War Protest Songs of the 1960's

Protests of the Vietnam War

Even though I was in the military and in Vietnam, I do recall, vividly, the protests going on back in America. I was not upset, but I do remember some of my comrades were pretty upset that America was acting ungrateful. After all, we were supposed to be fighting for and protecting America, but all in all, as the war drug on and especially in the light of the TET Offensive, when we we all started to understand this war may not be winnable after all, I could well understand young men not wanting to be placed into forced servitude (draft) and made to fight in a war they did not agree with.

I loved the military and still do, but I realized that everyone wasn't me. Many soldiers, as the war continued, slipped off into the jungles of Vietnam, probably either being killed in the process or making their way home from a war they began to be disillusioned with. In America people used the terms, draft dodger, sedition, communists, socialists and anti-war protesters, baby killers, much like today. I am quite sure if the nightly news showed us all the real horrors of war, as it did back then, we'd have many more people taking to the streets, as they did then. I'm the first to admit war isn't pretty and I truly think, in modern warfare, no one wins. But our governments will continue to pick a fight with any country they either want something from, or for some kind of profit.

If we haven't learned a thing from Vietnam, then I don't think we ever will or even want to learn anything from it all. I learned many young men and women get sacrificed and it's a job for people, especially in a bad economy, but I don't see much else that war serves.

So I have compiled some of my favorite war protest songs from the Vietnam War era, but they can easily cover the wars we have now been fighting for far too long in the Middle East. I may have been a military man, but I am also a peace loving person. I became a Drill Instructor to, hopefully, teach young people how to survive and if they have to go to war, to hopefully, make it back home alive and in one peace. I always hope I did my job well because I loved helping young people learn how to survive.

Fixin to Die Rag

This one was sung rather late in the game during the Vietnam War and Country Joe and the Fish got the crowd of over a million people to join in. I kind of credit this song as one of the big ones that helped stop the war. We were a generation who did stop an entire war.

Eve of Destruction

Barry McGuire did this sone and we can tell, from the words, how we may possibly all be on the Eve of Destruction, maybe even more so now, than back then.

Fortunte Son

This is the one and only protest song created and sung by CCR in their career. They really didn't want to do a protest song, but since everyone was buying them in droves, they decided to do this one.

Blowin In the Wind

The words to this song kind of says it all. So it does not need too much introduction. I have no doubt most everyone has heard of this one.

Where Have all the Flowers Gone

This one, much like Blowin in the Wind, kind of says it all too.

Universal Soldier

This one depicts how the world has created soldiers from as far back as civilization can remember. They answer the call and some love it, some become disillusioned by it.

One Tin Soldier

This one really points out how most battles and skirmishes are futile and usually not necessary, for all the 'prize' turns out to be nothing anyone should have shed blood for.

Give Peace a Chance

John Lennon and his wife created this song to plead with people all over the world to try peace, for a change, instead of war. It too says it all.

The Draft Dodger Rag

This one sung by Pete Seeger is a tongue in cheek look at how people viewed draft dodgers back then.

I Ain't Marchin anymore

Arlo Guthrie did this rendition of the song. This depicts soldiers from long ago and fits the Vietnam war as well as the modern wars of today. It sings of the futility of wars.

There were more but these were the most popular songs of that time.

A Nation that didn’t understand

Vietnam veterans are unique as the only group of combat veterans in the history of this country who returned home to be reviled, vilified and abused rather than honored and appreciated. We are one of the most unjustly-maligned groups in American history.

As young men and women we answered the nations call to protect the world from the spread of Communism, at least that is what we believed. Some of us were drafted and many of us volunteered to serve for a cause we believed in. We all left are youth and innocence in Southeast Asia. Most of us are still haunted by the things we saw and did while we were there and over 58,000 of our brothers and sisters never made it home from that war.

When a nation of young people are drafted and forced into a war they may or may not agree with, then I think a country is asking for trouble from the onset. How does a country get enthusiasm for a war that is possibly reviled and hated by those forced into slavery via the draft board? So not only did people back home start to hate the war, many Vietnam veterans came home, disillusioned, broken and not even welcomed with open arms. Instead of returning to America with a bang, our return was more like a whimper and a sigh from the general public. To this day, I may not even be absolutely certain why we were in Vietnam, except, while there I felt it was a useful endeavor. I, as did many military people, felt we were halting the spread of Communism, maybe we were maybe it was just a good sell on the spin doctor’s part when it came to selling a war to people. I do know that sometimes, Americans presence brought indignation and hatred and even death upon some of the Vietnamese people for being accused of siding with America, from the Viet Cong’s point of view. At other times, it brought anger and indignation from Americans who accused the people of siding with the Viet Cong. It grew very difficult for the Vietnamese citizens to look at us all with kindness when treated as such by those of us there to help.

Why do I mention all of that? Well, the newscasters would often do stories about the Zippo Wars, as many Americans began to call the pictures of burning villages at the hands of some military people. To be fair, many military people, by later in the war, began to surmise that the support back home, as well as the chain of command was beginning to break down. American politicians began playing politics with young lives, those who were in Vietnam, without batting an eyelash. The resentment on the part of military people began to take hold.

