And let us also never forget the American P.O.W.'s who are still in captivity.

3 MILLION, TO BE PRECISE....

Thank you for this comment. Even as a child, and an army brat, I loved this song and knew, oh, I knew, what it was all about. The lyrics still stand today

And they got cancelled for their stand but at least the networks had balls back then, small as they might have been.

Pete Seeger was an outright communist. How hypocritical was he to be anti-war. The communist states kill people for just disagreeing with them.

RIP Brian Cole, Larry Ramos, Terry Kirkman

Rest in peace Terry Kirkman

were diverse too !!!

Others might have not given them their due --- but not us!

Popularity was not the motivation of this performance. It was merely a given.

Ya they were awesome

agree. perhaps even the most underrated band in rock history.

The Association wasn't just a rock group. They were the messengers of their time, the voice of those who had none. I was born three years before the Vietnam war ended and I knew nothing about it until I was in my early teens. My health prevented me from serving, but I salute and respect all those who have, all those who do, and all those who will. This song sounded like the masses asking the then American government: why? Why send our sons to war for a cause not our own? Was it for pride or patriotism? I have an uncle who served in Vietnam in the Army and he cries bitterly everytime he hears this song because he is the only surviving member of his unit. He says he is and always will be a patriot and will always love the land that gave birth to him, but after all these year he still asks himself why. I just played this not knowing he was standing behind me and he stood there listening with tears in his eyes, staring into space. To all those who served and lost brothers in arms, my heart goes out to you all. Thank you so much for your service.

Locktwiste 72, thank you for your comments. Thank your uncle for his service. My brother and I were in during Vietnam, I was not over there. My brother went twice at his request! He believed in the help we were trying to give to the people of South Vietnam. He made it back, sadly however, we lost him to cancer due to Agent Orange. So many sacrifices that we must NEVER FORGET, no matter how we feel about war. GOD BLESS ALL. RIP David Hood

@@Locktwiste72 If you were born three years before it ended, it wasn't your health that kept you out of it. It was the fact that they don't take three year olds ----yet!

I had that album and it's chills you to the bone I

Yes.

RIP Brian, Larry, Terry

I've been saying that for years.

Nixon became President in 1968. How soon after this appearance did "President Nixon" eliminate this song from going on the air anywhere?

Nixon in 1967?

Not to die for nothing. To needlessly die when there are other ways. .

@@sueme1954 That's a fine distinction. I had to think about it. The war grew out of the French attempt to regain control of Indo-China. Add in our somewhat exaggerated fear of communist expansion it is us and not the French who are bearing the battle. A number of people, Johnson among them questioned the wisdom of any intervention. Add the concern about the press and electability and off we went. We now know that Robert Strange McNamara and others came to believe it was either a no win fight or that the RVN's leaders would fail due to corruption and incompetence, in spite of many good men in ARVN and VNAF and the support of many ordinary people who had a fear, reasonable or not. about what would happen after we left. Many of the things we did there, limited bombing, predictable bomber courses, no effective security against espionage and a major enemy sponsored use of heroine to reduce combat effectiveness. We employed allied and RVN civilians who had a strong interest in prolonging the war. Nixon knew the war should end but he delayed it for his political advantage. We those who were there during that time paid the bill. The families at home paid the bill. So pardon me if you can but we could have just left in 69 or early 70, saved a lot of pain and death. The man who took my place flying an OH-6 was shot down and killed. By that time all we were doing was marking time while the political elite waffled in hope of looking like leaders. Those who died in training for deployment to the RVN, those who died while in the RVN and those who carried back pain or disability or mental and moral conflicts did in fact die for nothing. The better ways were not to go at all, doing it better with greater force we can bet still wouldn't have changed anything central. Some lessons were learned. Colin Powel learned that you do not go with half measures, he knew what we all knew, The 11th ACR put it this way, "Find the bastards and pile on." But we did not learn to stay out of fights with people who are dedicated and against our ways and ideals. So we got Bosnia, Gulf 1 and 2, Afghanistan. We are tied up with the Saudis and they dispose us and our ideals. We support Israel so fare only with vast amounts of money and equipment, and we forget that Israel is an ally only to the extent that we can support it, It does great wrong to the Palestinians but really we should just stay out of all those fights. Americans who die in religious and cultural wars far from here have died for nothing. We change nothing. Save the troops for an enemy that means to do us harm, and then crush them. Otherwise stay home. No more Americans dead or mutilated in foolish cause. They will kill one another anyway. How do justify killing some son or father who will never threaten us unless we are in his neighborhood. How do we justify dying for one of them? In this country most of the people with an opinion about this or that intervention have not served and will never serve. Most of those who may serve will not ever fire at the enemy or be fired upon. Some wise old Roman said, “War is sweet to those who have no experience of it. But the experienced man trembles exceedingly in his heart at its approach. "

@Elim Garak 007 you are sounding like a racist. fyi one of the members is from the Philippines or Japan. Too male ?? lol

Aren’t they? That would be a travesty if they are not

Without doubt!

