John Brown went off to war, the fight on the foreign shore. His mama sure was proud of him. He stood straight in Torland's uniform and all, his mama's face broke out in a grin. Oh son, you look so fine, I'm glad you were son of mine, you made me proud to know you hold the gun. Do what the captain sees, lots of medals you get, and they'll put them on the wall when you come home. As that old train pulled out, John's mama began to shout, telling everyone in the neighborhood. That's my son that's about to go. He's a soldier now, you know? She made well sure her neighbors understood. She got a letter once in a while, and a face broken to a smile as she showed them to the people from next door. And she bragged about her son with his uniform in gun, and these things you called a good old-fashioned one. And the letter ceased to come, for a long time they did not come. They ceased to come for about ten months or more. Then a letter finally came, saying go down and meet the train. Your sons are coming home from the war. She smiled and went right down. She looked everywhere around, but she could not see her soldier son in sight. But as all the people passed, she saw her son at last. When she did, she could hardly believe her eyes. Oh, his face was all shot up, and his hand was all blown off, and he wore a metal brace around his waist. It whispered kind of slow, in a voice she did not know, while she couldn't even recognize his face. Oh, tell me my darling son, pray tell me what they done. How is it you come to be this way? He tried his best to talk, but his mouth could hardly move, and the mother had to turn her face away. Don't you remember, Ma, when I went off to war? You thought it was the best thing I could do? I was on the battleground. You were home acting proud. You wasn't there in my shoes. Oh, and I thought, when I was there, God, what am I doing here? I'm trying to kill somebody or die trying. But the thing that scared me most was when my enemy came close, and I saw that his face looked just like mine. And I couldn't help but think, through the thunder rolling and stink, that I was just a puppet in the play. And through the roll and smoke, the string is finally broke, and a cannonball blew my eyes away. As he turned away to walk, his mouth was still in shock, at seeing the metal breeze that helped him stand. But as he turned to go, he called his mother close, and he dropped his medal down into her hand.