Vietnam was the only war in history that was televised live nightly for people to watch. The unfiltered images grew on people’s minds and brought about the large uprisings a groundswell of opposition to the war and the strong passion ignited by the anti-war activists Vietnam Veterans were grossly mistreated when they returned home. It was the summer of 1969 when I myself returned home and I remember taking my DD 214 down to the local town clerk to have it posted in the records, like a dummy I wore my uniform that day as a proud soldier returning home, people would stare at me and some even spat at me and called me baby killer. From the images that people saw on the news they assumed that we were all baby killers and we were all looked down upon. For four decades Vietnam Vets have been vilifed by some factions of the public. Vietnam vets are still treated with contempt in some circles, and the false stereotype continues to be repeated, often innocently. It's time to educate the American public about our Vietnam Veterans. For those of you who are too young to remember the truth, the lies have been repeated so often that they are generally accepted as the truth.

***QUOTE***

Television brought the brutality of war
into the comfort of the living room.
Vietnam was lost in the living rooms of America
- not on the battlefields of Vietnam.
--- Marshall McLuhan, 1975

***************************************************************

Vietnam War myths: A common belief: The U.S. lost the war in Vietnam

Fact: The South Vietnamese people lost the war once funding from Congress was cut off. In fact, the U.S. won every major battle fought in Vietnam. So there is NO reason for veterans to ever feel defeated.

Myth: Most Vietnam veterans were drafted.

Fact: Two thirds of the men who served in Vietnam were volunteers. Some even volunteered for the draft, so those who were officially listed as being drafted, were, in fact volunteers.

Myth: A disproportionate number of blacks were killed in Vietnam. Many back home believed that blacks were used as ‘cannon fodder’ in battles.

Fact: 86% of the men who died in Vietnam were white and 12.5% were black while 1.2% came from other races. In the book: All That We Can Be, authors, Moskos and Butler said they did analyze that claim and could report most definitely that ‘blacks being used as cannon fodder’ is absolutely not true.

The biggest lie of all : We lost the war in Vietnam

How could we loose a war that we already stopped fighting. The last American troops departed Vietnam on the 29^th of March 1973. The fall of Saigon did not happen until two years later on the 30^th of April 1975.*******************

A Young Soldier’s tail of Love

It was while on his second tour that he met her. He and some Army buddies had decided to visit a new bar one evening, one that wasn’t a brothel. A bar they had never been to but had been told about by some of the other guys in his unit. They had just sat down when he looked up to place his drink order and there she stood. She was one of the prettiest women he had seen in The Nam. He looked up at her face which was a perfect oval, with high exotic cheekbones set inside her very delicate features. Her thick dark hair, which was so black it reminded him of shiny glass, hung in long oval curves over her slender shoulders and she was dressed in the traditional black silk pajama style pants with a long oriental style top and the back of the top which had a huge gold dragon circling from the back, ending in the front, seemed to set off her slender body and slim hips. He noticed every guy at his table was staring at her as she walked to the bar to fetch their drinks. As she walked away she carried herself with confidence, fully aware of the appreciative glances of the GIs.

As the night wore on his fellow table mates forgot all about the pretty bar maid the more they filled up on drink after drink. But not Steve, he kept looking in her direction all night long and every once in a while she would throw him a glance and a beautiful smile. He wondered if she had noticed him also, but, he thought, she must be used to GIs staring at her and making lewd remarks. He figured she was pretty much immune to that stuff by now and just brushed them off like lint on a uniform.

As the night wore on, the girl made her way over to Steve’s table, he motioned for her to have a seat, after some of his buddies decided to sit at the bar to be closer to the drinks. To his surprise, she smiled and sat down across from him. She spoke perfect English and while he seemed puzzled by this, she explained to him she had been schooled in English while attending a school run by American missionaries. She had an even prettier smile up close, he noticed and her features and clear skin were near perfection. They talked a while and he told her about his plans to try and find a flat to rent because living on the base was too crowded for him anymore. She smiled and told him she just happened to know of a nice little place not far from his base. She explained that she was staying with friends and was trying to save up enough money to rent it, but on a barmaid’s pay, it was taking her longer than she had anticipated. He told her he had some money already saved and she offered to meet him the next day to look at it together. He hung around the bar until closing time and hailed a cab and gave her ride to where she was living. She thanked him, they set a time to meet the next day to look at the flat and then she leaned over and kissed him. Not just a peck either, but a full, on the mouth, several seconds kiss.

The next day he and his new found friend met to look at the flat together. It was small, but cozy and had a small balcony on the back, small but large enough to set a table and a couple chairs on. He told her he liked it and he talked to the landlord and paid the first month’s rent. He asked Chi if she wanted to move in with him, since she was looking for a place too. She smiled and was very eager to do so and said she just needed to go gather up a few things at her friend’s house. Later that day, Steve and Chi moved into the little flat that had a balcony overlooking the Saigon River.

