Billy wrote this at the request of his friends who went to Vietnam. He was hesitant because he wasn’t there, but his friends said we’ll tell you what it was like and you write it. With his friend’s description and Billy’s ability to paint a lyrical picture you feel like you are there. He does bring vets on stage to perform the chorus with him. Very emotional. Great reaction and pick for Memorial Day.
My Cousin sings a Memorial Day Song Dedicated to the Women who served. *"Jeff Strahan - Gonna Be Blue"* #ua-cam.com/video/Gcnw_1txfF8/v-deo.htmlsi=2VJpC_Ew8qwy2doX Get your hankies.
I so hate to say this. But when our ex prez called our vets " lovers and suckers" he called it a bunch in the gut. No onethem ould have changed him a afterwards.
My husband just passed away due to Agent Orange effects. He was 101st Airborne. Medistatic cancer. I take my hat off to all of you. Thank you and I'm truly sorry for the way you were treated when you came home. No one deserves to be treated that way.
Vietnam Veterans were treated so horribly when they finally came home from the horrors they endured. Can you imagine? You've served your country and return home to be spit on, vilified and blamed for something that you had no control over. It is terribly sad.
Called baby killers. You couldn’t get a job. Many try to blend back in the community but either hijack through the US or bought cargo vans putting beds in them and just travel around. I remember it well. Man I was to marry came home a shell of the person he use to be. He got the van, married 9 years later only to fall back into drugs. You need to watch Good Morning Vietnam.
Sadly Vietnam era vets were treated the worst out of all our veterans. My dad came back alive (whole physically and mentally). I can trace my family all way back to the Revolutionary War, Spanish American War, World War 2, Vietnam and Korea... We believe in fighting to protect. I feel sooo much sadness for anyone who has lost a loved one that was fighting in a war.
Shame how were treated but "no control" is false....no one has to go to war...even with prison or being killed yourself, can't be forced to do anything you don't want to do
It really is. It didn't get the airplay that his other songs did, but fans knew how good it was. WLS-FM 94.7 in Chicago played it a couple of times a day at least while on charts.
You can’t compare Vietnam to any other war. Remember there was a draft. Our boys never had a choice or a chance. This war was fought in jungles and the warfare was brutal with stories of inhuman torture and conditions. The boys witnessed horrific loss of life. They used drugs to cope. And those who made it home were spat on, for going to war. Even though the draft gave them no choice to go, or to go to jail or to leave the country forever. My cousin was 28 when he came home. Addicted, schizophrenic, and within a year he lost his wife and kids, he was arrested for violence to his mom, sent to an institution for the insane, escaped and was found dead on a beach in Florida. I repeat, he was 28. I was very young but the most powerful thing I remember was the evening news. At the end of the show, they would scroll the names, ages and home state, over the TV screen like the credits at the end of a movie. Hundreds of names of dead or missing boys, everyday. As I child I was horrified but watched it intently until it was over. In my childish mind, it was the least I could do. Memorial Day 2024. Freedom is not free.
@@jss27560 Exactly and the conditions of the war location were completely different. Land air and sea. Vietnam was topical jungle and warfare ranged from drugs to torture.
Thank you for a great tribute to Vietnam Veterans who deserve their accolades. They were treated terribly upon the end of the conflict, ostracized by older vets and the public. My childhood saw many drafted and leave town never to return. My brother was not drafted, but cousins and family friends were. May all those who passed rest in peace.
My uncle was one of them, he struggled for years but got his life together, lived long enough to finally be honored for his service and only passed 2 years ago from a battle with cancer from his service, caused by the US chemical weapon Agent Orange, and then stricken by Covid. Thank you for your words, it really means a lot that people keep perspective about that conflict and the plight of the soldiers upon their return to this country. They didn’t deserve the treatment they got.
My uncle, a soldier from new zealand went to vietnam. He is dying - agent orange. Sad that so many young men died, forever injured or changed. They deserve respect.
Another lie by the government. Agent Orange never existed!! Oddly enough, my brother also passed away due to complications from Agent Orange that they have finally started to recognize and admit to. He was also a gunner rescuing wounded so they could be brought back to the medical units for treatment. Thank you for your husband’s service ❤️
My loss was many years post-war, too. My brother, helicopter engineer, pilot, and body-bagger, lost his life to agent orange in 2002. RIP Pvt 1st Class James P. Stephens, and all who have served and sacrificed.
Yes, the group of men singing with him were all Vietnam veterans. Billy Joel is one of our great modern storytellers, and he doesn't shy away from many, if any, topics. He has another song about how the Cold War ended for him, called "Leningrad".
This was a war that should have never been fought, it was all for naught. All those young people died for a lie. When they came home, they were spat on and disrespected, even though they heeded the call and fought valiantly. The politicians lied and people died. My husband was a Vietnam veteran, he was luckier than most and lived, he told some horrible stories, but mostly he did not like to talk about it. On this Memorial day, let's remember and honor all the men and boys who gave their life. Never forget!
One of the hardest things for this generation’s young men is that their fathers proudly served in WWII and they were honored as heroes. But these men who served in Vietnam were harassed, spit on, called baby killers by people when they came back. So many of them became mentally ill. Homeless. It is a dark time in our history. Lifting them up this Memorial Day.
I think the lines "And who was wrong, and who was right? / It didn't matter in the thick of the fight" sums up what you said about the lyrics not being explicit, while still capturing the emotions and relatability. It doesn't hit you over the head with one opinion or another, it just tells a story from the POV of a soldier in the middle of it all, and it's up to you to feel what you feel. And yes, those were veterans singing the chorus onstage. When Billy used to do this live, he would bring up servicemembers and first responders from whatever city he was playing in to sing the chorus (it was especially poignant when he performed this after 9/11).
