Battle Hymn of Lt. Calley
(Tune: Battle Hymn of the Republic)
My name is William Calley, I'm a soldier of this land
I've tried to do my duty and to gain the upper hand,
But they've made me out a villain, they have stamped me with a brand
As we go marching on.
I'm just another soldier from the shores of U.S.A,
Forgotten on a battlefield ten thousand miles away
While life goes on as usual from New York to Santa Fe
As we go marching on.
I've seen my buddies ambushed on the left and on the right,
And their youthful bodies riddled by the bullets of the night
Where all the rules are broken and the only law is might
As we go marching on.
While we're fighting in the jungles, they were marching in the street,
While we're dying in the rice fields they were helping our defeat
While we're facing V.C. bullets they were sounding a retreat
As we go marching on.
With our sweat we took the bunkers, with our tears we took the plain,
With our blood we took the mountain and they gave it back again
Still all of us are soldiers we're too busy to complain
As we go marching on.
When I reach my final campground in that land beyond the sun,
And the Great Commander asks me, "Did you fight or did you run?"
I'll stand both straight and tall, stripped of medals, rank and gun,
and this is what I'll say:
"Sir, I followed all my orders and I did the best I could;
It's hard to judge the enemy and hard to tell the good,
Yet there's not a man among us would not have understood.
As we go marching on.
We took the jungle village exactly like they said,
We responded to their rifle fire with everything we had.
And when the smoke had cleared away a hundred souls lay dead.
As we go marching on.
Sir, the soldier that's alive is the only one can fight,
There's no other way to wage a war when the only one in sight
That you're sure is not a V.C. is your buddy on your right.
As we go marching on.
When all the wars are over and the battle's finally won,
Count me only as a soldier who never left his gun
With the right to serve my country as the only prize I've won.
As we go marching on."
(For those of you too young to remember
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/My_lai.)
