# Were there any Pro-Vietnam War songs? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [April 11, 2010, 7:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/were-there-any-pro-vietnam-war-songs/535755 "2010-04-11T19:33:54Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![An\_Gadai](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d6d6ee/32.png) [@An\_Gadai](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/An_Gadai)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2010, 7:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/were-there-any-pro-vietnam-war-songs/535755/1 "2010-04-11T19:33:54Z")
The only one I can think of, and it isn’t explicitly so, was [_Dawn Of Correction_](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_LHBZ5StOiE) by The Spokesmen and it was mainly a parody of\* Eve of Destruction\* by Barry McGuire. Any better examples? Were there any big hits that were pro-war? ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2010, 7:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/were-there-any-pro-vietnam-war-songs/535755/2 "2010-04-11T19:49:37Z")
Pro-military if not explicitly pro-Viet Nam war, but the context of the times made it implicitly so. _The Balled of the Green Berets_, by Staff Sgt. Barry Saddler. ---
**Author:** ![An\_Gadai](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d6d6ee/32.png) [@An\_Gadai](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/An_Gadai)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2010, 8:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/were-there-any-pro-vietnam-war-songs/535755/3 "2010-04-11T20:03:49Z")
> [@John\_Mace](#): > > Pro-military if not explicitly pro-Viet Nam war, but the context of the times made it implicitly so. > > _The Balled of the Green Berets_, by Staff Sgt. Barry Saddler. Ah yes, I was aware of this song but had thought it was from an earlier period. ---
**Author:** ![Peremensoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ce7236/32.png) [@Peremensoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peremensoe)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2010, 8:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/were-there-any-pro-vietnam-war-songs/535755/4 "2010-04-11T20:11:01Z")
> [@John\_Mace](#): > > the context of the times This was released in 1966. Wasn’t that a little before the war had become really volatile (over there and, figuratively, here)? ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2010, 8:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/were-there-any-pro-vietnam-war-songs/535755/5 "2010-04-11T20:21:41Z")
I suspected there were some pro-Vietnam country music songs and found that Johnny Wright had a number one country hit with “Hello Vietnam.” ---
**Author:** ![LC\_Strawhouse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e19adc/32.png) [@LC\_Strawhouse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LC_Strawhouse)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2010, 8:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/were-there-any-pro-vietnam-war-songs/535755/6 "2010-04-11T20:31:07Z")
The Fightin’ Side Of Me, by Merle Haggard (very catchy song too!) ---
**Author:** ![breezman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4491bb/32.png) [@breezman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/breezman)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2010, 10:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/were-there-any-pro-vietnam-war-songs/535755/7 "2010-04-11T22:14:20Z")
The song [Okie from Muskogee](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Okie_from_Muskogee_(song)) wasn’t exactly pro-Vietnam, but with the line “We don’t burn our draft cards down on Main Street” it was at least against the war protesters. ---
**Author:** ![Dallas\_Jones](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dallas_jones/32/3277_2.png) [@Dallas\_Jones](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dallas_Jones)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2010, 10:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/were-there-any-pro-vietnam-war-songs/535755/8 "2010-04-11T22:33:08Z")
> [@RealityChuck](#): > > I suspected there were some pro-Vietnam country music songs and found that Johnny Wright had a number one country hit with “Hello Vietnam.” This is the song that plays at the begining of Full Metal Jacket while the new recruits are getting their hair cut off. ---
**Author:** ![UncleRojelio](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/unclerojelio/32/3160_2.png) [@UncleRojelio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UncleRojelio)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2010, 10:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/were-there-any-pro-vietnam-war-songs/535755/9 "2010-04-11T22:41:38Z")
> [@John\_Mace](#): > > Pro-military if not explicitly pro-Viet Nam war, but the context of the times made it implicitly so. > > _The Balled of the Green Berets_, by Staff Sgt. Barry Saddler. In one of life’s weird little coincidences, just last night my wife was going through her mother’s things and guess what she found? No really – guess. [SSGT Sadler’s entire album](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barry_Sadler), you know, the big round vinyl kind. It’s got 12, count’em 12 pro-vietnam tracks on it. If I ever find a way to interface with this ancient technology I’m so going to rip this to my iPod. ---
**Author:** ![ProfessorX](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ce7236/32.png) [@ProfessorX](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ProfessorX)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2010, 11:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/were-there-any-pro-vietnam-war-songs/535755/10 "2010-04-11T23:03:26Z")
Great question by the OP, I’d never heard of anything like that before either. Interesting and thanks to those that pointed out the songs - would be interesting to check these out alongside the plethora of anti-war songs from the period. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2010, 11:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/were-there-any-pro-vietnam-war-songs/535755/11 "2010-04-11T23:19:10Z")
I assume the Vietnamese had a few. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2010, 11:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/were-there-any-pro-vietnam-war-songs/535755/12 "2010-04-11T23:36:01Z")