I am reminded of the film "Glory", set in the US Civil War. All these soldiers volunteering to fight for a just cause in Massachusetts, including the black population, them marching down the Main Street of the town in their clean uniforms, looking already like heroes. And it doesn't take long for the terror and the grime of war to give them a reality check. At the end of the film (based on a true story), the black regiment headed with the ethical white officer are sent against a fort on the edge of the South Carolina coast. They KNOW they will lose, but they attack the Rebel fort with all their heart and might, die in the mud, and are all rolled into a mass grave the next morning. No soldier signs up for that, and no government informs them of that before they sign away their personal rights. And no young person seeking glory believes they will die in the conflict.
Lost my uncle to the war in Vietnam…he was only 19. He died a hero, saved many men in his final hours. I never got to meet my Uncle Richard. Sending love and prayers to everyone who lost a family member to war. A resounding THANK YOU to anyone serving or who has served.
My loss was many years post-war. My brother, helicopter engineer, pilot, and body-bagger, lost his life to agent orange in 2002. RIP Pvt 1st Class James P. Stephens, and all who have served and sacrificed.
My husband is 12 years older than I am. He grew up in an orphanage....rules were you stay, either you graduated high school or turned 18. My husband graduated at the age of 17. the draft was in place, so he joined the US Navy...cause he figured that you can't land a ship on dry ground. After boot camp, he was assigned to the US KITTY HAWK. She was an aircraft carrier. But, what he did not know, they had beach assignments. He wound up , boots on the ground in Vietnam. He was there for 2.5 yes before he was shot by the Vietcong. He , survived and went back to the USS Kitty Hawk. I thank God everyday for him. I thought that you should know!😊
My father served 20 years in the military, specifically the Army! He had two tours in Nam! He spoke about how when he came home and was walking through the airport, he was called baby killer and spat on. I just lost him a few months ago. This is the first Memorial Day without him. Miss you dad! Thank you for this great tribute to Vietnam veterans!
I’m so sorry for the loss of your father. My brother also served as a gunner on a mash unit helicopter going in under fire to rescue the wounded and get them back for medical treatment. He served our great country for 36 years. He passed away a few years ago at the age of 70 due to complications from Agent Orange that the government still claims was untrue. He, like your father are HEROES. God Bless our men and women in uniform and may God keep them safe. I thank you for your father’s service.
The movie Born on the Fourth of July encapsulates this sentiment beautifully. It stars Tom Cruise as a real life vet named Ron Kovic. The idea that Cruise does not have an Oscar for that performance is a crime.
Billy Joel is quite a master storyteller...and person. I was fortunate enough to see him live. His show is ALL about the music. No big show, no pyro, no flashy costume, just him, the bad and the music. And I have to say...no auto tune. ;)
Ive seen this live many times at the Garden and out in Nassau too and it's chilling. My dad served in WWII he hated Nam. He always got upset how they Vets were treated. My cousins both served and one developed Hodgkins disease due to agent orange. He left 3 little boys and a young wife. As someone mentioned Friends of Billy asked him to write this and yes the people singing with him are Vietnam Vets. This song to this day gives me chills
My uncle was a Green Bert in the 101st Air Born and fought in Nam. He earned a Bronze Star and Purple Heart. He told me years after he retired from the army that a lot of guys came back with a lot of wounds both seen and unseen. He said when he got on the plane to go home for the last time that he had two choices to make. He said he could take Nam home with him or leave it there. He said he chose to leave it there. I also had three second cousins that are siblings and they took turns rotating thru Nam fighting. They all survived. My husband was in the Air Force during Nam. He talked about being spit on and verbally abused when walking around stateside in his uniform. I never understood why people were so hateful to our military men. That was a sad time and the vets in my family never talked much about it. God Bless all of you that have served both during wars and during peace.
My husband turned 75 on Sunday and served in Vietnam. Between that experience and his horrible childhood, how he didn't become a serial killer or worse I'll never know. Instead, he is a Buddhist and is pursuing his PhD. I am the daughter of a WWII vet and am so proud of my dad, my husband, and all our veterans.
There is an older gentleman mid 70’s probably, who comes into work. He’s African American, has a grey Mohawk haircut, and he’s got an old army top that’s got some of his accoutrements from Vietnam on it. A couple of years ago, on Memorial Day weekend I saw him and I first said something like this to him, “I know I’m not supposed to thank you for your service this weekend, but would you please let me thank you as a surrogate for your brothers and sisters who never made it home?” He likes that. He told me that’s acceptable to him. So, he and I have been doing this for a couple of years and I got to say it this past Saturday.
My father was in Vietnam as a pilot dropping Agent Orange and Napalm all over the jungles on 2 tours. I was 6 when he came home the last time. Our vets were treated so bad that for his first 10 years home he spent a lot of time seeing Therapist's to help him deal with the after affects of what he saw and dealing with buddies he lost in the war. He wanted to go back after the war because he felt like as an enemy he was treated better there than here at home.R.I.P. dad❤😢
This is so sad. My brother also was treated poorly as well as many others who were lucky enough to come home. The war affected him badly but, as he said, his treatment on returning home was worse for him than being in the war. That says plenty!
@@bwana-ma-coo-bah425 Sorry you had to go through it..I know it was tough and not a good situation for anyone that had to go to Vietnam. Our military got screwed all the way around for just following orders...SO SAD.
My father was in Vietnam from 1960-1961 and from 1962-1969. The stories he told and the way they were treated was awful but he said he would do it again. He was an MP
The Nylon Curtain was not his biggest album saleswise, but for me, its his masterpiece. This song and " pressure" were his creative peak. He was going way outside his comfort zone
The boys in the pictures are the old men you see at the grocery store that are going as well as they can. Im 78. I lose two buddies a year to Agent Orange. "They were killed in Vietnam, they just havent died yet." Great reaction. Thanks.
