Bill Poem by Francis Duggan

A decorated war hero in his prime a mighty man
He proved himself in battle in the jungles in Vietnam
A bullet from a Vietcong gun he was lucky to survive
Now in his latter sixties he is very much alive

But those who know him better say him do not believe
Bill never was a soldier in his words he deceive
It is all in his imagination he believes his own lies
Above any foreign battle field he never witnessed a sunrise

He was never out of Australia those in the know do say
Though his stories seem convincing of his adventures far away
In his need for recognition his imaginary stories he do tell
Of a war he never fought in where so many young men fell

To any stranger he meet he does tell of the war medals he won
But his lies are not malicious they do not harm anyone
That he was a Vietnam war hero he believes in his own mind
His way of seeking respect and recognition there are many of his kind

His heroics on the field of battle he feels so proud to recall
But he never was a soldier never fought in war at all
To the admiring stranger his war stories he tell
Of his young years in the sixties when he fought in Earthly Hell.