The next few weeks were ecstasy for Steve as Chi was, like most women in Vietnam, adept at making a man feel like he was the most important person in the whole world. Their lovemaking was wonderful. The very first night in their shared flat, Chi heated up some water on the stove and instructed Steve to sit on a high stool she had prepared for him, placing a warmed towel on the seat. She poured the water into a basin and proceeded to wash his naked body, starting with his back, gently washing in small strokes. She worked her way down to his buttocks, then around front to his chest, his legs and then to his feet, carefully washing between each toe very gently. He then stood up, as she instructed and gently dried his naked body and started to apply oils. He felt his manhood rise and he started to reach for her, but she thwarted his advances, gently and proceeded to finish up with the oils. When she had finished applying the oil, she slipped her clothes off, slowly and smiling up at his face the whole time. Then she took his hands and led him to the bed in the corner. Their lovemaking was fierce and she showed him moves he had never experienced before. The lovemaking was so intense at one point, that Steve felt he might pass out, but instead, he felt ecstasy like he’d never felt before.

Afterwards, Chi prepared a dinner of white rice and fish and they took their bowls and glasses filled with rice wine out to the balcony. Steve was feeling this was one of the most perfect moments he had ever remember experiencing in his 19 years of living. He was wishing the moment could last him a lifetime.

We Called it Our Vietnam

I called it my Vietnam

We all called it our Vietnam

We felt it was, as a war quite versed

As versed as any psalms

When we first arrived, as kids

We'd have sworn we had her in our very palms

Wasn't long until before our very eyes

This War would soon cut us down to size

Too big for our britches we were

But we never forget how to say 'sir'

We thought as young whips, we were cunning

We soon discovered Vietnam wasn't just funning

Oh yes, Boys, she meant business and knew her stuff

When asked back home 'did She win?'

We'd knock back a drink and say 'sure enough'

We felt kind of whipped

We had felt ill equipped

But back home older veterans shook their heads

"We could have attested to that fact, nough said"

Why didn't ya tell us fellas, we asked

We could say till the cows came home

But we knew our warnings don't last

One generation whipped, and ill equipped

The next generation, same thing

Each generation, having a new war song to sing

Would you have believed us then?

No, you'd have said: "Come again?"

Just as when we were young, we are different we said

We all say the same to those before us in time

We say the same thing until war makes us count our dead

(c) S. Weathers 2011

Welcome to Cruise In Night, June 17, 2011 in Penn Yan, NY, a small tourist town situated on Lake Keuka.

Walking around what do we see? We see a parade of cars cruising down Main Street Bridge, in a procession to line up along the bridge. Walking further up Main Street, we see John Milners Yellow coupe was there along with Falfa’s 55 Chevy from American Graffiti. The streets were packed it was a great time in the old town tonight. This music was blaring the Oldies all through town and the beer and pizza was plentiful. It was the first Rocking Oldies Cruise In of the summer and the cars were lined from one end of town to the other, as far as the eye could see.

There was a white T-Bird, 53 Chevy panel truck, plenty of old Roadsters and a beautiful red and white 57 Chevy, looking like it rolled right off the assembly line, a beautiful 49 Merc custom painted purple passion.

Problem with some cruise ins, this one was no exception, there were 2011 Corvettes and some pick up trucks, that we could see on any used car lot right now. *Sigh* to each his own I suppose. But American Graffiti never ceases to come to life each time we attend the cruise ins each summer. Here in our neck of the woods, summer is boating, water skiing, hot dogs and cruise ins galore. But it seems like only the older people are the ones who own the really old cars anymore. I’m thinking that pretty soon, all the cars from the 20’s, 30’s on up to the 70’s will no longer hold much appeal to the younger crowd. The old car shows will probably go the way of antique furniture and you won’t be able to give em away soon. But they sure are great while they last.

Where did the Children go

What has happened to the World Today?

Everybody struggling to find a way

To end the suffering and the pain

To find the happiness once again

What about the little children

Who never learn how to play

It’s almost like they went far away

When they’re young, just let them show it

If we love them dearly, let them know it

They grow up too fast, so let’s not blow it

One day they’re very small

Then you turn around and they’re tall

Kids barely venture outside

In their rooms they tend to hide

While sitting on a Playstation

They barely need imagination

Their friends are on a computer or cell phone

So they never do things, they’re always alone

As kids, we didn’t have 10,000 friends

But we formed personal friendships that didn’t bend

But on a computer the number of friends never ends

But un-like when we were kids

They don’t meet face to face

And never socialize in a special place

Electronic friendships are shallow and low

Because an electronic friend is hard to know

What happened to the stuff we used to know?

Where is the playtime? Where did it go?

My newest adventure

I'm working on my newest adventure and hope to have it done in a couple months in time for a summer release. My second book of Poems that I had written over the years about my Military experiences and heartaches. Hope you check it out when it comes out.