A friend sent me a cassette tape radio first termer from Vietnam. And I still have it awesome 👍😎 And Hanoi Jane made people think badly of our veterans she doesn't know how many lives she has affected negatively and I am a veteran
When I hear this song, it brings back so many memories and Billy nailed the emotions so well, even though he wasn't there. Vietnam screwed up so many men and women for NOTHING! I remember sitting in our QRT vehicle, watching the rockets coming in. RIP Steve.
Thanks for doing this one! Such a well written song. At concerts, he does indeed bring out Vietnam vets to sing the chorus. The Billy Joel rabbit hole is a deep one. May I suggest "Scenes from an Italian Restaurant," which was originally just fragments of several songs that he put together into one of his most beloved stadium/arena concert songs. Also, "Always a Woman."
Vietnam was the war of my generation. I am from a very small town in Ohio. I lost four friends fighting in the war and one who died from Agent Orange exposure. I am now 79 years old and to this day I cannot watch a movie about Vietnam. This is the first time I have listened to a song about the war, and never will again. Every day the evening news showed video clips of the war ... they were haunting then and still haunt me today. Bless those who went to war as a youngster and came back home as a soldier. RIP to those who did not come home.
My loss was many years post-war. My brother, helicopter engineer, pilot, and body-bagger, lost his life to agent orange in 2002. RIP Pvt 1st Class James P. Stephens, and all who have served and sacrificed. Small town Ohio, too -- just outside Cincy.
My father’s dad died in his 50s from industrial disease working in factories. My father left college to support his sisters and mother but was drafted in 1966. He said in DC cab drivers wouldn’t pick him up in uniform. He has always been bitter at the government, the lies in Vietnam, and forbid any of us from joining the military.
Dammit I had almost been able to get the taste out of my mouth! The way we shipped them over there like fodder! And the they were spit on when they managed to get home! Can we ever learn? God help us young one, I can’t watch anymore.
This reminds me of why my focus on presenting Quilts of Valor is on the Vietnam Veterans. Every time I present a quilt I tell myself that I won’t cry this time. I cry every time. There’s truly no way to appropriately say, “Thank you.” I try my best to say it with a quilt stitched with love.
My step-dad the late William Franklin "Frank" Russ was in Vietnam when the US gotten fully involved in the war in 1965 which he served with the First Cavalry Division at Ahn Khe, South Vietnam. He supported the 7th Cavalry Regiment and the 229th Aviation Battalion (Air Mobile) with supplies fuel during the Battle of LZ X-Ray witch Mel Gibson's movie "When We Were Soldiers And Young" was about. Anyways, Saigon was the capital of South Vietnam until the NVA and the Vietcong rolled into Saigon in 1975, two years after we left the war. The city was renamed Ho Chi Mia City a short time later. Anyways, my step-dad would get emotional when heard this song.
These men and women, the scars they carry. My uncle never spoke of his time there and he didn't need to. He was different when he came back. In '80 maybe '81 he had his "break" when I learned some of the horror he went through. I won't go into the details but let's just say his flashback was so intense that he was back there. The police, firemen and EMTs were so afraid of him they wouldn't get close to him because they didn't know if he would attack them or not. My mom was the one who go through to him. She was able to calm him, get him into the ambulance and to the VA. (Don't even get me started on the freaking red tape needed to get treatment!!!! Then and now!) It could have gone bad.....really bad but he got lucky, found a compassionate Dr. and found the right therapist. He found his solace in the middle of nowhere training horses, helping disabled children and going to his AA meetings. It still saddens me how many of our Veterans are out there still suffering.
My mother cannot listen to this song. At. All. Joel’s ability to paint pictures in your head makes this song far too vivid for her to endure. The man is an incredible artist. ❤️❤️❤️
I worked for an engineering company. One of my program managers flew C 130s along with helicopters evacuating people from Saigon in rotation just up and down up and down up and down in complete darkness, and he described the fall of Saigon to me and it just blew me away.
I remember the war era. So many men of my age never came back or came back so mentally and/ or physically broken that then never returned to their old selves. I felt the loss throughout the decades.
My loss was many years post-war. My brother, helicopter engineer, pilot, and body-bagger, lost his life to agent orange in 2002. RIP Pvt 1st Class James P. Stephens, and all who have served and sacrificed.
I just lost my last Uncle a few weeks ago, who served in Vietnam (actually three of my uncles served and all three survived, TG). So it took me awhile to listen to this reaction of a powerful and moving song. Anything Billy Joel sings has emotion, but this seems to hit harder for those who had family and friends who served in Vietnam. For the most part, those veterans were treated like dog crap because most Americans didn't believe in the reasons for going to war and losing their sons. But they were doing their duty and doing it with honor. They deserve our respect - unlike a few certain ex-Presidents who dodged the draft.
I have seen Billy Joel many times in concert. This song is so powerful. He usually starts it with the sound of helicopters overhead. Yes, he always has a few Veterans come on stage for this song. A husband of a friend was drafted at 17. He told my husband that as soon as they got off of the helicopter they had to fall to the ground because bullets were flying over their heads. I am furious at how these Veterans were treated when they got home!!!!!! Love your reaction.
Billy Joel is a master of story telling along with an amazing voice and musical talents. I was a teen during the 70’s and remember how horrible Vietnam was and how bad the solders were treated when they returned from a war they did not want to fight. How were they suppose to have had a normal existence after the horrible things they saw and were a part of. It’s always the civilians that pay the price for war and they experienced the worst of the worst, unimaginable inhuman atrocities by their own people, North and South Korean military and those of other countries who were fighting for their freedom. I remember not understanding why there was so much hate in the world.
Thank you Vietnam and Korean Vets! The movie you were talking was Good Morning Vietnam. Please keep in mind there was the DRAFT. Many were taken after HS graduation at 18 & 19.
