More Music of the Vietnam War Era
Long before America turned against the Vietnam War, an unknown recording artist cut an album which became the number one album in 1966. It is one of the very few songs of the 1960s to cast the military in a positive light, yet it became a major hit, reaching No. 1 on the Billboard charts for five weeks. The song was written by Robin Moore and a medic who was recuperating from a leg wound. I came across my copy of this album recently and found it to be a good subject for this blog. “The Ballad of the Green Berets” was the main song on the album “Songs of Our Fighting Men – The Green Berets”. This album is so old that it states that it is a Dynagroove recording and was produced by RCA Victor.
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To quote the album cover: “Songs of War and of the men who fight them have long been a part of our national heritage. This album of plaintive Vietnam War songs is the creation of Staff Sergeant Barry Sadler (pictured on the album cover). He is a combat veteran of the Vietnam War.” “The Ballad of the Green Berets is a tribute to his buddies. “
Barry Sadler was born in Carlsbad, New Mexico and was introduced to music at a young age when he spent some time at a logging camp. In 1958, Sadler enlisted into the United States Air Force as a radar specialist, but discharged one year later to begin touring and playing music. His venture ultimately failed and he chose to return to the military, enlisting in the Army as an airborne paratrooper. Shortly after training, he was shipped to Vietnam. In May of 1965, he was wounded in the knee by a Vietnamese punji stick, sharp carved sticks often coated in poison. Though he never showed any signs of sickness, the wound itself became seriously infected. While he was recovering, he would record what would be his only number one hit song, “Ballad of the Green Berets,” which was released in early 1966. None of his other songs would ever come near the success of his first and Sadler turned to writing. He would write twenty-to books about his mythical character of Casca. Casca was the soldier who pierced Christ's side with his spear during the crucifixion. Christ looked down at him and condemned him to be a soldier forever -- the "eternal mercenary." Through the novels, Casca tries being a farmer, a sailor, etc., but is always drawn back into battle -- doomed to continue this "life" until the Second Coming. Near the end of his life, Sadler would move to Guatemala City, where on September 8, 1989, he was shot while riding in a taxi. The cause of the shooting remains unknown today. He died a few months later of the wound.
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Here is Barry Sadler’s obituary published in the New York Times
AP
Published: November 06, 1989
Barry Sadler, a former combat medic with the United States Special Forces in Vietnam who recorded ''The Ballad of the Green Berets,'' died today. He was 49 years old.
Mr. Sadler, who suffered brain damage and was partly paralyzed in a shooting in Guatemala in 1988, died at the Alvin C. York Medical Center, a hospital spokesman, Albert Archie, said. The cause of death was not given. Mr. Archie said an autopsy would be performed.
Mr. Sadler had been hospitalized since he was critically wounded in what a companion said was a robbery. The companion said at the time that Mr. Sadler had been training Nicaraguan rebels in Guatemala and had received death threats.
Using his military title of staff sergeant, Mr. Sadler, co-wrote and recorded ''The Ballad of the Green Berets,'' a narrative tribute to the Special Forces. The song No. 1 in the country for five weeks in 1966 and sold nine million singles and albums.
He recorded other similar songs and wrote more than 20 adventure books featuring a mercenary.
Initially, Americans supported the Vietnam War because it was felt that a Communist takeover of South Vietnam by the North would threaten our influence in the area of Southeast Asia. Support began to wane and protests against the war started to pick up when body bags started to return to America in increasing numbers. The war that had been sold to the US public as one where victory was guaranteed was in reality taking many young lives. In May 1968, 562 US troops were killed in one week alone. Coupled with these casualty figures were stories that eventually came out about atrocities committed by US troops against the very people they were meant to be defending and supporting. The most infamous was the My Lai Massacre, an event that actually highlighted to the US public the enormous strain frontline troops were experiencing on a daily basis against a supposedly inferior enemy. 1968 seems to be the key year for protests. To some, especially the young, America was not only sacrificing her male youth but the government was also sanctioning the death of children not only in South Vietnam but also in the North with the blanket bombing raids that were occurring on almost a daily basis. One cry of the protesters particularly hurt President Johnson:
“Hey! Hey! LBJ! How many kids did you kill today?”
It would be wrong to assume that everyone protested against the American involvement in South Vietnam. While there were those who were vociferous in their condemnation of US policy in South Vietnam, a Gallup poll held in 1968 showed that 46% of Americans approved of Johnson’s handling of the war while 50% believed that it was essential to combat the expansion of communism in Southeast Asia.
This change in attitude brought more and more protest songs into our culture. Even though those who were serving had their own favorite songs, such as “We gotta get outta this place”, “California Dreamin’”, “Summer in the City”, “When a Man Loves a Woman”, and several others, protest songs began to hit the airwaves and caused a great decline in support for the war. Protest songs such as “4 Dead in Ohio”, “One Tin Soldier”, Blowing in the Wind”, Give Peace a Chance” “People Got to be Free” and “Where have all the flowers gone?” were just a few of the many that were the beginning of the end for support of the war.
Music has been a part of the lives of those who served during wartime. Vietnam was no different. Music puts a voice in the people's ears, and tells them whether or not we should be involved in that war. It helped out the troops when they were overseas to not be so home sick. Also, every war preceding the Vietnam War had music to help or support the war, but the Vietnam War is where music during wartime changed.
The Vietnam War has been called "America's first rock-and-roll war" because of rock music that was played and listened to by all Americans. As the draft was raised and draft dodgers were being cracked down on, an overwhelming number of military personnel belonged to one generation, young combat soldiers where 90 percent were under 23 years of age. Many of these soldiers did not want to be in Vietnam, and no one wanted to be away from his surroundings back home. Many soldiers took things that reminded them of home. Rock music was what most soldiers brought from home, along with beads and peace symbols. The beads and peace symbols were worn with the uniforms to remind the soldiers of the family at home.
The war ended, but for Vietnam War Veterans, the music continues.
Sources:
Wikipedia
Album Cover
http://www.nytimes.com/1989/11/06/obituaries/barry-sadler-49-balladeer-dies.html
http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=12213
