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Our Nation's Defenders

by A. S. Watkins

Tune, Harwell.

Hail to thee our fair Columbia,
Land of freedom, land of light!
Where the stars and stripes in splendor
Wave in all their glory bright.
Beacon light of all the nations
Herald of a brighter day,
May thy crown be heav'ns own favor
That shall never fade away.

For a hundred years our nation
Has been kept by pow'r divine,
And a hundred million freemen
Dwell beneath this shelt'ring vine;
He's not dealt with any nation
As with this, His favored land,
Scatt'ring blessings without measure,
Peace and joy on every hand.

When the tramp of warring legions
Shook our land from shore to shore,
Then the Lord of hosts was with us,
Gave us vict'ry o'er and o'er.
Now in mem'rie sad triumphant
We have paused upon our way,
As we praise the God of nations
For one more Memorial Day.

Once again the clouds have gathered,
Once again the battle's roar,
And a million boys have answered
And they are coming millions more.
For the nations crushed and bleeding,
God and home and native land
They are sweeping on to vict'ry --
Splendid, brave, immortal band.

May the richest grace from heaven
Fall upon our soldier boys,
Aged, youthful, brave defenders --
God's own deepest, highest joys,
May their evening time be brightest
While they here with us abide
And a bright, abundant entrance
Wait them on the other side.

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