12:22 “They heard the hum of our motors, they counted the rotors, and waited for us to arrive”…..Such a horrific line. They knew how their choppers sounded and the soldiers knew it. So they were basically waiting to die..to all go down together. 😢😢How tragic. How much fear did they experience? 😢😢😢
Talk about lyrics hitting...Billy takes you into the thick of it with his lyrics and his creative musical talents,EVERY TIME! Thank you to all our veterans,especially the ones that were treated poorly...I love you all!🇺🇸💞
Saw this live in Miami a bazillion years ago. Powerful song. Growing up in the Vietnam War era, this song just pierces the heart. 58,000 + American's died in combat and 153,000+ injured.
“We came in spastic, like tameless horses. We left in plastic, as numbered corpses.” These genius lyrics chill me every time I hear this song. These Vietnam soldiers were my classmates and many were little more than babies. Sent to a war that we had no business participating in. They were treated horribly upon their return and many were damaged and received little to no help from the government that sent them to fight. This song is haunting and so profound. Good choice. 🌺✌️
I was born in the 80s but love music from this time. From Dylan to Springsteen, no one made me feel the victims of the draft’s plight more than this song.
Also, that thing he did with his voice adds to the feeling of the song, I believe! Does it several times on the "Hard I" vowel sounds......, i.e...: ........., as sharp as knives, knives, knives, knives.. ........., as dark as night, night, night,, night, night.... • • Thanks Billy for all the music u wrote, That touched Millions of people Across this globe of ours!
Seeing this song performed in concert was especially moving. The helicopter sounds effects were enhanced by lighting that imitated rotors. Then later a spotlight fell on former vets singing the chorus. Very moving experience.
On May 4, 2024, my husband went on the FREEDOM HONOR FLIGHT to Washington DC. They toured all the memorials in Washington DC. When he returned that night…he finally got the welcome home he never got years ago. It was very emotional for him. There were 94 veterans on this trip. He was wounded in Vietnam on April 4 1969. He still suffers from PTSD. GOD BLESS ALL OUR SERVICEMEN!!! Once a Marine, always a Marine!!!
This is a fantastic example of his story telling prowess. He listens to the people who know and cares about their experiences. "Allentown", "Movin' Out", "The Longest Time", "She's Got a Way", "Keeping the Faith", "The Downeaster Alexa", is a short list of his amazing work.
I agree with all of those examples of his great storytelling, I would add Scenes from an Italian restaurant & Miami 2017 (Seen the lights go out on Broadway) which he also performed at a concert after 9/11 for Hero’s from 9/11 at MSG in NY. Also that “thing” he did while singing creating an echo sound he does in other songs too.
Billy performed this song at the Concert for 9/11 at MSG a few weeks after the attacks, and he brought a bunch of cops and firefighters on stage to sing the chorus with him. It was very emotional.
This song always hits home with me. Today I remember my cousin, Terry Dean Mason, who gave his life in Vietnam on September 5, 1969. He was 11 days shy of his 21st birthday. God bless every vet who has served our country ❤️🇺🇸❤️
Billy wrote this at the request of his friends who went to Vietnam. He was hesitant because he wasn’t there, but his friends said we’ll tell you what it was like and you write it. With his friend’s description and Billy’s ability to paint a lyrical picture you feel like you are there. He does bring vets on stage to perform the chorus with him. Very emotional. Great reaction and pick for Memorial Day.
❤️💕
And after 9/11 he started including first responders.
My Cousin sings a Memorial Day Song Dedicated to the Women who served.
*"Jeff Strahan - Gonna Be Blue"*
#ua-cam.com/video/Gcnw_1txfF8/v-deo.htmlsi=2VJpC_Ew8qwy2doX
Get your hankies.
My Cousin sings a Memorial Day Song Dedicated to the Women who served.
*"Jeff Strahan - Gonna Be Blue"*
On youtube
I so hate to say this. But when our ex prez called our vets " lovers and suckers" he called it a bunch in the gut. No onethem ould have changed him a afterwards.
I'm 76 years old, a veteran of Vietnam and I cry every time I hear it!
Thank you, Sir, for your service.
Full disclosure -i'm not a vet but i am of your generation. I cry with you.
Thank you for your service.
I don’t know how you did it, but I want to say thank you. 🙏🏼
My husband just passed away due to Agent Orange effects. He was 101st Airborne. Medistatic cancer. I take my hat off to all of you. Thank you and I'm truly sorry for the way you were treated when you came home. No one deserves to be treated that way.
Vietnam Veterans were treated so horribly when they finally came home from the horrors they endured. Can you imagine? You've served your country and return home to be spit on, vilified and blamed for something that you had no control over. It is terribly sad.
My dad's never came home
It’s a shame how they were treated!! I was a teenager when that war was raging,,
Called baby killers. You couldn’t get a job. Many try to blend back in the community but either hijack through the US or bought cargo vans putting beds in them and just travel around. I remember it well. Man I was to marry came home a shell of the person he use to be. He got the van, married 9 years later only to fall back into drugs.
You need to watch Good Morning Vietnam.
Sadly Vietnam era vets were treated the worst out of all our veterans. My dad came back alive (whole physically and mentally).
I can trace my family all way back to the Revolutionary War, Spanish American War, World War 2, Vietnam and Korea... We believe in fighting to protect.
I feel sooo much sadness for anyone who has lost a loved one that was fighting in a war.
Shame how were treated but "no control" is false....no one has to go to war...even with prison or being killed yourself, can't be forced to do anything you don't want to do
One of Billy’s best. Tears me up every time I hear it. Perfect for Memorial Day.
It really is. It didn't get the airplay that his other songs did, but fans knew how good it was. WLS-FM 94.7 in Chicago played it a couple of times a day at least while on charts.
I am an almost 70 yr old woman. I did not serve, but I too cry every time. My dad was a Navy veteran.
You can’t compare Vietnam to any other war. Remember there was a draft. Our boys never had a choice or a chance. This war was fought in jungles and the warfare was brutal with stories of inhuman torture and conditions. The boys witnessed horrific loss of life. They used drugs to cope. And those who made it home were spat on, for going to war. Even though the draft gave them no choice to go, or to go to jail or to leave the country forever. My cousin was 28 when he came home. Addicted, schizophrenic, and within a year he lost his wife and kids, he was arrested for violence to his mom, sent to an institution for the insane, escaped and was found dead on a beach in Florida. I repeat, he was 28.
