title and author of a poem

[Tilly]

Dear All

I am trying to find out the Title and Author of a poem that has the
following lines in it

.....and when I get to heaven,
St Peter I will tell
One more soldier reporting sir
I've served my time in hell

Not sure how accurate this is but it was one my late mother recalled
to me and I wrote down the lines she could remember.

I look forward to hopefully hearing from someone.

Regards

[Mary Adams]

There is an epitaph for a certain PFC Cameron, who died at Guadalcanal,
1942
"And when he goes to heaven
To Saint Peter he will tell:
Another Marine reporting, sir;
I've served my time in hell!"

But I believe the verse is a revised form of "Our Hitch in Hell" found
in the book "Mud and Stars - An Anthology of World War Songs and
Poetry"
By Dorothea York copywrited 1931.
I hope this helps,
Mary

Our Hitch In Hell-By F.B. CAMP

Every day and night I'm thinking of the things I left behind,
Yet I loath to put on paper what is running through my mind,
But I think I'll feel much better, so I guess I'll take a chance,
Ere the regiment is ordered to the shores of sunny France.
We've dug a million trenches and have cleared ten miles of ground,
And a meaner place this side of Hell, I know has ne'er been found,
We've drilled in dust and scorching sun, in mud and driving rain,
'Till our eyes and ears and legs and arms were yelling loud with pain.
But there's still one consolation, gather closely while I tell,
When we die we're bound for Heaven, 'cause we've done our hitch in Hell.
We've built a thousand mess halls for the cooks to stew our beans,
We've stood a hundred guard mounts, and cleaned the camp latrines,
We've washed a million mess kits, and peeled a million spuds,
We've rolled a million blanket rolls and washed a million duds,
The number of parades we've made is awfully hard to tell,
But we'll not parade in Heaven, for we paraded here in Hell.
We've passed a million sleepless hours upon our army cots,
And shook a hundred centipedes from out our army socks,
We've marched a hundred thousand miles and made a thousand camps,
And pulled a million cactus thorns from out our army pants,
So when our work on earth is done, our friends behind will tell,
"When they died they went to Heaven, 'cause they did their hitch in
Hell."
The slum and coffee we have cussed, likewise the Willie canned,
We've damned the gentle gusts of wind that filled the air with sand,
We've taken the injections, ten million germs or more,
And the vaccine scratched upon our arms has made them very sore,
With all these things to get our goats, we all are here to tell,
When the order comes to cross the pond we'll give the Germans Hell.
When the final taps is sounded and we lay aside life's cares,
And we do the last and gloried parade, on Heaven's shining stairs,
And the angels bid us welcome and the harps begin to play
We can draw a million canteen checks and spend them in a day,
It is then we'll hear St. Peter tell us loudly with a yell,
"Take a front seat, you soldier men, you've done your hitch in Hell."

--------- (Y )
  Mary  (* ,, )
             c((")( ")

[Louise Austin]

Thank you so much Mary for coming back to me - my mystery is solved........

There is something about war poetry that stirs my soul and as I get older I find it moves me more.  My Mum always sat down to watch the Remembrance Sunday Service, a tear was always shed for her brother that she lost in WWII.  I always watched it with her and was moved by it all.  Laurence Binyon's For the Fallen sits deep in my heart and whilst checking this title I found the following, I clicked on to the video and then the story afterwards (below the YouTube window.  I thought I would send the link through, a reminder for us all to be respectful.......

http://fracas.wordpress.com/2007/11/11/we-will-remember-them/

You'll need to paste it into your browser - i don't seem to be able to set it up as a link

Regards

Louise Austin

Louise Austin

01604 759750

07976324378

Louise...@mac.com

[pjv...@aol.com]

Tilly,

The following came from a Google search:

ONE FOR ALL MILITARY FOR THOSE WHO HAVE BEEN IN CONFLICT OR BEEN AWAY FROM
FRIENDS, FAMILY AND LOVED ONES ALL OVER THE WORLD.
AND FOR THOSE WHO HAVE FOUGHT AND DIED.
AS I APPROACH THE GATES OF HEAVEN;
ST. PETER I WILL TELL;
ONE MORE SOLDIER REPORTING SIR;
I'VE SERVED MY TIME IN HELL.

- Mark Anthony Gresswell

If you search Google (www.google.co.uk or www.google.com) for 'Mark Anthony
Cresswell' you'll probably find more about him too.

Best wishes,

Patrick

[Mary Adams]

Louise that was beautiful, I'm sitting here with tears running down my
cheeks.
Thanks for sharing,
Mary Adams

[Louise Austin]

I shed a tear two, a lovely tribute and gentle reminder, did you read the story behind the song?

Sent from my iPhone

[Louise Austin]

HI Mary

I was showing my daughter the video and she commented that it didn't look like a very ' appropriate' website (she is 11) due to some of the comments on the left hand side - I hadn't noticed them as I had been wrapped up in the song.  therefore if members would like to go on the direct link it is detailed below and should not cause anyone embarrassment.

http://www.terry-kelly.com/pittance/pittance_en.htm#

[Mary Adams]

Hi Louise,
I did see the side ads so I just went over to youtube and saved it to
my favorites there. I think I'll post it on my facebook when it gets
closer to Veteren's Day. My kids are all so used to me finding videos
they need to watch to remember how we continueally are able to enjoy
freedom. They are teenagers now and I think they are beginning to look
past their Mom's quirkiness and see the importance of our veterens.
Mary