Pardon This Soldier (And Set Him Free)

Annotation

The song "Pardon This Soldier (And Set Him Free)" (Plaza # 45-108), released in Montgomery, Alabama, by country singer Merritt Jordan, received an endorsement from the state Governor George Wallace: "Dear Announcer: This song "Pardon This Soldier" expresses some of the sentiment concerning Lt. Calley's appeal for freedom. I feel that your listening audience would appreciate hearing the words and music. George C. Wallace, Governor". Dated 19 April 1971.1 So this song supported Calley, calling on President Nixon to set him free because he served his country: "oh Mr. President, won't you set him free, he was doing his job for you and for me". This fitted in with a large degree of public support for Calley. According to Nixon's autobiography "The Memoirs of Richard Nixon" (New York: Grosset & Dunlap, 1978), p.500: "public reaction to this announcement was emotional and sharply divided. More than 5,000 telegrams arrived at the White House, running 100 to 1 in favor of clemency." Two days after the Calley conviction, on 1 April 1971, Nixon placed Calley under house arrest during his appeal. Jimmy Carter, governor of Georgia, and George Wallace backed the move. Nixon went on to claim that "the whole tragic episode was used by the media and the antiwar forces to chip away at our efforts to build public support for our Vietnam objectives".2Sources1Pardon This Soldier (And Set Him Free) (Merritt Jordan) 001↩2RN: The Memoirs of Richard Nixon (Richard Nixon, 2013)↩

Annotation by Justin A. Brummer

Lyrics

English: Oh Mr. President won't you set him free / He was doing his job for you and for me / He was fighting for our country, we can all plainly see / Won't you please pardon this soldier (and set him free) / It was the last day in March in 1971 / A soldier was waiting for judgement for what he'd done / Why he loved his country and served best he knew how... / Standing there so straight and tall the verdict was read to him / 'We the jury find you guilty of this crime and hereby sent you to prison' / To do hard labour until the end of his time / With tears in our eyes we watched them take him away / The soldier from our good old USA / Yes he was willing to die for our freedom

Notes

endorsement from the state Governor George Wallace on the back of the picture sleeve: "Dear Announcer: This song "Pardon This Soldier" expresses some of my sentiments concerning Lt. Calley's appeal for freedom. I feel that your listening audience would appreciate hearing the words and music. George C. Wallace, Governor" Plaza 45-108 (9118), Side 1, mono, white "Radio Station Copy" label; "Pardon This Soldier (And Set Him Free)", written and sung by Merritt Jordan, 3:36, Acuff-Rose BMI; address 2832 Lansdowne Dr., Montgomery, Ala. 36111, phone 205-262-1560. The sleeve reproduces a letter on State of Alabama, Governor's Office, Montgomery letterhead dated April 9, 1971 and signed by George C. Wallace, Governor: "Dear Announcer: This song, 'Pardon This Soldier,' expresses some of my sentiments concerning Lt. Calley's appeal for freedom. I feel that your listening audience would appreciate…

Themes

My Lai · Patriotic · Pro-Calley · Nixon · Calley-Justice · Wallace · Pro-Soldier

In collections

My Lai & Lt. William Calley Songs · US 'Patriotic' / Pro-Government / Anti-Protest Songs [War Years]