I was very young but the most powerful thing I remember was the evening news. At the end of the show, they would scroll the names, ages and home state, over the TV screen like the credits at the end of a movie. Hundreds of names of dead or missing boys, everyday. As I child I was horrified but watched it intently until it was over. In my childish mind, it was the least I could do.
Memorial Day 2024. Freedom is not free.
There was a draft during ww1, ww2, and Korea but we were fighting for different reasons then.
Simon & Garfunkel’s “Silent Night/7 O’Clock News” captures something of this. Decades later, I still tear up 😢💐
💜 😢
@@jss27560 Exactly and the conditions of the war location were completely different. Land air and sea. Vietnam was topical jungle and warfare ranged from drugs to torture.
I remember the scrolling of the dead at the end of the day.
Thank you for a great tribute to Vietnam Veterans who deserve their accolades. They were treated terribly upon the end of the conflict, ostracized by older vets and the public. My childhood saw many drafted and leave town never to return. My brother was not drafted, but cousins and family friends were. May all those who passed rest in peace.
My uncle was one of them, he struggled for years but got his life together, lived long enough to finally be honored for his service and only passed 2 years ago from a battle with cancer from his service, caused by the US chemical weapon Agent Orange, and then stricken by Covid. Thank you for your words, it really means a lot that people keep perspective about that conflict and the plight of the soldiers upon their return to this country. They didn’t deserve the treatment they got.
Welcome home VETS! Those lost will not be forgotten. Our FREEDOM is their legacy! Do not abuse the privileges they fought for.✌
My husband, a door gunner in Vietnam, passed this last Nov. from complications of Agent Orange. He loved this song.
My uncle, a soldier from new zealand went to vietnam. He is dying - agent orange. Sad that so many young men died, forever injured or changed. They deserve respect.
God bless his memory...💞🇺🇸
blame the US government for agent orange.
Another lie by the government. Agent Orange never existed!! Oddly enough, my brother also passed away due to complications from Agent Orange that they have finally started to recognize and admit to. He was also a gunner rescuing wounded so they could be brought back to the medical units for treatment. Thank you for your husband’s service ❤️
My loss was many years post-war, too. My brother, helicopter engineer, pilot, and body-bagger, lost his life to agent orange in 2002. RIP Pvt 1st Class James P. Stephens, and all who have served and sacrificed.
Yes, the group of men singing with him were all Vietnam veterans.
Billy Joel is one of our great modern storytellers, and he doesn't shy away from many, if any, topics. He has another song about how the Cold War ended for him, called "Leningrad".
This was a war that should have never been fought, it was all for naught. All those young people died for a lie. When they came home, they were spat on and disrespected, even though they heeded the call and fought valiantly. The politicians lied and people died. My husband was a Vietnam veteran, he was luckier than most and lived, he told some horrible stories, but mostly he did not like to talk about it. On this Memorial day, let's remember and honor all the men and boys who gave their life. Never forget!
My Marine husband doesn't like to talk about it, either. 😢❤
Thank you for thinking about our heroes who didn't come home on this Memorial Day.
One of the hardest things for this generation’s young men is that their fathers proudly served in WWII and they were honored as heroes. But these men who served in Vietnam were harassed, spit on, called baby killers by people when they came back. So many of them became mentally ill. Homeless. It is a dark time in our history. Lifting them up this Memorial Day.
I was in the USMC and landed at O hare Chicago airport in uniform and was called a Baby killer in 1972 !
@@garyschreiner2266 My father landed in San Deigo and his sister was there with a change of clothes for him. That was in '67. Welcome home, sir.
My generation. Many of the boys from my high school class went straight from graduation. I cry each time I watch this.
These guys aren't losers and suckers. They are our heroes.
Yes indeed. They deserved better then and now.
Exactly 🥲🇺🇸
Thank you!
Well said.
Yes they are!! The ones who sent them are NOT!
I think the lines "And who was wrong, and who was right? / It didn't matter in the thick of the fight" sums up what you said about the lyrics not being explicit, while still capturing the emotions and relatability. It doesn't hit you over the head with one opinion or another, it just tells a story from the POV of a soldier in the middle of it all, and it's up to you to feel what you feel. And yes, those were veterans singing the chorus onstage. When Billy used to do this live, he would bring up servicemembers and first responders from whatever city he was playing in to sing the chorus (it was especially poignant when he performed this after 9/11).
Things are usually more complex than simple right or wrong. He does such an incredible job of telling this story in that way.
I am reminded of the film "Glory", set in the US Civil War. All these soldiers volunteering to fight for a just cause in Massachusetts, including the black population, them marching down the Main Street of the town in their clean uniforms, looking already like heroes. And it doesn't take long for the terror and the grime of war to give them a reality check.
At the end of the film (based on a true story), the black regiment headed with the ethical white officer are sent against a fort on the edge of the South Carolina coast. They KNOW they will lose, but they attack the Rebel fort with all their heart and might, die in the mud, and are all rolled into a mass grave the next morning.
No soldier signs up for that, and no government informs them of that before they sign away their personal rights. And no young person seeking glory believes they will die in the conflict.
Lost my uncle to the war in Vietnam…he was only 19. He died a hero, saved many men in his final hours. I never got to meet my Uncle Richard. Sending love and prayers to everyone who lost a family member to war. A resounding THANK YOU to anyone serving or who has served.
😢😢
i never got to meet my uncle Ted either brother. im sorry.
@@chrisvibz4753Sorry for your loss as well, Chris.
My loss was many years post-war. My brother, helicopter engineer, pilot, and body-bagger, lost his life to agent orange in 2002. RIP Pvt 1st Class James P. Stephens, and all who have served and sacrificed.
