As a Vietnam Vet I feel this is one the best songs ever written about Vietnam, Charlie Daniels also wrote one.

My dad fought in Vietnam, and this was one of his favorite songs. He passed away in 1995. This song brings me tears every time I hear it. Thank you to ALL the veterans...🇺🇲

This is an incredible song, Billy actually had Vietnam Vets singing backup in the video. Thank you to all of our military members past and present.👍

Whenever he performs this live, he brings onstage local veterans, military, police, and firefighters to sing the chorus. It's very moving. I remember bawling watching the 9/11 concert. If you want uplifting, try River of Dreams!

Met as soulmates on Parris Island left as inmates from an asylum is the most accurate description of PI ever. USMC 1971.

Wanted to finish my comment below, I'm considered a senior citizen now and no one takes me seriously, but that was and the protests against it changed a generation and our views on politics to this day. But again I'm above their and obviously don't know anything.

Next Billy Joel reaction should be Allentown. Another one with incredible lyrics.

Then they came home and we're treated like the enemy. Heartbreaking. We should treat our military with dignity and respect

My dear friend's brother was shot down in Quang Tri. in 1969 He was 19 years old and a very proud Marine. RIP Chris...your memory will live on. 🇺🇸❤

When he sings "remember Charlie..." that's the part that gets me. The movie "Born on the 4th of July" speaks to the trauma the soldiers who went to Vietnam had to live with. It's really well done if anyone wants to know more about that time in our history from a personal viewpoint.

Billy’s friends who went to Viet Nam asked him to write a song for them. Having not been there he wasn’t comfortable writing it, but his friends said we will tell you what it was like and you write it. The song ended up being a tribute to the men, not the war. Their main concern was their fellow soldiers. Billy has veterans come on stage and sing the chorus with him during concerts. It is very stirring.

I have never been able to listen to this song all the way through... my brother lived this, and never talked about it. Thank you Harri for giving me the courage to finish the song to the end...

In concert he has Viet Nam vets on stage with their arms around each other singing the chorus. A gut punch. Exhilarating and brilliant

It is a shattering song. I am Vietnam era, but did not serve. I was a long-haired hippie freak protester. And I have nothing but respect and admiration for those who served. Peace!

As a veteran I approve this song. It really reaches deep.

"They left their childhood on every acre"....a masterpiece of a song. Just heart wrenching.

After Paul McCartney Billy best songwriter ever in modern music era !!!

Joel"s masterpiece. Not his greatest or best song, but the one that showed what he could do.

My brother served in the Navy as a Corpsman .... He thought that by joining the Navy that he would be on the ship taking care of the wounded flown out to them. That's what he was told anyways. The reality was he and his best friend joined, (they would have been drafted), and a day after their arrival to Vietnam... they were both flown to the DMZ where there was some heavy action. It was so surreal to him... Within the first couple of hours they were crawling out to the dead and wounded only to have his friend signal for a helicopter and got bullet that blew his head all over my brother. He saw a lot of dead, dying, and wounded men.

Everyone needs to experience the genius that is Billy Joel. Thanks for being one of the reactors keeping his legacy rolling.