To Mom - With Glory

Annotation

The song "To Mom - With Glory" (Broadcast Records # B-003) by the obscure country artist Jimmy Coates, discussed both the hell of war, while taking a pro-government, patriotic position. It took the form of a letter written in the first person, from a surgeon soldier, who had "transferred...to Vietnam...about 40 miles below Saigon", addressed to his mother back in the US. The soldier spoke in some detail of the difficulties of combat in the jungle: "we've lost all of our gear, our ammunition all got wet, our food supply is so low", while the Vietcong "cut off all our road passages". He then provided specific details of their current battle, in which the VC killed their commanding officer, and so the narrator had to take over the platoon. He reported that the men were "scarred, they're crying...I'm shaking like a leaf", as they were "pinned behind some bushes" for "the last 14 hours". However, he ended the letter on defiant note, declaring that "we are the greatest nation" and that "we want the whole world know what we are fighting for". Largely spoken-word, American the Beautiful played in the background.Other "Fighting For" - related songs: Dave Dudley - "What We're Fighting For" (1965) Lonesome Valley Singers - "It's All Worth Fighting For" (1965) Ernest Tubb - "It's for God, and Country, and You Mom (That's Why I'm Fighting in Viet Nam)" (1965) Maybelle Carter - "I Told Them What You're Fighting For" (1966) Tom Parrott - "The Freedoms We've Been Fighting For" (1967) Phil Ochs - "What Are You Fighting For" (1974) Jimmy Coates - "To Mom - With Glory"

Annotation by Justin A. Brummer

Lyrics

English: Hello mom, remember when I was a kid, when anything troubled me I would come to you / I'd tell you my troubles, you'd give me advice... / But mom, it's a little different now since I've been in the army I'm on my own... / I've been transferred now to Vietnam, we are about 40 miles below Saigon... / I'm really worried now, I don't even know if we'll get there / They've cut off all our road passages and we're trying to make it through the swamps... / We've lost all of our gear, our ammunition all got wet, our food supply is so low it is all about gone... / Our commanding officer got killed two days ago and now I am left in charge / But what even can a surgeon do when every direction we turn they are firing on us / I've got some boys with me that have never seen combat before, they're scarred, they're crying... / Mom...I need you now, I'm shaking like a leaf, I can't even see the sky / It's raining so hard, we are pinned behind...bushes and we've been here the last 14 hours... / Mom we'll make it, we have...to prove that we are the greatest nation that ever was... / Let the voices ring out we want the whole world know what we are fighting for

Notes

Broadcast Records, "Subsidiary of Tornado Records U.S.A.", 45 RPM #B-003 (TK4M-8394), Side One; "To Mom — With Glory" (Coates), recitation with group/vocal background, 3:24, Live-Wire Music and WelDee Music (BMI). [From the record sleeve and labels]

Themes

Patriotic · Soldier's Perspective · Combat · Fighting For · Saigon

In collections

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