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The Ballad Of The Green Berets
"The Ballad of the Green Berets" is a patriotic song in the ballad style about the United States Army Special Forces. It is one of the few popular songs of the Vietnam War years to cast the military in a positive light and in 1966 became a major hit, reaching No. 1 for five weeks on the Hot 100 and four weeks on Cashbox. It was also a crossover hit, reaching No. 1 on ''Billboard'' Easy Listening chart and No. 2 on ''Billboard'' Country survey. ''Billboard'' ranked it in its year-end chart for 1966, while it tied for first with "California Dreamin'" by the Mamas and the Papas in ''Cash Box'' year-end rankings. The song was written by then- Staff Sergeant or "SSG" Barry Sadler, beginning when he was training to be a Special Forces medic. The author Robin Moore, who wrote the book ''The Green Berets'', helped Sadler write the lyrics and get a recording contract with RCA Records. The demo of the song was produced in a rudimentary recording studio at Fort Bragg, with the help of Gerry ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Barry Sadler
Barry Allen Sadler (November 1, 1940 – November 5, 1989) was an American soldier, singer/songwriter, and author. Sadler served as a Green Beret medic, achieving the rank of Staff Sergeant. He served in the Vietnam War from late December 1964 to late May 1965. Most of his work has a military theme, and he is best known for his patriotic "Ballad of the Green Berets," a #1 hit in 1966. He died at age 49 after being shot in the head in Guatemala City. Early life Sadler was born in Carlsbad, New Mexico, the second son of John Sadler and Bebe Littlefield of Phoenix, Arizona. According to Sadler's autobiography, ''I'm A Lucky One'', his father developed a successful plumbing and electrical business in Carlsbad and owned several farms in the area. He describes his mother as managing restaurants and bars, and at times, games in casinos. The family relocated often. His parents divorced when Sadler was five, and his father died not long after at age 36 from a rare form of nervous system ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
