Salute the Boys of Vietnam

Annotation

Josiah Cephas Weaver, born 9 October 1941 in Virginia, USA released the post-war patriotic track "Salute the Boys of Vietnam" (Wild Turkey Records # WT 7719) in memory of his friend who died in Vietnam - "in 1986, Josiah penned another 'rock house song' in memory of an 18 year old Dunedin friend and soldier, who died in Vietnam. That song, 'Salute the Boys of Vietnam', was recognized in the Congressional Record on October 16th of that same year by Senator Sasser from Tennessee".1 The narrator recalled the soldier heading out to war and the conflict: "leaving home...to fight a war...crawling through the jungle in Vietnam". The song then paid tribute to those who fought in the war, referencing the memorial in Washington D.C.: "remember those...names...on the Wall". The song also referenced medals and "ribbons of war" - another way that a country / government paid tribute to a soldier. The line "memories of a battle that is no more" may be a minor reference to PTSD. Released on Weaver's on label Wild Turkey Records, based in Clearwater, Florida, USA. Distributed by Fischer & Lucus, Inc. (Nashville, Tennessee, USA). Writing credit went to J.C. Weaver, Maynard Weaver, Jack Brown, and Joddy James. Produced by J.C. Weaver and Jack Brown.Sources1majorgrahammansion.com: Josiah cephas weaver (archived copy)↩

Annotation by Justin A. Brummer

Annotation — Veterans Memorial Wall Songs

Josiah Cephas Weaver, born 9 October 1941 in Virginia, USA released the post-war patriotic track "Salute the Boys of Vietnam" (Wild Turkey Records # WT 7719) in memory of his friend who died in Vietnam - "in 1986, Josiah penned another 'rock house song' in memory of an 18 year old Dunedin friend and soldier, who died in Vietnam. That song, 'Salute the Boys of Vietnam', was recognized in the Congressional Record on October 16th of that same year by Senator Sasser from Tennessee".1 The narrator recalled the soldier heading out to war and the conflict: "leaving home...to fight a war...crawling through the jungle in Vietnam". The song then paid tribute to those who fought in the war, referencing the memorial in Washington D.C.: "remember those...names...on the Wall". The song also referenced medals and "ribbons of war" - another way that a country / government paid tribute to a soldier. The line "memories of a battle that is no more" may be a minor reference to PTSD. Released on Weaver's on label Wild Turkey Records, based in Clearwater, Florida, USA. Distributed by Fischer & Lucus, Inc. (Nashville, Tennessee, USA). Writing credit went to J.C. Weaver, Maynard Weaver, Jack Brown, and Joddy James. Produced by J.C. Weaver and Jack Brown. Sources1majorgrahammansion.com: Josiah cephas weaver (archived copy)↩

Annotation by Justin A. Brummer

Lyrics

English: Leaving home with papers in hand / To fight a war that no one understands / Trying to be a man in this strange land / Crawling through the jungle in Vietnam / We salute the boys of Vietnam / We salute the ones that gave it all / We salute the boys of Vietnam / We salute the one that had to fall / Shining medal and ribbons of a war / Memories of a battle that is no more / Fighting boys of America who stood tall / Remember those whose names are on the Wall / We salute the boys of Vietnam

Notes

Wild Turkey Records WT 7719 A (U-17124), stereo, marked "D J Copy"; "Salute the Boys of Vietnam" (J. C. Weaver - Maynard Weaver - Jack Brown - Joddy James), Wild Turkey Music BMI, 3:04 plus fade; produced by Jack Brown and J.C. Weaver, ©℗ 1986. Distributed by Fischer & Lucus Inc., 50 Music Square West 902, Nashville, TN 37203. [From the record sleeve and labels]

About the artist

Josiah Cephas Weaver (born 1941 in Virginia), who recorded variously as J.C. Weaver and as Josiah, was an American country singer, songwriter and producer whose output was scattered across small independent labels of Virginia and West Virginia and was later anthologised by Bear Family. "Salute The Boys Of Vietnam", which he co-produced with Jack Brown, was cut in 1986 at WTM Studios in Clearwater, Florida and issued as U 17124, appearing the following year on the compilation 'WTM Recordings Volume One' and subsequently in Bear Family's thirteen-disc set '...Next Stop Is Vietnam: The War On…

Themes

Patriotic · Medals · PTSD · Draft · Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall

In collections

Draft Songs · PTSD Songs · Veterans Memorial Wall Songs