother       This is for you.       And someday you will see that this song    was for you, my brother.       Now that dat has joined you -    I'm sure that he would agree    got a son on my shoulder    and lots of work to do, brother.    ......like was done with me.