My husband is 12 years older than I am. He grew up in an orphanage....rules were you stay, either you graduated high school or turned 18. My husband graduated at the age of 17. the draft was in place, so he joined the US Navy...cause he figured that you can't land a ship on dry ground. After boot camp, he was assigned to the US KITTY HAWK. She was an aircraft carrier. But, what he did not know, they had beach assignments. He wound up , boots on the ground in Vietnam. He was there for 2.5 yes before he was shot by the Vietcong. He , survived and went back to the USS Kitty Hawk. I thank God everyday for him. I thought that you should know!😊
Black Pegasus..pls read my comment. This song still makes him cry.
My Dad R.I.P was in that war he never talked about it. When he was drunk he would sing this song at the top of his lungs.
Great pick for today. Never...forgotten! Ever! ☘️🇺🇲
Some of the best storytelling there is. This song makes me emotional every time I hear it.
Very moving ,thanks for choosing to play this today...🇺🇸
Yes. Good morning Vietnam,! Great performance by robin Williams. 🙂
These guys were just kids. Drafted or volunteered, God bless them.
Those “backup” singers are all veterans. He invites any veterans in the area he is playing to come up on stage and sing with him. I adore this man
Billy had many friends that went to Vietnam, they told him stories and asked him to write a song….this is the masterpiece he came up with!!!!
My father served 20 years in the military, specifically the Army! He had two tours in Nam! He spoke about how when he came home and was walking through the airport, he was called baby killer and spat on. I just lost him a few months ago. This is the first Memorial Day without him. Miss you dad! Thank you for this great tribute to Vietnam veterans!
So sorry for your loss. Thankful for his service. He is truly resting in a very deserved peace.
I'm sorry for your loss. My dad was also in the Vietnam War as a Marine Captain.
I’m so sorry for the loss of your father. My brother also served as a gunner on a mash unit helicopter going in under fire to rescue the wounded and get them back for medical treatment. He served our great country for 36 years. He passed away a few years ago at the age of 70 due to complications from Agent Orange that the government still claims was untrue. He, like your father are HEROES. God Bless our men and women in uniform and may God keep them safe. I thank you for your father’s service.
The movie Born on the Fourth of July encapsulates this sentiment beautifully. It stars Tom Cruise as a real life vet named Ron Kovic. The idea that Cruise does not have an Oscar for that performance is a crime.
The line that always gets me in this song is “they heard the hum of the motors, and counted the rotors, and waited for us to arrive.” 🥺🥺
Billy Joel is quite a master storyteller...and person. I was fortunate enough to see him live. His show is ALL about the music. No big show, no pyro, no flashy costume, just him, the bad and the music. And I have to say...no auto tune. ;)
Chilling song and video.
Ive seen this live many times at the Garden and out in Nassau too and it's chilling. My dad served in WWII he hated Nam. He always got upset how they Vets were treated. My cousins both served and one developed Hodgkins disease due to agent orange. He left 3 little boys and a young wife. As someone mentioned Friends of Billy asked him to write this and yes the people singing with him are Vietnam Vets. This song to this day gives me chills
My uncle was a Green Bert in the 101st Air Born and fought in Nam. He earned a Bronze Star and Purple Heart. He told me years after he retired from the army that a lot of guys came back with a lot of wounds both seen and unseen. He said when he got on the plane to go home for the last time that he had two choices to make. He said he could take Nam home with him or leave it there. He said he chose to leave it there. I also had three second cousins that are siblings and they took turns rotating thru Nam fighting. They all survived. My husband was in the Air Force during Nam. He talked about being spit on and verbally abused when walking around stateside in his uniform. I never understood why people were so hateful to our military men. That was a sad time and the vets in my family never talked much about it. God Bless all of you that have served both during wars and during peace.
It is a very long time since I heard this.
It is as powerful as the first time.
God Bless all the Men and Women who gave their lives for all of us 🙏🏼🇺🇸 Billy Joel is a real one!
My husband turned 75 on Sunday and served in Vietnam. Between that experience and his horrible childhood, how he didn't become a serial killer or worse I'll never know. Instead, he is a Buddhist and is pursuing his PhD. I am the daughter of a WWII vet and am so proud of my dad, my husband, and all our veterans.
Imagine being in a large Stadium and him performing this life - SILENCE during this song
There is an older gentleman mid 70’s probably, who comes into work. He’s African American, has a grey Mohawk haircut, and he’s got an old army top that’s got some of his accoutrements from Vietnam on it.
A couple of years ago, on Memorial Day weekend I saw him and I first said something like this to him, “I know I’m not supposed to thank you for your service this weekend, but would you please let me thank you as a surrogate for your brothers and sisters who never made it home?”
He likes that. He told me that’s acceptable to him. So, he and I have been doing this for a couple of years and I got to say it this past Saturday.
That's beautiful.
Yes when he says we will go down together means exactly what you think
My father was in Vietnam as a pilot dropping Agent Orange and Napalm all over the jungles on 2 tours. I was 6 when he came home the last time. Our vets were treated so bad that for his first 10 years home he spent a lot of time seeing Therapist's to help him deal with the after affects of what he saw and dealing with buddies he lost in the war. He wanted to go back after the war because he felt like as an enemy he was treated better there than here at home.R.I.P. dad❤😢
so your dad is responsible for the agent orange effects on soldiers. nice to know.
This is so sad. My brother also was treated poorly as well as many others who were lucky enough to come home. The war affected him badly but, as he said, his treatment on returning home was worse for him than being in the war. That says plenty!
@@debbiepolinski4454 I was there. There is no way I would like to be thanked.
@@bwana-ma-coo-bah425 Sorry you had to go through it..I know it was tough and not a good situation for anyone that had to go to Vietnam. Our military got screwed all the way around for just following orders...SO SAD.
@@dennisamos1430 Sorry, you are wrong. The US and its people love war.
