A Mother's Salute to Lt. Calley

Annotation

Similar to the single above, the song "A Mother's Salute to Lt. Calley" (Colony "13" Records # CSP 45-2580) blamed the government and society for sending Calley to war. Released by Jamie Reeves, in Nashville, Tennessee, she narrated the track from the perspective of an American mother who wanted to voice her opinion. She noted that Uncle Sam took young teenage men and "put a gun in their hands" and sent "them to Vietnam". She argued that the army trained the soldiers to "shoot to kill, fire at will" and "blindly obey orders". Thus, she declared Calley a "real soldier...brave and true", who did his duty in the correct way. She sent a message to Calley: "we, the mothers of this great land, we salute you". The track also expressed patriotic and pro-government sentiments, describing the Vietnam conflict as "fighting for the freedom of our land". Yet, it also strongly criticised the government for its treatment of Calley: "they blackened your name and they stripped you of your pride". At the end of the track, Reeves stated her belief that the real judge would be god, whom she petitioned to "set him free".

Annotation by Justin A. Brummer

Lyrics

English: As the mother of two teenage boys I'd like this land of ours to hear a mother's voice / They take our boys that are not even grown and put a gun in their hands and send them to Vietnam / They give them orders, shoot to kill, fire at will... / I wonder how we'd measure up would we blindly obey orders and fire that gun or like a coward turn and run? / From the time they take them they teach them to fight and first of all obey orders... / And so Lt. Calley, as a mother who loves his sons, a salute you for what you've done... / They tell you that you are fighting for the freedom of our land and then they take away your freedom... / They blackened your name and they stripped you of your pride, but we mothers are on your side / I know it wasn't easy to do what you had to do but like a real soldier you stand brave and true / And there is a greater judge...a mightier judge...and we petition him, dear god set him free / So Lt. Calley, we the mothers of this great land, we salute you

Themes

My Lai · Soldier's Perspective · Pro-Soldier · Anti-War · Anti-Government · Pro-Calley · Calley-Order · Calley-Justice · Religion

In collections

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