Intro: (x2) Said goodbye to his mama as he left South Dakota To fight for the red, white and blue He was 19 and green with a new M-16 Just doin' what he had to do He was dropped in the jungle where the choppers would rumble With the smell of napalm in the air Then the sergeant said, look up ahead Like a dark evil cloud 1200 came down On him and 29 more They fought for their lives but most of them died In the 173rd airborne On the 8th of November the angels were cryin' As they carried his brothers away With the fire raining down and the hell all around There were few men left standing that day Saw the eagle fly through a clear blue sky 1965, the 8th of November Now he's 58 and his ponytail's gray But the battle still plays in his head He limps when he walks but he's strong when he talks Bout the shrapnel left in his leg He puts on a gray suit over his airborne tattoo And he ties it on one time a year (one strum) And remembers the fallin' as he order's a tall one Swallows it down with his tears (one strum) Saw the eagle fly through a clear blue sky (one strum each) 1965 x2 (1st 4 lines then whole thing) Said goodbye to his mama as he left South Dakota To fight for the red, white and blue He was 19 and green with a new M-16 Just doin' what he had to do **************************************************** I just picked this one up Saturday night from a couple of other vets at the VFW. Y'all enjoy.