Ray Flanagan - Living on the Strongpoint Lyrics

Kandahar in 2012
15 clicks from any kindred else
Mountains on the backdrop 'cross a poppy field
Against the monotone brown, that this land yields
Hot dirt and dust kicking up above
A world and then some from the one I love

Singing the songs we brought from Fort Bragg
That old 82nd Airbourne rag
It's up, up, up, then it's down, down, down
Though we mostly wound up, feet on the ground
Those HESCO walls in concertina wire
Living on the strong point
My brothers and I

Our first mission, our hands were tied
We crossed that wadi, half mile wide
I became one with the rocks in that dried river bed
Praying if they hit me, they make it clean in the head
I can still remember, before we left the wire
Feeling my heart pounding, heading into the fire

We followed the minehounds, 7 months straight
We didn't shower, we ate what we ate
One day me and Marty trying to get through
He said "Keep going, I'll cover you"
We forged our bonds in invisible flame
Living on the strongpoint
We were one and the same

In the Taliban hotel
Down a mined alleyway
3 IED's
Blew half of us away
We were Atlas shrugging
World on our back
Carrying each other
In our backpacks
You find war is war
And out of your control
Just when you think you
Can't do anymore

I kept a picture
Of a Navajo girl
Tonight I hold her
In our first world
She's a source of warmness
Her smile is kind
Most of the time
She's all over my mind
Before echoes of the mountains
Release my eyes
I'm still living on the strong point
My brothers and I