My father was in Vietnam from 1960-1961 and from 1962-1969. The stories he told and the way they were treated was awful but he said he would do it again. He was an MP
God bless all the veterans on this Memorial Day.
The Nylon Curtain was not his biggest album saleswise, but for me, its his masterpiece. This song and " pressure" were his creative peak. He was going way outside his comfort zone
Look into the Kennedy Center where they honored Billy Joel
Garth Brooks does this one
Very heart warming
The boys in the pictures are the old men you see at the grocery store that are going as well as they can.
Im 78. I lose two buddies a year to Agent Orange.
"They were killed in Vietnam, they just havent died yet."
Great reaction. Thanks.
It was a different time and different world.
A friend sent me a cassette tape radio first termer from Vietnam. And I still have it awesome 👍😎 And Hanoi Jane made people think badly of our veterans she doesn't know how many lives she has affected negatively and I am a veteran
Billy Joel one of the best "story tellers" in music!!!
When I hear this song, it brings back so many memories and Billy nailed the emotions so well, even though he wasn't there. Vietnam screwed up so many men and women for NOTHING! I remember sitting in our QRT vehicle, watching the rockets coming in. RIP Steve.
Thanks for doing this one! Such a well written song. At concerts, he does indeed bring out Vietnam vets to sing the chorus. The Billy Joel rabbit hole is a deep one. May I suggest "Scenes from an Italian Restaurant," which was originally just fragments of several songs that he put together into one of his most beloved stadium/arena concert songs. Also, "Always a Woman."
This song hits home for me, since my dad won 5 medals during the evacuation of Saigon.
He still plays this in his concerts and when he does he brings up veterans and first responders after 9/11.
Vietnam was the war of my generation. I am from a very small town in Ohio. I lost four friends fighting in the war and one who died from Agent Orange exposure. I am now 79 years old and to this day I cannot watch a movie about Vietnam. This is the first time I have listened to a song about the war, and never will again. Every day the evening news showed video clips of the war ... they were haunting then and still haunt me today. Bless those who went to war as a youngster and came back home as a soldier. RIP to those who did not come home.
My loss was many years post-war. My brother, helicopter engineer, pilot, and body-bagger, lost his life to agent orange in 2002. RIP Pvt 1st Class James P. Stephens, and all who have served and sacrificed. Small town Ohio, too -- just outside Cincy.
My father’s dad died in his 50s from industrial disease working in factories. My father left college to support his sisters and mother but was drafted in 1966. He said in DC cab drivers wouldn’t pick him up in uniform. He has always been bitter at the government, the lies in Vietnam, and forbid any of us from joining the military.
Dammit I had almost been able to get the taste out of my mouth! The way we shipped them over there like fodder! And the they were spit on when they managed to get home! Can we ever learn? God help us young one, I can’t watch anymore.
7:36 yes, they are all veterans on stage with him
Billy Joel’s best songs were always the ones where he paints a picture through the story of his lyrics!
This reminds me of why my focus on presenting Quilts of Valor is on the Vietnam Veterans. Every time I present a quilt I tell myself that I won’t cry this time. I cry every time. There’s truly no way to appropriately say, “Thank you.” I try my best to say it with a quilt stitched with love.
My step-dad the late William Franklin "Frank" Russ was in Vietnam when the US gotten fully involved in the war in 1965 which he served with the First Cavalry Division at Ahn Khe, South Vietnam. He supported the 7th Cavalry Regiment and the 229th Aviation Battalion (Air Mobile) with supplies fuel during the Battle of LZ X-Ray witch Mel Gibson's movie "When We Were Soldiers And Young" was about. Anyways, Saigon was the capital of South Vietnam until the NVA and the Vietcong rolled into Saigon in 1975, two years after we left the war. The city was renamed Ho Chi Mia City a short time later. Anyways, my step-dad would get emotional when heard this song.
This song brings me to tears every time I hear it. 😢
These men and women, the scars they carry. My uncle never spoke of his time there and he didn't need to. He was different when he came back. In '80 maybe '81 he had his "break" when I learned some of the horror he went through. I won't go into the details but let's just say his flashback was so intense that he was back there. The police, firemen and EMTs were so afraid of him they wouldn't get close to him because they didn't know if he would attack them or not. My mom was the one who go through to him. She was able to calm him, get him into the ambulance and to the VA. (Don't even get me started on the freaking red tape needed to get treatment!!!! Then and now!) It could have gone bad.....really bad but he got lucky, found a compassionate Dr. and found the right therapist. He found his solace in the middle of nowhere training horses, helping disabled children and going to his AA meetings.
It still saddens me how many of our Veterans are out there still suffering.
Today is a great day to react to this song
My mother cannot listen to this song. At. All. Joel’s ability to paint pictures in your head makes this song far too vivid for her to endure. The man is an incredible artist. ❤️❤️❤️
It was Good Morning, Vietnam with Robin Williams. 😊
Thank you for this reaction and appreciate of our vets and Billy Joel.
I worked for an engineering company. One of my program managers flew C 130s along with helicopters evacuating people from Saigon in rotation just up and down up and down up and down in complete darkness, and he described the fall of Saigon to me and it just blew me away.
I remember the war era. So many men of my age never came back or came back so mentally and/ or physically
broken that then never returned to their old selves. I felt the loss throughout the decades.
My loss was many years post-war. My brother, helicopter engineer, pilot, and body-bagger, lost his life to agent orange in 2002. RIP Pvt 1st Class James P. Stephens, and all who have served and sacrificed.
I just lost my last Uncle a few weeks ago, who served in Vietnam (actually three of my uncles served and all three survived, TG). So it took me awhile to listen to this reaction of a powerful and moving song. Anything Billy Joel sings has emotion, but this seems to hit harder for those who had family and friends who served in Vietnam. For the most part, those veterans were treated like dog crap because most Americans didn't believe in the reasons for going to war and losing their sons. But they were doing their duty and doing it with honor. They deserve our respect - unlike a few certain ex-Presidents who dodged the draft.
