George H. Nance, Jr.
WW II
My Grandfather, George H. Nance, Sr. wrote in his book on the Nance family:
On this page is a poem "A Hitch in Hell" There have been many variations of it used since. Just a few days ago, Anita Bryant appeared on Don McNeal's Breakfast Club program when she read a letter from a Vietnam soldier - his last letter to his parents - before being killed in action, in which he used the phrase "A Hitch in Hell". George says that in his opinion, the poem shown here was originated during World War II in the Southwest Pacific.
A Hitch in Hell
I'm sitting here thinking of what I left behind,
And I hate to put on paper what's running through my mind,
We dug so many ditches and cleared so many miles of ground,
A neater place this side of hell just cannot be found.
There is a certain consolation tho', so listen while I tell:--
When we die we'll go to Heaven 'cause we've served our hitch in Hell.
We've taken a million atabrine, those yellow little pills
To elevate our systems against the fever and the chills.
We've seen a million ack-ack burst above us in the skies:
And we run for dingy bomb shelters, as the daisy cutters fly.
"Put out your lights and cigarettes" -- we hear the sergeant cry.
When the final taps are sounded and we share our earthly cares,
We'll pull our best parade upon the Golden Stairs.
The Angels will be there to meet us and they will gladly pay --
We'll draw a million in canteen checks and spend them in a day.
Gabriel will blow his horn and St. Peter will proudly yell--
Don't fear -- you guys from Guinea -- you've spent your hitch in Hell.
Links to
Picture of Joe E. Brown and George Jr.