The Men of Vietnam

Annotation

The song "The Men of Vietnam" (Pabst Music # PA 71001)

Annotation by Justin A. Brummer

Lyrics

English: Here they go marching towards the sky... / They fought and they died for the sake of their fellow man / The men that died in Vietnam / They number in the thousands as they go / Their maimed and crippled bodies clearly show / The price they had to pay to save our land / Then that died in Vietnam / Mr. President, Mr. Congressman...you can end this war / The men won't have to die in Vietnam / They carry old glory way up high / The flag draped around them as they died / The answered the bugles, they never ran... / Proudly salute these gallant men... / God bless the men who died in Vietnam

Notes

Pabst Music PA 71001 A, pink label, 45 UpM, stereo, GEMA; "The Men Of Vietnam" (S. Harless/F. Kersten/S. Harless), 3'00"; "Made in Germany by Pabstmusic Tongesellschaft Ferdinand H. Keller KG, Kaiserslautern", with the German copyright notice. The picture sleeve shows Harless standing in a double-breasted suit, hands resting on an acoustic guitar, with "Twentytwo Wheels" and "The Men of Vietnam" in large yellow letters and the Pabst Music PA 71001 logo. [From the record sleeve and labels]

About the artist

Smokey Harless (also credited Smokie/Smoky Harless) recorded the country single 'The Men Of Vietnam' b/w 'Twentytwo Wheels' on Pabst Music (catalogue PA 71001), a release Discogs lists as issued in Germany. Discogs' artist profile describes him as 'American-born country artist (from West Virginia) who made several recordings in Germany during the Vietnam War era' - consistent with the US military/GI country-music circuit in West Germany during the war. [Source: Discogs]

Themes

Patriotic

In collections

European Songs · US 'Patriotic' / Pro-Government / Anti-Protest Songs [War Years]