"I've served my time in Hell"

[Fred Shapiro]

The following query was posted on another listserv, and is of interest to
me for my quotation dictionary.  Can Jon Lighter or Bill Mullins or other
militarily knowledgeable people supply any information?


"I have a patron who wants know to whom the following saying is
attributed.  I have found it on various websites, but not really telling
who said/wrote it.--whether it is a paraphrase from something else, a
poem, a quote, or whatever.

'And when he gets to Heaven to Saint Peter he will tell "One more soldier
(Marine/Private) reporting sir. I've served my time in Hell."'

I have found references to Winston Churchill, the Medal of Honor computer
game (poem at start--don't own game myself), that it is a WWI poem, it
was said on D-Day, June 5-6, 1944; or at Guadalcanal for the Marines.

I have tried several quotation books and skimmed through our war poetry
books."


Fred Shapiro