My FIRST time SEEING Billy Joel - Goodnight Saigon ! This is a MASTERPIECE! Happy Memorial day 🇺🇸

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My FIRST time SEEING Billy Joel - Goodnight Saigon ! This is a MASTERPIECE! Happy Memorial day 🇺🇸

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Күн бұрын

#billyjoel #saigon #reaction
My FIRST time SEEING Billy Joel - Goodnight Saigon ! This is a MASTERPIECE! Happy Memorial day 🇺🇸
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@RandyGabbert 2 ай бұрын

I'm 76 years old, a veteran of Vietnam and I cry every time I hear it!

@sallyethridge1393 2 ай бұрын

Thank you, Sir, for your service.

@gailanderson7217 2 ай бұрын

Full disclosure -i'm not a vet but i am of your generation. I cry with you.

@HappyLifeTips101 2 ай бұрын

Thank you for your service.

@reneerocha1796 2 ай бұрын

I don’t know how you did it, but I want to say thank you. 🙏🏼

@BeckyTodd-xy7cd 2 ай бұрын

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.

@jamishops 2 ай бұрын

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.

@shirleybuffington6420 2 ай бұрын

❤️💕

@beverlybrown2673 2 ай бұрын

And after 9/11 he started including first responders.

@user-ii4zf5iq3t 2 ай бұрын

My Cousin sings a Memorial Day Song Dedicated to the Women who served. *"Jeff Strahan - Gonna Be Blue"* #kzfaq.info/get/bejne/fcmeqsJi2d7Kdmw.htmlsi=2VJpC_Ew8qwy2doX Get your hankies.

@user-ii4zf5iq3t 2 ай бұрын

My Cousin sings a Memorial Day Song Dedicated to the Women who served. *"Jeff Strahan - Gonna Be Blue"* On youtube

@com4tme 2 ай бұрын

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.

@VilomahMom 2 ай бұрын

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.

@mzondi1970 2 ай бұрын

My dad's never came home

@Arlene-me8jo 2 ай бұрын

It’s a shame how they were treated!! I was a teenager when that war was raging,,

@jakesbel8237 2 ай бұрын

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.

@guesswho7758 2 ай бұрын

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.

@donaldpaulson3920 2 ай бұрын

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

@Mainecoonlady. 2 ай бұрын

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 2 ай бұрын

There was a draft during ww1, ww2, and Korea but we were fighting for different reasons then.

@goosebump801 2 ай бұрын

Simon & Garfunkel’s “Silent Night/7 O’Clock News” captures something of this. Decades later, I still tear up 😢💐

@horseygirl645 2 ай бұрын

💜 😢

@Mainecoonlady. 2 ай бұрын

@@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.

@ellenstrack6274 2 ай бұрын

I remember the scrolling of the dead at the end of the day.

@jamielandis4308 2 ай бұрын

One of Billy’s best. Tears me up every time I hear it. Perfect for Memorial Day.

@orangeandblackattack 2 ай бұрын

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.

@dwgrly 2 ай бұрын

I am an almost 70 yr old woman. I did not serve, but I too cry every time. My dad was a Navy veteran.

@markbronx172 2 ай бұрын

These guys aren't losers and suckers. They are our heroes.

@L70s 2 ай бұрын

Yes indeed. They deserved better then and now.

@karenpowell6063 2 ай бұрын

Exactly 🥲🇺🇸

@kimdart8178 2 ай бұрын

Thank you!

@Duchess-of-Camelot 2 ай бұрын

Well said.

@vovindequasahi 2 ай бұрын

Yes they are!! The ones who sent them are NOT!

@JohnPaul-hm2ys 2 ай бұрын

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.

@NativeNYerChicHK 2 ай бұрын

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.

@brianclassen5221 2 ай бұрын

Welcome home VETS! Those lost will not be forgotten. Our FREEDOM is their legacy! Do not abuse the privileges they fought for.✌

@katrinagreely5399 Ай бұрын

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.” 🥺🥺

@rosachaney911 2 ай бұрын

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!

@AncientActivist 2 ай бұрын

My Marine husband doesn't like to talk about it, either. 😢❤

@ItchybackSubtletouch 2 ай бұрын

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.