> [@UncleRojelio](#): > > [SSGT Sadler’s entire album](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barry_Sadler), you know, the big round vinyl kind. It’s got 12, count’em 12 pro-vietnam tracks on it. If I ever find a way to interface with this ancient technology I’m so going to rip this to my iPod. We’ve got a copy of the LP in the attic of my mother’s house. I think it originally belonged to my brother. You can listen to samples of the songs [here](http://www.cduniverse.com/search/xx/music/pid/1124984/a/Ballads+Of+The+Green+Berets.htm). [QUOTE=spark240] This was released in 1966. Wasn’t that a little before the war had become really volatile (over there and, figuratively, here)? [/QUOTE] No. Major anti-war demonstrations took place in 1965, and by 1966 things were getting pretty well stirred up. [Opposition to the Vietnam War](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Opposition_to_the_Vietnam_War) ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2010, 11:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/were-there-any-pro-vietnam-war-songs/535755/13 "2010-04-11T23:45:37Z")
> [@Colibri](#): > > No. Major anti-war demonstrations took place in 1965, and by 1966 things were getting pretty well stirred up. > > [Opposition to the Vietnam War](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Opposition_to_the_Vietnam_War) Which coincided with the escalation of troops (we’d probably call it a “surge”) in 1965. We had 200k marines deployed there by the end of that year. ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2010, 11:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/were-there-any-pro-vietnam-war-songs/535755/14 "2010-04-11T23:49:48Z")
> [@UncleRojelio](#): > > If I ever find a way to interface with this ancient technology I’m so going to rip this to my iPod. [You thought there wasn’t one?](http://www.notabene.gwsba.com/) ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2010, 1:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/were-there-any-pro-vietnam-war-songs/535755/15 "2010-04-12T01:33:01Z")
Let us not forget C Company’s immortal “Battle Hymn of Lt. Calley”, about the guy who was a central figure in the My Lai massacre, and who in this song (sung largely to the tune of “Battle Hymn of the Republic”) [turns out to be a hero](http://www.lyricsdownload.com/c-company-battle-hymn-of-lt-calley-lyrics.html): _While we’re fighting in the jungles they were marching in the street While we’re dying in the rice fields they were helping our defeat While we’re facing V.C. bullets they were sounding a retreat As we go marching on_ And yes, I have this on my Ipod. If I ever have the thing on shuffle and it plays this song followed by the “Feel-Like-I’m-Fixin’-To-Die Rag” I expect the device to implode in a shower of sparks and grinding metal. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2010, 3:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/were-there-any-pro-vietnam-war-songs/535755/16 "2010-04-12T03:38:48Z")
> [@Bryan\_Ekers](#): > > I assume the Vietnamese had a few. Did they? Was/is making songs about contemporary events even part of their culture? Hijack: You know, with the marginal exception of _Good Morning Vietnam,_ I’ve never seen a Vietnam War movie with any Vietnamese, of either side, as actual, individual characters. We Americans knew hardly anything about them at the time and we still don’t, except for their food. ---
**Author:** ![cckerberos](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f0a364/32.png) [@cckerberos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cckerberos)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2010, 5:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/were-there-any-pro-vietnam-war-songs/535755/17 "2010-04-12T05:09:43Z")
> [@BrainGlutton](#): > > Did they? Was/is making songs about contemporary events even part of their culture? > > Hijack: You know, with the marginal exception of _Good Morning Vietnam,_ I’ve never seen a Vietnam War movie with any Vietnamese, of either side, as actual, individual characters. We Americans knew hardly anything about them at the time and we still don’t, except for their food. I think the same thing can be largely said about most of our enemies (especially non-Europeans). Focusing on the rationales and humanity of our opponents (even if just on the individual level) tends to muddy the waters too much for most war movies. That said, Mel Gibson’s _We Were Soldiers_ has some scenes with individual NVA commanders and soldiers. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2010, 5:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/were-there-any-pro-vietnam-war-songs/535755/18 "2010-04-12T05:17:04Z")
> [@UncleRojelio](#): > > If I ever find a way to interface with this ancient technology I’m so going to rip this to my iPod. You could just [buy the CD](http://www.amazon.com/Ballads-Green-Berets-SSgt-Sadler/dp/B0000064FA/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1271049324&sr=1-1) at amazon. ---
**Author:** ![Tethered\_Kite](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/a5b964/32.png) [@Tethered\_Kite](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tethered_Kite)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2010, 5:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/were-there-any-pro-vietnam-war-songs/535755/19 "2010-04-12T05:25:46Z")
> [@Jackmannii](#): > > Let us not forget C Company’s immortal “Battle Hymn of Lt. Calley”, about the guy who was a central figure in the My Lai massacre, and who in this song (sung largely to the tune of “Battle Hymn of the Republic”) [turns out to be a hero](http://www.lyricsdownload.com/c-company-battle-hymn-of-lt-calley-lyrics.html): > > _While we’re fighting in the jungles they were marching in the street > While we’re dying in the rice fields they were helping our defeat > While we’re facing V.C. bullets they were sounding a retreat > As we go marching on_ > > And yes, I have this on my Ipod. If I ever have the thing on shuffle and it plays this song followed by the “Feel-Like-I’m-Fixin’-To-Die Rag” I expect the device to implode in a shower of sparks and grinding metal. Now, that’s funny! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2010, 4:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/were-there-any-pro-vietnam-war-songs/535755/20 "2010-04-12T16:30:32Z")
> [@BrainGlutton](#): > > Did they? Was/is making songs about contemporary events even part of their culture? Well, I’m sure the communists had a few stirring refrains, with titles like _Onward Glorious Soldiers of Socialism to Crush the Invading Imperialists_ and every Party member had a copy they dutifully played after meetings. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/were-there-any-pro-vietnam-war-songs/535755.md?page=2)