Seeking Isolation Did Not Help.
Oh, Captain Morgan, hear your namesake,
Hear your prairie-island town tell
Of those five years of our travail,
Of our secret pain and praying,
Of those five hard years of war.
All these people from the world's ends
Who came here to mind their business,
As the prairie dogs build their towns
Far from men and stalking hunters,
Saw our boys and girls fly scattered
From the Arctic to Equator;
There was some boy's life in balance
In each so-called war theater.
Glenn Rose flew the Kate Smith Bomber,
Urbans, Stonebacks, Gelinos,
Donald Merten fifty missions,
Brown, Fischer's twins and
Old Dan Roenigk,
Davis and Hanson never to return
Holte, Deetjen, Anderson,
Miller, Bahr, Park, Olson, Fletcher and Gennett.
Shock that struck at Hiroshima
Had struck here in hearts already.
All these names were heard before,
Mixed at random, Fox and Bloom.
Must we lose someone to black war
Every generation, always?
Lawrence, hear us from your French grave,
Youngs have one again from this war
Half the globe away from you,
They have one who comes no more.
The world brought trouble to our song,
Found us here in Morganville,
Found us as boys find a bird's nest,
Stilled the song of Morganville.
Found us home at Morganville.
Comment
Before the December 7, 1941 attack, the United States was every bit an isolationist country. Many families had
left Europe for America not because they were unhappy with their home cultures, but with their governments that
seemed to always be fostering conflict. Others left because the economic situation was unbearable. In most cases,
this arose from overpopulation when industrialization began. So when war broke out in Europe and in Asia,
about 90 percent of Americans were adamant that America stay on the sidelines.
Glenn Rose was the Rock Island station agent's son. The "Kate Smith" was a B-24 bomber.
Donald Merten flew 25 combat missions as a B-17 co-pilot, then continued in the Air Force for a total of 28 years.
Raymond Davis died in an aircraft crash during training. Floyd Hanson died at St. Lo, France.
Lawrence E. Young died in WWI and is buried in Paris.
Dean Calvin Young was Lawrence's nephew. Dewey Young, Dean's cousin, also served.
Carson emphasizes that isolationism is foolhardy as the world will come to the isolationist.