@reneerocha1796 2 ай бұрын

😢😢

@chrisvibz4753 2 ай бұрын

i never got to meet my uncle Ted either brother. im sorry.

@ItchybackSubtletouch 2 ай бұрын

@@chrisvibz4753Sorry for your loss as well, Chris.

@yvonnewakefield7748 29 күн бұрын

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.

@ouachitawoman 2 ай бұрын

My husband, a door gunner in Vietnam, passed this last Nov. from complications of Agent Orange. He loved this song.

@DionneHartley 2 ай бұрын

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.

@maryannturton9830 2 ай бұрын

God bless his memory...💞🇺🇸

@bwana-ma-coo-bah425 2 ай бұрын

blame the US government for agent orange.

@debbiepolinski4454 2 ай бұрын

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 ❤️

@yvonnewakefield7748 29 күн бұрын

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.

@user-wx7yh9nt2o 2 ай бұрын

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.

@garyschreiner2266 2 ай бұрын

I was in the USMC and landed at O hare Chicago airport in uniform and was called a Baby killer in 1972 !

@Oldschooldan1 Ай бұрын

@@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.

@jacquelinemoody1643 2 ай бұрын

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!

@alexakl6445 2 ай бұрын

So sorry for your loss. Thankful for his service. He is truly resting in a very deserved peace.

@pagemeredith4532 2 ай бұрын

I'm sorry for your loss. My dad was also in the Vietnam War as a Marine Captain.

@debbiepolinski4454 2 ай бұрын

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.

@ravenwillowhart4501 2 ай бұрын

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.

@n5iln 2 ай бұрын

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".

@etc7070 2 ай бұрын

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).

@aura81295 2 ай бұрын

Things are usually more complex than simple right or wrong. He does such an incredible job of telling this story in that way.

@channonskinner50 2 ай бұрын

This song hits home for me, since my dad won 5 medals during the evacuation of Saigon.

@sweisbrod6109 26 күн бұрын

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.

@larksigsby3697 2 ай бұрын

My generation. Many of the boys from my high school class went straight from graduation. I cry each time I watch this.

@GergC0521 22 күн бұрын

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.

@LillyLillyLillyLillyLillyLilly 2 ай бұрын

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.

@suequin4044 3 күн бұрын

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.

@murrannlehovitch6204 3 күн бұрын

I was a teen during Vietnam. This song ALWAYS makes me cry.

@tiacalhoun3841 2 ай бұрын

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!!!!

@CBNZandar 2 ай бұрын

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.

@North-Woods 2 ай бұрын

Thank you for thinking about our heroes who didn't come home on this Memorial Day.

@leslieshand4509 Ай бұрын

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

@thomasord8636 2 ай бұрын

Yes. Good morning Vietnam,! Great performance by robin Williams. 🙂

@mlramey8632 2 ай бұрын

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.

@yvonnewakefield7748 29 күн бұрын

@monamaple9790 2 ай бұрын

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

@heatheroddo4202 10 күн бұрын

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

@stevethorpe5672 Ай бұрын

My Father in Law was drafted to Vietnam at 18 ... it messed him up for his entire life, he had PTSD until he passed 2 years ago. The stories he had were horrific.

@brandonjones1349 2 ай бұрын

Great pick for today. Never...forgotten! Ever! ☘️🇺🇲

@cerisewilson4088 2 ай бұрын

Some of the best storytelling there is. This song makes me emotional every time I hear it.

@x0539p 2 ай бұрын

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.

@starburstppl 2 ай бұрын

God bless all the veterans on this Memorial Day.

@user-fk2is1bf3e 2 ай бұрын

The sad part is, we were there to police ! My heart breaks for all the Vietnam vets for all veterans, especially the ones that laid down their lives… the way the Vietnam veterans were treated when they came home is despicable ! Did people think they wanted to be there??? These were kids being sent somewhere they weren’t prepared for ! Prayers up to all veterans, or as I like to call them the real American heroes 🙏🙏

@andrewmerzke5482 2 ай бұрын

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.

