Soldier's Last Letter

Annotation

This LP, which included the patriotic song "Hello Vietnam", also had some other Vietnam / war related tracks (Decca Records # DL 74698) which fit into the plight of the soldier category.1 First up, the track "Pretty Little Vietnamese", composed by Terry Fell, in which Wright took the role of a soldier who fell in love with a Vietnamese girl while away at war. The second song was a cover of the classic, popular country music track "Dear John Letter", composed by Billy Barton, ..., and Lewis Talley, and made famous during the Korean War by Jean Shepard (A Dear John Letter). Like the track above, Wright sung from a soldier's perspective, receiving a letter while "overseas in battle". His now ex-girlfriend requested he send back her photo, as she has now "wed your brother Don". Finally, Wright covered another famous country track - "Soldier's Last Letter" - composed by Redd Stewart and Ernest Tubb during the Second World War. As suggested in the title, a soldier wrote his last letter - addressed to his mother - before being killed in battle. The mother prayed to "protect all the sons" and to "keep America free" - so ending on a patriotic note. Sources1lpdiscography.com↩

Annotation by Justin A. Brummer

Annotation — US 'Patriotic' / Pro-Government / Anti-Protest Songs

This LP, which included the patriotic song "Hello Vietnam", also had some other Vietnam / war related tracks (Decca Records # DL 74698) which fit into the soldier's perspective category, including "Pretty Little Vietnamese" and a cover of the classic, popular country music track "Dear John Letter", composed by Billy Barton, Fuzzy Owen, and Lewis Talley, and made famous during the Korean War by Jean Shepard ("A Dear John Letter"). Finally, Wright covered another famous country track - "Soldier's Last Letter" - composed by Redd Stewart and Ernest Tubb during the Second World War. As suggested in the title, a soldier wrote his last letter - addressed to his mother - before being killed in battle. The mother prayed to "protect all the sons" and to "keep America free" - so ending on a patriotic note.

Annotation by Justin A. Brummer

Lyrics

English: Dear mom...I'm writing this down in the trench... / Then the mother's old hands began to tremble / And she fouled against tears in her eyes / But they came unashamed for there was no name / And she knew that her darling had died... / She prayed Lord above hear my plea / And protect all the sons that are fighting tonight / And dear god keep America free

About the artist

Born 13 May 1914, Mount Juliet, Tennessee, USA. Died 27 September 2011, Madison, Tennessee, USA

Themes

Home Front Perspective · Soldier's Perspective · K.I.A. · Patriotic · WW2 · Combat

In collections

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