That War in Vietnam
So long ago, so far away
When I was young and brave
We fought a war without a cause
For those we could not save.
With mighty arms and bigger bombs
We killed them by the dozens
But they were small and smart and shrewd
And patient—right down to their cousins.
With tons of bombs and body counts
We beat them ten to one.
How could they last, attrition rates
Said they would soon be done.
But that land was theirs they had few cares
About old Ho Chi Minh
That war was about their heritage
And if they had the will to win.
And sure enough when TV screens
Showed our men were getting killed
And all could see that war was hell
And real blood was being spilled.
Support among the public fell
With every bomb we dropped
The politics of war collapsed
That war would soon be stopped.
And so we left a war behind
One we could never win
It was not our cause and not our time
And not our tale to spin.
So now I ask, what did we learn?
The water’s still so muddy
The truth is always first to fall
And wars are always cruddy.
Defend our homes defend our shores
Defend those things we know
But when asked to fight another’s cause
Let’s firmly say “hell no.”
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Chip Bergeron
Ron