@Nancylynnwrites 2 ай бұрын

That's beautiful.

@markdulmage8906 2 ай бұрын

God Bless all the Men and Women who gave their lives for all of us 🙏🏼🇺🇸 Billy Joel is a real one!

@findingmyrootswoolmarketms 2 ай бұрын

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.

@debrafischer807 2 ай бұрын

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!!!

@CPACK1 2 ай бұрын

I am a women of 76. One of my friends was in Nam a week. When the helicopter he was in went down, and all my friends who did come home had wild stories to tell. My Dad was in WW2. And my Uncle was in the Korean War. Everyone that goes into the Service and into a War, is a Hero, and very very Brave.

@actuariallurker9650 2 ай бұрын

Yes Billy Joel DID have vets on stage singing backup for him to honor their stories

@gerardmorris5473 2 ай бұрын

Billy Joel one of the best "story tellers" in music!!!

@GlobetrotterGranny 2 ай бұрын

Billy Joel’s best songs were always the ones where he paints a picture through the story of his lyrics!

@kevins2961 2 ай бұрын

It is a very long time since I heard this. It is as powerful as the first time.

@Cchan53 2 ай бұрын

Very moving ,thanks for choosing to play this today...🇺🇸

@jstrie275 2 ай бұрын

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.

@nanalol4fun 3 ай бұрын

I’ve never cried while watching a video like I cried during this video. I have so many friends who were in Vietnam and the stories some of them tell are heartbreaking. Some saw things so horrific they don’t want to talk about it at all. Most of them are gone now and I lost count of how many died from cancer because of agent orange. All wars are horrible but the Vietnam war was going on during my youth. It affected me the most. I’m 65 now and my girlfriends and I have often wondered how life would have been different if not for the war. So many men around our age were alcoholics because of the drugs our government gave them while they were fighting. They were hooked and just couldn’t find anything when they got home to help them except hard liquor. So sad how our Vietnam Veterans were disrespected when they got home.

@julieCA58 2 ай бұрын

Yes, that emotional/ psychological damage war does is just starting to be realized. I'm the same age of you and spent my life praying for a time when we weren't all messed up by war. I've listened to the pain of too many.

@ritar6997 2 ай бұрын

Me too, crying...😢

@ZEPnALE 2 ай бұрын

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.

@dannyrhollingsworth4200 2 ай бұрын

Look into the Kennedy Center where they honored Billy Joel Garth Brooks does this one Very heart warming

@donnac1279 2 ай бұрын

This is why I cherish Memorial Day ! 😢😢😢😢😢😢😢😢😢

@conniegaylord5206 2 ай бұрын

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.

@ebenclukey7293 2 ай бұрын

Those guys you see singing the chorus are veterans. Billy planned in advance to get local vets to come on stage at every show to pay honor to them.

@Cchan53 2 ай бұрын

How unnecessary wars and all this killing ,past and present! So sad...❤️🇺🇸

@907Bluedot 2 ай бұрын

This song brings me to tears every time I hear it. 😢

@steve-qe1sv 2 ай бұрын

I’ve heard this a thousand times, I tear up every time.

@stephenstrudwick8095 3 ай бұрын

You should also listen to Billy Joel's song "Allentown". The song's theme centers around the resilience of the blue-collar residents of Allentown, Pennsylvania, following the decline and eventual closure of Bethlehem Steel, which was the world's second-largest steel manufacturer.

@coreydean6540 3 ай бұрын

Actually it was about Bethlehem but that didn't sound good. The steel mills were in Bethlehem.

@dawnpatrol700 2 ай бұрын

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

@TexasMagnolia 2 ай бұрын

Charlie Daniels Band - Still in Saigon Charlie wrote of PTSD before it had a name.

@annmills3163 2 ай бұрын

It was called shell shock

@Lolita6672 2 ай бұрын

I was looking through some comments before I wrote your very suggestion.

@sandralybrand9425 2 ай бұрын

This chokes me up, because I lost my cousin who was 6 months younger than me in the Vietnam war. He was a medic and got blown up trying to save 2 fellow soldiers. I was at my aunt's house when she got the news.He was only 22 years old.😢

@dmillitello73 2 ай бұрын

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.

