This poem was written by Omar W, McKenney while training at the Savannah Air School at Savannah, GA. The Japanese lead him with a large group of American prisoners on a death march where he died on May 23, 1942
HARKEN YE YOUTH OF AMERICA
Come all ye youth of America,
I’ve a story you should hear,
Of the people who live in turmoil,
and the troubles they fear.
Of the concentration camps in Germany,
and the civil wars in Spain,
Of the Japanese in China,
and the lands they fight to gain.
How they wound and kill each other,
for the worthless spoils of war,
Never thinking of the day to come,
when all of life is o’er.
How on the day of judgment
before the greatest of them all,
Their high and mighty power
will fail and they shall fall.
Fall from the gates of Heaven,
to the darkest pits of Hell,
And there they’ll stay forever;
that’s what the Bible tells.
So harken ye youth of America,
don’t let your colors droop,
Or you’ll all have strife and trouble,
and a dictator ruling you.
Stand up and fight for your freedom,
and God will guide your hand,
Protect and lead you onward,
to a happy and prosperous land.
To a land of riches and freedom,
where a man may have his say,
Protected by laws and a Constitution,
and no one to stand in the way.
So thank God, all you youth of America,
for a land that is rich and free,
Love and protect it forever,
that is my only plea.
Make it safe for the youth of tomorrow,
as well as the ones of today,
So you may stand before God in his glory,
on that Judgment day.
HARKEN YE YOUTH OF AMERICA
Come all ye youth of America,
I’ve a story you should hear,
Of the people who live in turmoil,
and the troubles they fear.
Of the concentration camps in Germany,
and the civil wars in Spain,
Of the Japanese in China,
and the lands they fight to gain.
How they wound and kill each other,
for the worthless spoils of war,
Never thinking of the day to come,
when all of life is o’er.
How on the day of judgment
before the greatest of them all,
Their high and mighty power
will fail and they shall fall.
Fall from the gates of Heaven,
to the darkest pits of Hell,
And there they’ll stay forever;
that’s what the Bible tells.
So harken ye youth of America,
don’t let your colors droop,
Or you’ll all have strife and trouble,
and a dictator ruling you.
Stand up and fight for your freedom,
and God will guide your hand,
Protect and lead you onward,
to a happy and prosperous land.
To a land of riches and freedom,
where a man may have his say,
Protected by laws and a Constitution,
and no one to stand in the way.
So thank God, all you youth of America,
for a land that is rich and free,
Love and protect it forever,
that is my only plea.
Make it safe for the youth of tomorrow,
as well as the ones of today,
So you may stand before God in his glory,
on that Judgment day.
This poem was written by Omar W, McKenney while training at the Savannah Air School at Savannah, GA. The Japanese lead him with a large group of American prisoners on a death march where he died on May 23, 1942
HARKEN YE YOUTH OF AMERICA
Come all ye youth of America,
I’ve a story you should hear,
Of the people who live in turmoil,
and the troubles they fear.
Of the concentration camps in Germany,
and the civil wars in Spain,
Of the Japanese in China,
and the lands they fight to gain.
How they wound and kill each other,
for the worthless spoils of war,
Never thinking of the day to come,
when all of life is o’er.
How on the day of judgment
before the greatest of them all,
Their high and mighty power
will fail and they shall fall.
Fall from the gates of Heaven,
to the darkest pits of Hell,
And there they’ll stay forever;
that’s what the Bible tells.
So harken ye youth of America,
don’t let your colors droop,
Or you’ll all have strife and trouble,
and a dictator ruling you.
Stand up and fight for your freedom,
and God will guide your hand,
Protect and lead you onward,
to a happy and prosperous land.
To a land of riches and freedom,
where a man may have his say,
Protected by laws and a Constitution,
and no one to stand in the way.
So thank God, all you youth of America,
for a land that is rich and free,
Love and protect it forever,
that is my only plea.
Make it safe for the youth of tomorrow,
as well as the ones of today,
So you may stand before God in his glory,
on that Judgment day.
HARKEN YE YOUTH OF AMERICA
Come all ye youth of America,
I’ve a story you should hear,
Of the people who live in turmoil,
and the troubles they fear.
Of the concentration camps in Germany,
and the civil wars in Spain,
Of the Japanese in China,
and the lands they fight to gain.
How they wound and kill each other,
for the worthless spoils of war,
Never thinking of the day to come,
when all of life is o’er.
How on the day of judgment
before the greatest of them all,
Their high and mighty power
will fail and they shall fall.
Fall from the gates of Heaven,
to the darkest pits of Hell,
And there they’ll stay forever;
that’s what the Bible tells.
So harken ye youth of America,
don’t let your colors droop,
Or you’ll all have strife and trouble,
and a dictator ruling you.
Stand up and fight for your freedom,
and God will guide your hand,
Protect and lead you onward,
to a happy and prosperous land.
To a land of riches and freedom,
where a man may have his say,
Protected by laws and a Constitution,
and no one to stand in the way.
So thank God, all you youth of America,
for a land that is rich and free,
Love and protect it forever,
that is my only plea.
Make it safe for the youth of tomorrow,
as well as the ones of today,
So you may stand before God in his glory,
on that Judgment day.
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