I’ve heard this a thousand times, I tear up every time.
Yes Billy Joel DID have vets on stage singing backup for him to honor their stories
I have seen Billy Joel many times in concert. This song is so powerful. He usually starts it with the sound of helicopters overhead. Yes, he always has a few Veterans come on stage for this song. A husband of a friend was drafted at 17. He told my husband that as soon as they got off of the helicopter they had to fall to the ground because bullets were flying over their heads. I am furious at how these Veterans were treated when they got home!!!!!! Love your reaction.
Billy Joel is a master of story telling along with an amazing voice and musical talents. I was a teen during the 70’s and remember how horrible Vietnam was and how bad the solders were treated when they returned from a war they did not want to fight. How were they suppose to have had a normal existence after the horrible things they saw and were a part of. It’s always the civilians that pay the price for war and they experienced the worst of the worst, unimaginable inhuman atrocities by their own people, North and South Korean military and those of other countries who were fighting for their freedom. I remember not understanding why there was so much hate in the world.
How unnecessary wars and all this killing ,past and present! So sad...❤️🇺🇸
Great reaction !!!Yes those are all Viet Nam Vets on stage with him
BILLY WROTE SO MANY GREAT SONGS IN RELATION TO DIFFERENT TYPES OF HISTORY! WAS BLESSED TO SEE HIM PERFORM!
Thank you Vietnam and Korean Vets! The movie you were talking was Good Morning Vietnam. Please keep in mind there was the DRAFT. Many were taken after HS graduation at 18 & 19.
Genius! I saw him sing the song with real helicopter!!
12:22 “They heard the hum of our motors, they counted the rotors, and waited for us to arrive”…..Such a horrific line. They knew how their choppers sounded and the soldiers knew it. So they were basically waiting to die..to all go down together. 😢😢How tragic. How much fear did they experience? 😢😢😢
Talk about lyrics hitting...Billy takes you into the thick of it with his lyrics and his creative musical talents,EVERY TIME! Thank you to all our veterans,especially the ones that were treated poorly...I love you all!🇺🇸💞
Saw this live in Miami a bazillion years ago. Powerful song. Growing up in the Vietnam War era, this song just pierces the heart. 58,000 + American's died in combat and 153,000+ injured.
one of the greatest American songwriters of a generation
Thanks for being so patriotic.!!! I retired from the Navy in 2010 after 22 years of active duty. It was an honor to serve our country.
“We came in spastic,
like tameless horses.
We left in plastic,
as numbered corpses.”
These genius lyrics chill me every time I hear this song. These Vietnam soldiers were my classmates and many were little more than babies. Sent to a war that we had no business participating in. They were treated horribly upon their return and many were damaged and received little to no help from the government that sent them to fight. This song is haunting and so profound. Good choice. 🌺✌️
Yes those singing with him are Vietnam Veterans
I was born in the 80s but love music from this time. From Dylan to Springsteen, no one made me feel the victims of the draft’s plight more than this song.
When you have family that served, in war time and peace time, Memorial Day is a day we remember WHY we have FREEDOM, and WHO provided it.
Also, that thing he did with his voice adds to the feeling of the song, I believe! Does it several times on the "Hard I" vowel sounds......, i.e...:
........., as sharp as knives, knives, knives, knives..
........., as dark as night, night, night,, night, night....
• • Thanks Billy for all the music u wrote, That touched Millions of people Across this globe of ours!
He always has vets singing the chorus when he performs this live.
Seeing this song performed in concert was especially moving. The helicopter sounds effects were enhanced by lighting that imitated rotors. Then later a spotlight fell on former vets singing the chorus. Very moving experience.
I fought in Iraq. My father RIP, fought in Vietnam. Those Nam vets were treated horribly when they came home.
Brilliant AF.
"And we would all go down together."
WWG1WGA
This 63yo vet tears up every time I hear this song.
It's beautiful.
Makes me cry every time.
On May 4, 2024, my husband went on the FREEDOM HONOR FLIGHT to Washington DC. They toured all the memorials in Washington DC. When he returned that night…he finally got the welcome home he never got years ago. It was very emotional for him. There were 94 veterans on this trip. He was wounded in Vietnam on April 4 1969. He still suffers from PTSD. GOD BLESS ALL OUR SERVICEMEN!!! Once a Marine, always a Marine!!!
Semper Fi
Incredible song
Very powerful
Fitting for today. TY
Happy Memorial Day Black Pegasus
Charlie Daniels Band - Still in Saigon
Charlie wrote of PTSD before it had a name.
It was called shell shock
I was looking through some comments before I wrote your very suggestion.
This is a fantastic example of his story telling prowess. He listens to the people who know and cares about their experiences. "Allentown", "Movin' Out", "The Longest Time", "She's Got a Way", "Keeping the Faith", "The Downeaster Alexa", is a short list of his amazing work.
I agree with all of those examples of his great storytelling, I would add Scenes from an Italian restaurant & Miami 2017 (Seen the lights go out on Broadway) which he also performed at a concert after 9/11 for Hero’s from 9/11 at MSG in NY. Also that “thing” he did while singing creating an echo sound he does in other songs too.
Thanks!
Much love and thank you for the extra support
I was a teen during Vietnam. This song ALWAYS makes me cry.
Thank you for choosing this one for Memorial Day. You led a great discussion. No surprise to me; you’re a good man.
Billy performed this song at the Concert for 9/11 at MSG a few weeks after the attacks, and he brought a bunch of cops and firefighters on stage to sing the chorus with him. It was very emotional.
I remember When my neighbor's sons were sent to Vietnam, thank GOD they came home but lots of people in my neighborhood were sent there.
This song always hits home with me. Today I remember my cousin, Terry Dean Mason, who gave his life in Vietnam on September 5, 1969. He was 11 days shy of his 21st birthday. God bless every vet who has served our country ❤️🇺🇸❤️