| Dwight Byron Eastman 59 Years Old 362nd Engineers Wife Barbara Jean |
| Of a war that he once fought in And the deeds that he had done, In his exploits with his buddies; They were heroes, every one. And 'tho sometimes to his neighbors His tales became a joke, All his buddies listened quietly For they knew whereof he spoke. But we'll hear his tales no longer, For ol' Dwight has passed away, And the world's a little poorer For a soldier died today. He won't be mourned by many, Just his children and his wife. For he lived an ordinary, Very quiet sort of life. He held a job and raised a family, Going quietly on his way; And the world won't note his passing, 'tho a Soldier died today. When politicians leave this earth, Their bodies lie in state, While Thousands note their passing, And proclaim that they were great. Papers tell of their life stories From the time that they were young, But the passing of a soldier Goes unnoticed, and unsung, Is the greatest contribution To the welfare of our land Some jerk who breaks his promise And cons his fellow man? Or the ordinary fellow Who in times of war and strife, Goes off to serve his country And offers up his life? The politician's stipend And the style in which he lives, And often disproportionate, To the service that he gives. While the ordinary soldier, Who offers up his all, Is paid off with a medal And perhaps a pension, small. It is so easy to forget them, For it is so many times, That our Dwights and Jims Went to battle, but we still pine. It was not the politicians, With their compromise and ploys, Who won for us the freedom That our country now enjoys. Should you find yourself in danger, With your enemies at hand, Would you really want some cop-out, With his ever waffling stands, Or would you want a Soldier, His home, his Country, his kin, Just a common Soldier, Who would until the end? He was just a common Soldier, And his ranks are growing thin, But his presence should remind us We may need his like again. For when Countries are in conflict, We find the Soldier part Is to clean up all the troubles That the politicians start. If we cannot do him honor While he's here to hear the praise, Then at least let's give him homage At the ending of his days. Perhaps just a Simple headline In the paper that might say: "Our Country is in mourning, A Veteran Died Today." Author Unknown |
| "If you would like to leave a note or memorial to Dwight, his wife Barbara, Daughter Treasure, or Son in law Andy. E-mail rlkeiper@ptd.net and we will cut and paste in in for you" |
| Jim Fleck said: This is a picture of Dwight at last years dinner. My wife on the left and Barbra on the right. Dwight and I served together in the 362nd Engineers in 1970. The day of the dinner was the first time seeing him in 37 years. Jim Fleck |
| Dwight Byron Eastman Dwight Byron Eastman, 59, of Martinsburg, died Thursday, March 27, 2008 at his home. Born December 7, 1948 in Anstead, WV, he was the son of the late William Egbert Eastman and late Ruby Skaggs Eastman. He was a dock worker for Roadway Express for over 21 years, was a veteran of the U. S. Army serving in Vietnam and was a very loving person. He touched the lives in a special way of everyone who knew him. e was a devoted and loving husband, father, grandfather, and great-grandfather. His greatest joy in life was being around all his family. He was self-less, experiencing the expression of thankfulness was the only repayment he ever wanted. He was able to see the simple things in life that the rest of us took for granted. He brought joy to us all and he will be missed. his memory will always live on through us and that is the greatest gift he gave us. He is survived by his wife, Barbara Jean Chittum Eastman, two daughters, Melodie L. MacLean and her husband, Jim, of Bunker Hill and Treasure V. Dillard and her husband, Benjamin, of Martinsburg, seven grandchildren, one great-grandchild, one brother, three sisters, his mother and father-in-law, Hamilton & Love Chittum and a number of nieces and nephews. |
| May God Bless you Dwight, A Good Man And Veteran. You Will Be Missed By Family, Friends And Country. Gary Draper Whittier, CA |
| A loss of a good man is a loss to us all, Rich |
| May God Bless you Dwight, A Good Man And Veteran. You Will Be Missed By Family, Friends And Country. Gary Draper Whittier, CA |