"THE TURN"

THE DATE WAS JUNE THREE
IN THE SOUTH CHINA SEA
AND GOOD SHIPS WERE ON YANKEE STATION
THE OCEAN WAS CALM
NEAR SOUTH VIETNAM
THE "GREY GHOST" WAS SERVING HER NATION

SHE WAS TAKING A STAND
CAPTAIN "MACK" IN COMMAND
STRONG AND READY STANDING BY FOR A CALL
A SKY DARK AND CLEAR
WITH AN UNEASY FEAR
IN A SEA THAT WAS FOREIGN TO ALL

IN THE NIGHT SO IT SEEMS
WHEN MOST ARE IN DREAMS
THERE ARE THOSE WHO WATCH ROUND THE CLOCK
THEY STAND NEATH THE TREES
THEY SAIL ON THE SEAS
THEY ARE SHEPARDS PROTECTING THE FLOCK

SO THE ORDER CAME DOWN
THE SHIP TO TURN ROUND
AIRCRAFT TO SOAR IN THE NIGHT
"THE GHOST" CAME ABOUT
AND THERE WAS NO DOUBT
THE SHIP WAS TO TURN TO THE RIGHT

A SIGNAL MAYBE CROSSED
A MESSAGE SOMEHOW LOST
THAT TURN, THAT TURN TO THE WIND
AND SOMEWHERE IN THE SEA
AT JUST ABOUT THREE
THAT TURN, WOULD SIGNAL THE END

THAT BIG SHIP AT HER PEAK
SHE WAS FAST, SHE WAS SLEEK
THE GREY SHIP SMALLER, BUT AGILE
BOTH FORGED OF STEEL
BOTH STRONG OF KEEL
BUT "THE GHOST", NOW IT SEEMS, TOO FRAGILE

THEN CAME THE SOUND
OF A SHIP GOING DOWN
THE SHOCK, THE FEAR, GREAT EMOTION
THREE MINUTES PASSED BY
AN ETERNITY SAY I
AND SHE SLIPPED TO THE FLOOR OF THE OCEAN

DEAR GOD WHAT A COST
SO MANY WERE LOST
IN A HEARTBEAT, LIKE A WHISPER, THEY'RE GONE
ONE MOMENT THERE'S SLEEP
NEXT MOMENT THE DEEP
AND THE REST OF THE WORLD GOES ON

THERE ARE THOSE THAT WILL SAY
THAT SOME DIE EVERY DAY
EACH DAY THAT WE GLORIFY WAR
BUT THEY'RE NOT THE ONES
WHO GAVE UP THEIR SONS
ONE NIGHT, ONE SHIP, SEVENTY FOUR

IT CANNOT BE CHANGED
NOT REARRANGED
IT CANNOT BE EXPLAINED AT ALL
BUT TILL I DIE
I'LL WONDER WHY
THEIR NAMES ARE NOT FOUND ON THE WALL

THE DATE WAS JUNE THREE
IN THE SOUTH CHINA SEA
AND GOOD SHIPS WERE ON YANKEE STATION
THE OCEAN WAS CALM
NEAR SOUTH VIETNAM
THE "GREY GHOST" WAS SERVING HER NATION