@Jayscollo 2 ай бұрын

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.

@leitheparsons1186 2 ай бұрын

My Dad was in WW2, when the movie Pearl Harbor came out my brothers wanted all of us to go with our families. My Dad said he lived it and he didn't want see the movie. He served in the Pacific ( not at Pearl Harbor on December 7th). I have never watched a war movie the same way again.

@user-wx7yh9nt2o 2 ай бұрын

My Dad was in WWII as well.

@tranurse Ай бұрын

My grandfather got to Pearl Harbor about 4 or 5 days after… however long it took to get there in1941. Anyway, he was responsible for buying all the supplies to rebuild the harbor (he was a Lieutenant Commander, a bookkeeper by trade).. anyway he never talked about it, until my brother was going to join the military… so he sat him down and told him that it wasn’t like the movies and people died. One thing he said to him, was that there were a lot of men trapped in some of the ships, I think the Arizona and the West Virginia, who weren’t killed in the attack. There just was t any way to get them out. He said you could hear them tapping, until almost Christmas. In about 1980, his sisters who he often traveled with, were going to Hawaii…of course, they asked him if he and his wife wanted to come along. He refused, said he had been there once, and promised himself he would never go back. My grandfather was mild mannered,I never ever heard him raise his voice in the 21 years I had him in my life… that’s honestly the only time I ever heard him just be angry. He could be stern, especially when my mama and he were fighting over who was going to pay the check when we went out…my mama would get the check, and go to pay for dinner, and his voice would get real deep, but it was very quiet. My brother would think it was so funny how quick my mama would drop the check…. I’m pretty sure she was having flashbacks to being a little girl, getting in trouble.He was very tender hearted, and I can’t even begin to imagine him having to witness what he did during WW2.

@marcymoran6481 3 күн бұрын

I’m 65, was born in 1959 and the Vietnam War was the war of my lifetime. I grew up with Walter Cronkite giving the body count each night on the news. I had friends & family that were there and not one came back normal. Most are gone now from drug & alcohol abuse or as victims of Agent Orange. Anything that refers to that war makes me cry, as did this video.

@jstrie275 2 ай бұрын

I had Vietnam brought into my livingroom nightly with Walter Cronkite when I was in grade school

@scenicrouteart 2 ай бұрын

Same here…😢

@reneerocha1796 2 ай бұрын

Yes, I remember as well. 😔😢

@nancysmith-baker1813 2 ай бұрын

Me too and for breakfast the today show .

@Topcattryliv 2 ай бұрын

We watched the news every night to hear where the most fighting was wondering if it was around where my brother was based. Listening to the casualty count everynight…

@maryannturton9830 2 ай бұрын

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!🇺🇸💞

@donnabost4445 2 ай бұрын

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.

@brendaclark8344 2 ай бұрын

Perfect song for Memorial Day. My dad served during the Korean War and my brother in law served in Desert Storm.

@lorrigaines4902 2 ай бұрын

This is why every American should stand for the national anthem! RESPECT! These boys HAD to come to grips and face war. They had no other choice except to hide in another country. Like you said, no matter the government’s reasons for war, these soldiers faced death every day.

@bwana-ma-coo-bah425 2 ай бұрын

you do know the US went there for money, right.

@debbiechang5781 2 ай бұрын

“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. 🌺✌️

@VoicesfromtheSwamp 2 ай бұрын

The Robin Williams movie was 'Good Morning Vietnam'. It was based on a real DJ, Adrien Cronower (sp?) who served in the military during 'Nam. He always said Robin made him look funnier than he really was, but men serving during that time said Robin pretty much nailed Adrien. My late husband, one of my brother-in-laws, and countless friends all served during 'Nam. Many are still haunted to this day of what they saw, what they did, and how they got through it. Personally, I think Vietnam is the most misunderstood war of America.

@judylee9022 2 ай бұрын

I had 3 Uncles that fought in the war....1 uncle got malaria from being bit by mosquitoes from the jungles then died...1 came home an alcoholic and had nervous break downs....the 3rd uncle never came home at all, he was missing in action and never was found...R.I.P. to all 3 and thank you for service and your lives to protect us!

