Patriotic Songs

The 1960s were a turbulent time. There were those opposed to the war in Vietnam , and there were those fighting overseas. “The Ballad of the Green Berets” by Staff Sgt Barry Sadler honors the latter. The Green Berets are an elite special force in the U.S. Army. This song about them was written by author Robin Moore and Staff Sgt Barry Sadler, who was a Green Beret combat medic during the Vietnam War. In 1966, the song rose to #1 on Cash Box as well as #1 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100, the Billboard Adult Contemporary Chart. It went to #2 on Billboard’s Country survey. The tune is based on the traditional American folk song “The Butcher Boy,” and the lyrics honor Green Beret James Gabriel, Jr., who was the first native Hawaiian who died in Vietnam.

Robin Moore served as a nose gunner in the U.S. Army Air Corps during World War II. His books certainly cover a wide variety of subject. Among them are The Green Berets; The French Connection: A True Account of Cops, Narcotics, and International Conspiracy; and a co-authorship with Xaviera Hollander and Yvonne Dunleavy on The Happy Hooker: My Own Story.

Here are the lyrics to “The Ballad of the Green Berets” by  Staff Sgt. Barry Sadler:

“Fighting soldiers from the sky
Fearless men who jump and die
Men who mean just what they say
The brave men of the Green Beret

Silver wings upon their chest
These are men, America’s best
One hundred men will test today
But only three win the Green Beret

Trained to live off nature’s land
Trained in combat, hand-to-hand
Men who fight by night and day
Courage peak from the Green Berets

Silver wings upon their chest
These are men, America’s best
One hundred men will test today
But only three win the Green Beret

Back at home a young wife waits
Her Green Beret has met his fate
He has died for those oppressed
Leaving her his last request

Put silver wings on my son’s chest
Make him one of America’s best
He’ll be a man they’ll test one day
Have him win the Green Beret”

Check Out The Groove Pad for More 1960s Music

The Pass the Paisley Groove Pad is a resting stop, a place to chill out and listen to the featured song on the stereo. If the mood strikes you, click on the juke box to access and listen to the 50+ free online songs there. The TV has several channels, with selections updated twice a week. Every now and then, Pass the Paisley hosts an all-request of 1960s and 1970s songs for a Be-In at the juke box in the Groove Pad. Keep on truckin’. Hope you enjoyed “The Ballad of the Green Berets” by Staff Sgt Barry Sadler.