Whats THE song, that makes you think of the Vietnam War?

[Onomea]

What is remarkable to me about the lists of 275 songs above is that I am pretty sure I remember every single one even though most I have not heard or thought about for ~45 years.

I graduated high school in 1970 and went to college with a IIS. When the lottery was instituted, shortly thereafter, my birthday, if memory serves, came up something like 248, but my local draft board mistakenly added another 100 to it, making it 348.

That's how I remember it anyway.

The Viet Nam War was much, much more part of daily life than the more recent wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. I think this was due, in a large part, to the draft. If we did not go ourselves, we all had someone — or multiple someones — close to us who did.

While I have mixed feelings about the draft, I think it does make a country a lot more careful about which wars it chooses to get involved in than does the current all-volunteer military.

 

[MCorps0311]

Bring the boys home.Freda Payne
I heard it through the grapevine.Marvin Gaye
Say it loud i'm black and i'm proud. James Brown
Little green apple,it don't rain in Minneapolis.O.C.Smith

 

[two-bit cowboy]

Don't remember if this has been mentioned or not, some will apply it to today also.

[Barry McQuire: Eve of Destruction]

It often seemed to me, back then, the destruction was coming from within our country.

After Desert Storm I was visiting the control tower at Bitburg Air Base, Germany, when the base's F-15 Eagles returned home. The Security Police, try as they might, couldn't contain families and friends in the hanger below the tower as those jets' canopies went up in unison.

On tv the American people were throwing flowers and ticker tapes instead of the eggs and tomatoes of several decades earlier.

"Our nations' population finally got it right," I said.

 

[Lt JL]

The Animals We gotta get out of this place

Country Joe and the Fish The I-Feel-like I'm-fixin'-to die Rag

Neil Young Four Dead in Ohio

 

[EQGuy]

A yellow ribbon traditionally meant a sweetie in the Cavalry.

I took basic training in a Calvary outfit at Fort Bliss and She wore a yellow ribbon was one of our marching songs.

 

[rwsmith]

This verse give it away.

I admit I haven't thought of it as a nam reminder song but, its good none the less.

Galveston, oh, Galveston
I still hear your seawaves crashin
While I watch the cannons flashin'
I clean my gun, and dream of Galveston

And later on her says:

I am so afraid of dying
before I dry the tears she's crying.

 

[rwsmith]

Simlar story here....

In 1973 I was 18 years old and my Selective Service number was 10.

I was headed there but for Nixon pulling us out.

God bless Nixon!

Turned 18 in 1973 and some time later my draft number came up low. But like you they were more interested in leaving home. Later, trying for the Navy, I was 4Fd due to (lack of) eyesight. I wonder if they were filling the ranks for war if they would have 'found something for me to do'?

 

[S&WIowegan]

Turned 18 in 1973 and some time later my draft number came up low. But like you they were more interested in leaving home. Later, trying for the Navy, I was 4Fd due to (lack of) eyesight. I wonder if they were filling the ranks for war if they would have 'found something for me to do'?

You betcha they would have. One of my uncles had a blind eye due to BB gun. Army made him a "Shore Guard" along the Mass. coast for the duration.

 

[DWalt]

Alice's Restaurant

Me too. No particular reason for the association.

 

[Wrangler Rich]

I remember all of those songs like it was yesterday. So many memories, some good, some not so good.
I kept those "Sky Pilots" flying... I was the head turbine tech for our Troop, and stayed out at the hanger many nights just to make sure we had birds in the air the next day.
A Trp. 7/1 Air Cav
Vinh long, RVN

 

[Bozz10mm]

RWSmith, thanks for all the memories. Your lists of songs flashed me back to the 60s and 70s.

 

[slicjoc1]

Gimme Shelter - Rolling Stones
White Rabbit - Grace Slick and Jefferson Airplane
We Gotta Get Out of This Place - The Animals

 

[ldausmc1369]

The Doc (Corpsman) and Sky Pilot (Chaplin) were two favs always! We've Got To Get Out Of This Place was the anthem of every Marine Grunt in I Corps in 69-70 and most everyone else!

 

[Cyrano]

Surprised nobody's yet mentioned "Puff the Magic Dragon".

 

[Beemerguy53]

"For What It's Worth" by Buffalo Springfield...

"Ohio" by Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young...

 

[tlawler]

"Five to One" by the Doors

 

[Tom S.]

From a local boy named Bob Seger:

[ame="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W_Xx1ZyFilA"]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W_Xx1ZyFilA[/ame]

 

[OLDSTER]

"THE END" by the Doors

 

[Usmc5811]

Bob Dylan's song " Masters Of War" is one. But "Paint It Black" has to be the one that makes me think of that era. But I wasn't a gleam in my daddy's eye yet. But my hat is off to all that have fought for this country when they were called to.

 

[max]

I remember We Got To Get Out Of This Place, Proud Mary and Leaving On A Jet Plane. The day I left, we were taxing out on the runway at Bien Hoa and the pilot played Jet Plane. There were about 200 guys on that plane and not a dry eye. I will never forget that. We took off on a beautiful bright day and the ground was so green. As we got higher you could see fire support bases, LZ's and smoke. 13 hours later we were in California.

When I was in HS and college, Tim Irvin had a great rock band and they played lots of parties and dances. He was drafted and wrote this song after he got back. There is another version on YouTube where he performs it at the wall and President Clinton in the audience. I thought I would show you this version.

[ame]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rxn0EKnPS-I[/ame]