He Died A Hero

"The twenty one gun salute fires into the air
A tribute so fitting for the man lying there.
All of his family, friends and lovers too
Have come to bid a hero his final adieu.
The man was a soldier and always battled well
He fought our enemies and the devil in hell.
He battled all his life till his last dying day
A chest full of metals, a real hero they say.
--He died a hero, full of cancer, torment and pain
his critics whispered softly and spoke ill of his name.
--He laid in bed, sniveled and cried as death hovered near
but did he truly die a hero?
                              That's what I hear..."