I never know how to feel about such things. If he was singing about the Stormtroopers, it would make me queasy, and it's disturbing to think that his last request as he dies in action would be that his son be a Green Beret. And yet, there can be little doubt that the world has long been a place were standing armies were a characteristic of society, and therein humans physically and mentally fashioned themselves into fighting and dying beings, and in that context there was a range of human experience that transends political critique. My father grew up watching war movies and westerns, and dropped enough college credits to become drafted into the Vietnam War. Not long after being there in the army, his sargeant almost kicked the shit out of him for writing "I want to go home." on his helmet. He survived, but not all of his friends did.
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A young vet that I know was at the bar last night. He has been mentally damaged by his wartime service. It had been several years since he had gone on face book to check up on the men he served with. He had known 4 men in his company that had died up to that point. He decided that he had to find out who else he had lost for memorial day. 11 more men in his company had died in the last few years, several by their own hand. He was pretty much a wreck. He's a stoic guy and he was a stoic mess but I know him well enough to know that he was spinning. A company is 100-200 men, 7-15% of the guys he served with were dead. This was the only time this young ex-marine has opened up to me about his service. Other guys at the bar didn't know his story, wished him a happy memorial day, thought he was going to break down. He asked me to play taps, I told him we would finish the night with it. He stood like an iron rod, saluting to Taps, tears on his face. Didn't kick him out with the rest and talked to him for 15 minutes. Whatever I said was inadequate, he felt very alone and out of place in this world.
Barry Saddler is Jingoistic schlock, I still like to listen to in memorial day and veterans day. I'm going to finish my professional memorial day with Taps from now on.