Our Willie Boy

Our Willie boy, our middle son,
Will leave so soon for France
And with the boys in battle line
Will make his first advance.
We know not what the chance of war
May bring to our dear son,
We only know he's fighting for
The conquest of the Hun.

For net until they're conquered,
Will our land be freed from dread
Of Prussian greed and conquest
And for that our boys have bled.
0 yes, they've given their life's blood
That freedom's cause may live,
And so we give our Willie boy,
He's the most we have to give.

So, Uncle Sam, just use him
And we'll help the war out here
With wheatless days and meatless
days,
And we'll banish all our fear.
For Sammy boys will gain the top,
Put the Germans on the run;
The brave, true, loyal boys of ours
Will conquer sure the Hun.

And as our boy goes forth to fight^___
And he may not return^___
We do not lend him but we give
Him freely for the home
Of millions. That in after years
A freedom's cause may bless.
For this our Willie boy we give,
As we give our last caress.

But if, dear Lord, he may return
And fill our hearts with joy;
O yes! I know our hearts will yearn
For the coming of our boy,
And yet we give him glad and frei
For the cause we know is right,
For Liberty and Democracy
He's going forth to fight.

Our brave boys are the best we have,
They leave the hearthstone here
To battle in a foreign land
For all our hearts hold dear;
Yes, Uncle Sammy, they are thine,
Just treat them right we pray;
To you our boys we now reSign
That right may win the day.

^__Nettie Squire Sutton.

A Book of Poems
Nettie Squire Sutton
(Minneapolis, KS: Messenger Press. n.d.)
Pages 53-54