"Fighting soldiers from the sky Fearless men who jump and die..."

JJEH

Member
Joined
Nov 5, 2011
Messages
7,163
Reaction score
8,451
Location
Central Texas
Every time I hear the Ballad of the Green Beret I get a little sentimental.

[ame]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BugBwt2ESpo[/ame]

I don't know why. Perhaps it is because my military career didn't work out as planned? Perhaps it's because I want my kids to be brave and live a fulfilling life. I don't know...

These men and women are cut from a different cloth. No matter if military or law enforcement... there's great stories of bravery under fire. I have not seen combat while in service (nor involved in OIS while peace officer), I know I'd c**p my pants. But we need to have courage, freeing the oppressed and keep fighting the good fight.

I'm afraid today's kids are different, including mine. It makes me sad, but somehow I'll have to deal with it.

These lyrics mean a lot and perfectly describe the mentality of courageous b******s that would die for what they love!

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 Americas best
One hundred men will test today but
Only three win the Green Beret

Trained to live off natures land
Trained in combat hand to hand
Men who fight by night and day
Courage take from the Green Beret

Silver wings upon their chest
These are men Americas 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 this last request

Put silver wings on my sons chest
Make him one of Americas best
He'll be a man they'll test one day
Have him win the Green Beret

Barry Sadler - Wikipedia

Barry Sadler, '''Green Berets''' Balladeer, Dies - Los Angeles Times
 
Last edited:
Register to hide this ad
In 1998 my oldest graduated HS and by November 1st had his jump wings, and his Maroon Beret (the Brits call it red!) and was the 3 generation of our family to serve in the 1/325 AIR (Airborne Infantry Regiment) His MOS made him a Javelin Rocketeer (tank killer) His Uncle was a TOW Rocketeer in the 1980's (tank killer) and his Great Uncle Bob was trained on the 2" Bazooka, but the night before D-Day 1944 he carried a 88mm German Panzerfaust into Normandy! (also a tank killer!)

Don't let the media fool you into thinking that today's youth are all lazy, pot smokers with no ambition! Today's youth are like almost all their predecessors, a reflection of the family they come from! Good families generally produce good offspring, No accounts generally breed more of the same!

In 1999 my second son did similarly to his brother and became a computer nerd for the USMC!

(My 3rd son went to art school, and is tougher than either of his brothers! He also makes more money!)

In our family that generation has 7 men and 2 women, with 2 veterans that is a little over 20% which is high for the national average. But there are 1 Doctor, 1 Nurse, 2 firefighters, 1 Lineman, 2 Teachers, 1 Helicopter Mechanic, 2 IT Professionals, 2 Missionaries, and 1 Cancer research Scientist (this includes spouse) and a few that are still in school! Our 7 and their spouses, have produced 13 of the next generation (from 1 to 15) so far! It will take us awhile, but we are making a difference, and taking back this planet!

Ivan
 
That song and 'I left my heart in San Francisco' were the two songs that were the most popular in Viet Nam days. Both bring back memories, some good and some not so good. JJEH, take another look at the kids of today. Talk to some who are in military service. They are brighter and better thinkers than we were. Some of the young people not in the military are as patriotic as you and I are. If the SHTF we are still in good shape.
 
My FIL was a member of the 82nd Airborne during WWll. My wife still has hundreds of pictures and a piece of his parachute he saved after one of them ripped. I never actually met him since he had died before I met my wife, but after reading his journal, looking at many of the photos he took, reading about the battles he fought in, I feel I kind of know him a little and what he was all about. I actually have one of his Revolvers that he owned for many years. Apparently he was quite a man and I only wish I had the opportunity to meet him. :(
 
I don't know how they would rank against todays SF , but they had some brass b***s . Imagine being up in the highlands , you and an A team , living with the Montagnards and fighting the VC , with no support except what you could get on the radio .

But when I hear that song all I can think of is John Wayne and the movie " The Green Berets ." That film is one of those I can watch every time it comes on .
 
