Dedication Day

[G]  [D]  [C]
[G]  [D]  [C]

[G]August in Mildura,[D] and winters on th[C]e run,
[G]there?s an early taste of springtime, [D]in the warm mid-morning su[C]n.                             [D]
[G]As the men marched past from first to la[D]st, the crowds cheer ev[C]eryone,
 a[Am]nd war seems somehow very far away, on this sunny [D]dedicati[Am]on day.            [D]                            [G]

[G]They marched to a memorial, [D]built by and for their[C] own,
[G]a simple wall of remembra[D]nce of brick and steel[C] and stone.                     [D]
[G]With the names inscribed of those that died and[D] to those that had made it home,  [C]
  [Am]                                              [D]        [Am]                                   [D]
 wit[G]h a debt of love and honor to repay, had all gathered there on dedication day.

[G]It?s dedicat[D]ion day, [C]
[G]It?s dedicat[D]ion day.  [C]

[G]There was a concert held that evening me and oth[D]ers sang our songs,      [C]
[G]                                              [D]                                        [C]
while th[D]e boys drank beer and reminisced, laughed and clapped and sang along.
[G]As I was standing there with my guitar, just wa[D]iting to go on,         [C]
[Am]                                                                              [D]                      [Am]
 a man grabbed my arm an[D]d said please w[G]ould you play a, song for my mate Hans this dedication day.

[G]He asked me to sing welcome home, and[D] I saw tears in his eyes,     [C]
[G] I knew there was a story there[D], but I did not want to pr[C]y.                      [D]
And then he said to me[G], I want that song you see, for this[D] morning my mate died,           [C]
[Am]                                                                    [D]           [Am]
[D]faced with his[G] grief there was nothing I could say, so I sang for Hans on dedication day.

[G]It?s dedica[D]tion day   [C]
[G]It?s dedica[D]tion day   [C]

(Piano solo)

[G]They say that Hans took his own life, but I do[D]n?t know if that?s t[C]rue,
[G]but if it is that?s no sur[D]prise, too many Vietnam vetrans do.[C]                        [D]
[G]Only those who were there, can know the despair and t[D]he pain that he went through,         [C]
[Am]                                                     [D]                       [Am]
for who can[G] understand it more than they, those who knew the cost of dedication day

[G]Though that Asian wars long over, there still [D]burying their dead        [C]
yet som[G]ehow the bond grows stronger, with each b[D]roken thread  [C]                          [D]
[G]What poison stole and two hands sol[D]d to taint the years ahead  [C]
[Am]                                             [D]                       [Am]                           [D]
In tha[G]t war so long ago and far away until they died of wounds on dedication day.

[G]    [D]    [C]
[G]    [D]    [C]

[G]It's dedica[D]tion day  [C]
[G]It's dedica[D]tion day   [C]

(Repeat until fade out)