Poem written by Staff Sgt. Louis Bonacasa to his daughter

The poem New York Air National Guard Staff Sgt. Louis Bonacasa wrote to his daughter and had tattooed on his ribcage, reprinted verbatim:

Daddys little girl, The most precious person in my life

I cant wait until that first night

holding you in my hands

now its time to be a man

from your first breath to my last

I’ll be there for you any way I can

Your pretty smile will melt my heart

And your sad cries will always tear me apart

Daddy will be there to wipe away your tears

And there to protect you from all your fears

Your sweet little laugh will be music to my ears

A beautiful gift from god to watch you grow through the years

There will be times when daddy is not around

He will be somewhere with his boots on the ground

There so at home everyone is safe and sound

When daddy is gone baby please don’t cry

Because for your freedom my baby girl

Daddy will die