My favorite Nam era songs from my tours were in this order

House of the Rising Sun by Eric Burdon and The Animals in 1964
“We Gotta Get Outta This Place” – The Animals (1965)
Detroit City by Bobby Bare
Green Green Grass of Home by Porter Wagoner. (1965)
“7 O’Clock News /Silent Night” – Simon and Garfunkel (1966)
 
My favorite Nam era songs from my tours were in this order

House of the Rising Sun by Eric Burdon and The Animals in 1964
“We Gotta Get Outta This Place” – The Animals (1965)
Detroit City by Bobby Bare
Green Green Grass of Home by Porter Wagoner. (1965)
“7 O’Clock News /Silent Night” – Simon and Garfunkel (1966)

"For What It's Worth"

"Fortunate Son"

"I'm Going Home".

"Chain of Fools".

"All Along the Watchtower".

"What's Going On".
 
They're all brave men, to jump out of a perfectly good airplane.

Great Uncle Bob road in one with no motor! Every landing is a almost controlled crash!

In WWII the 50X regiments were parachute regiments, the 32X regiments were glider regiments.

This applies to both: It isn't the fall, it's the sudden stop you have to worry about!

Ivan
 
Every time I hear the Ballad of the Green Beret I get a little sentimental.

The Ballad Of The Green Berets - YouTube

I don't know why. Perhaps it is because my military career didn't work out as planned? Perhaps it's because I want my kids to be brave and live a fulfilling life. I don't know...

These men and women are cut from a different cloth. No matter if military or law enforcement... there's great stories of bravery under fire. I have not seen combat while in service (nor involved in OIS while peace officer), I know I'd c**p my pants. But we need to have courage, freeing the oppressed and keep fighting the good fight.

I'm afraid today's kids are different, including mine. It makes me sad, but somehow I'll have to deal with it.

These lyrics mean a lot and perfectly describe the mentality of courageous b******s that would die for what they love!



Barry Sadler - Wikipedia

Barry Sadler, '''Green Berets''' Balladeer, Dies - Los Angeles Times

You are not the only one!

One of the reasons I am still a "loner" that can only relate to vets and gun nuts like myself; I carry too much baggage in my memory. I can't relate to most civilians or them to me. All the actual friends I had are now dead and gone; I am the last. The VFW kept sending be invitations to become a member for years but I don't drink and don't really fit in with people that do. My memories haunt me and I struggle to forgive my country for what I saw as well as experienced at times. Not all wounds are visible or ever heal easily. :(
 
Last edited:
Leaving on a Jet Plane
Peter, Paul and Mary
All my bags are packed, I'm ready to go
I'm standing here outside your door
I hate to wake you up to say goodbye
But the dawn is breakin', it's early morn
Taxi's waiting, he's blowin' his horn
Already I'm so lonesome I could cry...........

So kiss me and smile for me
Tell me that you'll wait for me
Hold me like you'll never let me go
I'm leavin' on a jet plane
I don't know when I'll be back again
Oh babe, I hate to go......

It still chokes me up.......
 
Last edited:
I went through Special Forces training in 1969, we often wondered whose Army he sang about, it sure wasn't the one we were in. I went through Combat Engineer training, there was a poster-it was meant to be a gag-showing a gorilla wearing a beret, the caption was :
"The ideal Combat Engineer is a Size 54 jacket-and a Size 5 hat".
The soldiers, sailors, airmen, Marines and Coast Guardsmen I knew in that era were every bit as good as we've ever had.
 
My dad took my brother and I to see "The Green Berets". A buddy and I joined the Army in August of 1969, both of us wanted to be Green Berets. During indoctrination they asked if any of us wanted to go into the Special Forces, if so fall out. We went into the auditorium, they showed a movie, afterwards they asked if any of us were under nineteen, I was eighteen, Stevie was seventeen, they told us to come back but we could still go Airborne. Stevie said he wanted to go Airborne, I told them if I couldn't be a Green Beret I didn't want to go Airborne, he went on join the 82nd, I went to boat school. I think I remember another thing that washed you out was glasses, makes sense.
 
For us Wild Weasels it was this one. We flew a lot at night and sometimes got shot down.
I see the bad moon a-rising
I see trouble on the way
I see earthquakes and lightnin'
I see bad times today
Don't go around tonight
Well it's bound to take your life
There's a bad moon on the rise
 
Back
Top