@user-mo6tz6oh9i 2 ай бұрын

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.

@yvonnewakefield7748 29 күн бұрын

@LaPinturaBella 2 ай бұрын

I LOVE Billy Joel for writing this song. It's so raw, so honest and truly captures the reality of being a soldier. I imagine it would resonate with every veteran/soldier throughout human history. It is a true Masterpiece and such a loving tribute to everyone who fought in any war anywhere. 🙏

@renees4577 2 ай бұрын

He still plays this in his concerts and when he does he brings up veterans and first responders after 9/11.

@huchlvr 2 ай бұрын

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.

@kylesummers1565 2 ай бұрын

God Bless All our Veterans!

@cathyhetzel7692 2 ай бұрын

Genius! I saw him sing the song with real helicopter!!

@mwich50 10 күн бұрын

GOD BLESS OUR SOLDIERS

@banksbb15 18 күн бұрын

This has always been my favorite Billy Joel song. So beautiful

@sherreywurz731 2 ай бұрын

This song gives me goose bumps.and often a heavy heart.❤❤Vietnam weather right or wrong happened.these solders who were there were treated horrible absolutely horrible when they came back........shame on everyone who done that to them......

@chachaj914 2 ай бұрын

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.

@CybermanBill 2 ай бұрын

I've always loved this song! Plus , I l, I love, I , I ,, I love that billy Brings on actual Vietnam vets To sing the chorus! Keep your eyes open And keep a look out for them.

@edmeade9180 2 ай бұрын

Incredible song Very powerful Fitting for today. TY Happy Memorial Day Black Pegasus

@jasonturner6411 2 ай бұрын

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.

@shirleybuffington6420 2 ай бұрын

Today is a great day to react to this song

@ellenstrack6274 2 ай бұрын

I cried the first time I saw this live and realized he had brought Vietnam Vets on the stage he sing it with him. At the end of the song he presented the vets and Madison Square Garden stood to applaud them and say thank you years to late.

@karensilvera6694 3 ай бұрын

So glad you listened to this one. Many of my friends brothers and my brothers' friends were in Vietnam. They suffered over there in the trenches, POW camps, and when they got back. There are probably some listeners who saw it up close. You mention Springsteen's Born in the USA. Have you listened to it - I mean the words? If not, you need to.

@sedatedape315 2 ай бұрын

This 63yo vet tears up every time I hear this song. It's beautiful.

@karenlobosco9646 2 ай бұрын

I was a child during the war. But the thing I remember was listening to the count of how many med died and wounded every night on the news. These young men had no choice but to go, the draft was still active then. The body counts were shocking.

@MariaGolay Ай бұрын

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.

@mattrleon 16 күн бұрын

It was GOOOOOOOOOOD MORNING VEITNAMMMMMMMMMM

@teresaarmstrong-x3v 5 күн бұрын

great song, my father was stationed in thailand when vietnam was going on. I was born in 1959, he fortunately made it home. we were actually in germany twice after he got home. we actually had no american tv at all. daddy's first tour was remote in Ramstien, not a war zone , no actual base, we lived in a small german village, the 2nd time we went to germany (Iwas young so don't diss on my dates) was around maybe 10 or 11, we were assigned to frankfurt, at the time I had 2 uncles stationed at weisbaden (spelling doesn't count). those 8 to 10 years were the best time of my life. we came back to the states around 1974.

@tonydelapa1911 2 ай бұрын

Thank you for choosing this one for Memorial Day. You led a great discussion. No surprise to me; you’re a good man.

@TammyLaBelle-rn8wd 16 күн бұрын

You need to watch the Kennedy awards given to Billy and they did this song. Unreal!!

@leannmiller7153 2 ай бұрын

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 ❤️🇺🇸❤️

@Mmierks 2 ай бұрын

Billy Joel's ability to tell stories that put u there, wherever that is often underrated. Look forward to u watching just the way u are, u should watch it with your wife.

@mzondi1970 2 ай бұрын

Nobody ever does this song it's one of his best in my opinion

@CybermanBill 2 ай бұрын

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!