# Mel Gibson Movie: "We Were Soldiers"

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mel-gibson-movie-we-were-soldiers/141315>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [December 8, 2002, 4:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mel-gibson-movie-we-were-soldiers/141315 "2002-12-08T16:41:41Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Obadiah\_Zulu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/bc79bd/32.png) [@Obadiah\_Zulu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Obadiah_Zulu)\
**Post date:** [December 8, 2002, 4:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mel-gibson-movie-we-were-soldiers/141315/1 "2002-12-08T16:41:41Z")

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The movie keeps referring to a Army song called, “Gary Owen?” Where can I obtain a CD of the music or song, “Gary Owen?”

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**Author:** ![Ferret\_Herder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e47774/32.png) [@Ferret\_Herder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ferret_Herder)\
**Post date:** [December 8, 2002, 4:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mel-gibson-movie-we-were-soldiers/141315/2 "2002-12-08T16:50:06Z")

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I Googled and found [this site](http://www.contemplator.com/folk/gowen.html) with the lyrics and a midi file. There’s a link at the bottom to a folk music site where this site’s author got the info from, so perhaps there’s a CD listing at the second site.

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**Author:** ![David\_Simmons](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9de053/32.png) [@David\_Simmons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/David_Simmons)\
**Post date:** [December 8, 2002, 4:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mel-gibson-movie-we-were-soldiers/141315/3 "2002-12-08T16:58:58Z")

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> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by Boss Champ \*  
> \*\*The movie keeps referring to a Army song called, “Gary Owen?” Where can I obtain a CD of the music or song, “Gary Owen?” \*\*

If you want to hear _Gary Owen_ until it’s coming out your ears, rent a cassette of the movie _They Died With Their Boots On_ an Errol FLynn epic from about 1941 or so.

_Gary Owen_ is the song adopted by the 7[sup]th[/sup] Cavalry as their own. The movie claims that was Custer’s idea in order to bring discipline to the unruly, disorganized and unreliable frontier cavalry regiment he was sent to lead.

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**Author:** ![Obadiah\_Zulu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/bc79bd/32.png) [@Obadiah\_Zulu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Obadiah_Zulu)\
**Post date:** [December 8, 2002, 5:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mel-gibson-movie-we-were-soldiers/141315/4 "2002-12-08T17:11:51Z")

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I thank you for your prompt response to my query. Your information as been quite helpful. Although, I’m very suprised that the tune, “Garry Owen” is not easily found as part of traditional American military marching music CD compilations.

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**Author:** ![David\_Simmons](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9de053/32.png) [@David\_Simmons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/David_Simmons)\
**Post date:** [December 8, 2002, 5:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mel-gibson-movie-we-were-soldiers/141315/5 "2002-12-08T17:24:22Z")

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Here is a site that details the history of [Garryowen"]]([http://www.naples.net/presents/7thcav/legend.htm](http://www.naples.net/presents/7thcav/legend.htm)). It seems to be one word, which I didn’t know although I should have. There is a little town named “Garryowen” up by the Custer Battlefield Monument in Montana on Interstate 90, southeast of Billings.