I'm sure you've heard of this song.

Another work of mine for english class.
~Yoshi

The Ballad of the Green Berets, by SSgt Barry Sadler

“The Ballad of the Green Berets,” was released in 1966, at a time when support for the war was faltering but not nearly as staggering as in the later years of Vietnam. The Green Berets were officially started long before the adoption of the green beret as their emblem. They were the “A-Team” and as such they were called upon for the most difficult missions. They were the most elite soldiers in the Army.
Staff Sergeant Barry Sadler (1940-1989) was a medic in his team. He was injured during Vietnam and almost lost his leg due to a type of booby trap called a punji stick. He was treated and released, with his leg intact. While he was in the hospital for this wound he wrote and sang songs. Songs like this one that were played for the soldiers in Vietnam. At one point during his stay, a news crew even filmed his beginning rendition of “The Ballad of the Green Berets” and aired it on TV. It seemed to be an instant hit and was recorded and released shortly thereafter. The song quickly topped the charts and stayed at number 1 for 5 weeks and was also regarded as one of the best songs of the 60’s. The response to this song was astounding.
The song begins “Fighting soldiers from the sky. Fearless men who jump and die.” Green Berets were an airborne division of the Army. They were parachuted into dangerous territories or conflicts where it was best to maintain a low profile and get out quickly. In this line of the song he almost indicates that it was the purpose of a Green Beret to die, but that was the last thing that anyone wanted. However he does make the point that they are fearless. These men have a fearlessness that knows no bounds. He continues, “Men who mean, just what they say, the brave men of the Green Beret” These are men who are true to their word. The old saying, ‘my word is my bond’ was something of a motto for these men. They will follow thru with anything they say, even if the result could be tragic. They are the bravest of the brave.
We then come to the chorus of the song, “Silver wings upon their chest, these are men, America’s best.” The silver wings are a symbol of valor and strength. They wore them with pride, the type of pride that you can only get from being a member of the elite. The chorus continues, “One hundred men will test today but only three win the Green Beret.” As the Elite, they did not just allow anyone to become one of them. This rite of passage was earned, never given freely. It took a person of significant mental strength, physical strength, and the ability to think and react quickly to any situation without panic, or at least with controlled panic.
The next verse begins, “Trained to live off nature’s land, trained in combat hand to hand.” These soldiers were indeed highly trained in this regard. They were able to live and even thrive in any climate and country in the world. They are also acutely trained in hand to hand and long-range combat. The rigorous training usually takes longer than three months to complete, if you do at all. The dropout rate is astounding simply because most people don’t have what it takes to be a Green Beret. The song continues, “Men who fight by night and day, courage peak from the Green Berets.” Here, the message is clear, as a Green Beret there is a job to do and they do it. Night or day, cold or hot, wet or dry, they do what they are told. And they do it with courage that most of us cannot even fathom.
The last verse of the song begins, “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.” Obviously Staff Sergeant Barry Sadler didn’t die, but it was the fate of some of the Green Berets. And because of the elite status of the team his last request only stands to reason, “put silver wings on my son’s chest, and make him one of America’s best. He’ll be a man they’ll test one day, have him win the Green Beret.” We all want our children to covet the dreams we have and want them to pursue the dreams we were unable to.
He seemingly glorifies war and being a soldier, but there is more to the song than that. He is glorifying the status of the elite, a status that can only be attained through perseverance and strength. He also gives the facts of being a Green Beret, in that, there are many trials and sometimes those trials leave widows. It seems cold and harsh, but that is the fact of being a soldier.
In the case of this song, it is apparent that our culture and way of life affected the representation of the author’s feelings and views. It’s not as obvious in other forms of music and literature, but there is a distinct cycle of music affecting a culture and the culture affecting music. The Vietnam War affected an entire generation’s music and that music in turn affected those who listened to it.