As should be the Grass Roots, Monkers, and Tommy James

Agree👍🏻

Frank Danfelt yes..this group was/is so overlooked tho they had some great commercial hits...

@@purplesword5536 also multyculty too LOL

What band were you in, Daniel?

The Bossmen@@tinydancer62

Glad to hear your very astute take. I agree.

Wow, it's like I typed this comment myself. I had this record when I was 13ish. I played it over and over and over, and Requiem for the Masses was my favorite song on the album. I've played guitar since I was 12, as did my dad.

As do I. As am I even now.

Live, it was perfect to a tee

Amen Keith

Well said.

I am tired of hearing this military worship. The US military is the most dangerous terrorist organization in the world. I used to say I supported the troops, but not the command. But I realized all these needless, senseless wars couldn't happen without those troops blindly following orders. If you are stupid enough to go across the ocean to mess with some country that isn't bothering the US, then I have no sympathy if the locals tag you. This is what a mercenary military gets you. And the US military is a mercenary institution. Another news flash, the military doesn't work for you, just the wealthy.

@@lunatik9696 yeah I agree, but It was a different story in the context of 1967 where people were drafted and forced to fight in Vietnam.

@@sweetpurple8812 yep

no, in fact they are cheering for the next one

Many forget or dont know Jesus words when he scolded Peter for protecting him.Peter drew his sword and cut the ear off of a Roman soldier.Jesus said to return your sword to its sheathe.Those that draw it will perish by it.

Satan makes sure Nationalism has reined in this world.There is no place for it in the Kingdom of a God that ISNT partial.

I had friends who never came back & the ones who did were never thr same.

I was born in 1950. The United States of America has been involved in war, or in a military conflict, call it what you will, every year since. Always to enrich the ultra wealthy who profit from war. It’s an ongoing criminal action.

Attentive Chap I think that's Russ Giguere.

@@Kirke182 Terry Kirkman is singing the lead vocal and he also wrote the song.

If you have the chance to hear the fullness of Terry's voice, call up on YT "Bring Yourself Home", "Silver Morning" and "Come the Fall" from their last two albums. Silver Morning & Come the Fall also written by Terry Kirkman.

Everything that touches you is Terrys best song!!

@@MrLatch0208 that's a good one

He was rather brilliant, was he not ? And I'm sure, still is.

that's a beautiful song, too. @@MrLatch0208 I also love Terry's flute playing, especially in "Windy!" RIP, Terry

Well said. Back in the day us boomer kids accused the Generation B4 ours of deliberately getting involved in that senseless war, and dragging it out as long as they could, because they wanted to kill all of us boomer kids, because we looked at things differently than they did, we thought and believed differently than they did, therefore, WE MUST BE DESTROYED!!!; And this was after they fought a was to defeat an enemy who did exactly the same thing?? No wonder the country just exploded back then.

Speaking of chants, this one I think is the most beautiful one I've ever heard

Doubt it. Was so much against what main stream America was about. Wasn't until a couple more yrs that a large %of normal ppl started getting sick of it. I remember my dad was a love it or leave it but he eventually turned around.

@jasom What do you mean when you say he was love it or leave it? Are you talking about this song? The Vietnam War?

@@MichaelHartman-qt4mp He was talking about the USA, and conflating the Johnson Admin with America. If you didn't agree with the war the president was prosecuting as a patriotic, existential necessity, then you were not a real American, so go live somewhere else. A big, big, big mistake to ever think that way. Something that Donald John Trump wants us to do with him, and I suppose every leader tries to do to some extent. (It is the reason a non-political head of state, like a constitutional monarch with no power, makes some sense. If allegiance to country is to be funneled through a person, then it will be the symbol of the non-political head of state rather than the prime minister or elected president, both politicians, who are just doing government jobs, like any other government worker. The big question becomes whether or not equating a leader with a nation becomes an obsession of the leader and his (how many female leaders take this attitude) followers to the point where any criticism of the leader is considered treasonous. That's what you have in North Korea. Getting closer that in China, Russia and Belarus. On the way in Turkey, Hungary, and possibly Poland. Dozens of examples around the world in from the last century and today.

Thank you for your service!

Thank You for your service.

USAF 1986-2003, 1991 flew an A-10 Warthog with the 353d TFS in Desert Storm 1.

I sang it in my high school choir also in 9th grade, 1974. Thank you Mrs. Woods in Alamogordo New Mexico!!

Great King of Majesty

im sure it did just as high episcopate influenced YES

If you're talking about this song 🎵 having a Roman Catholic flavor to it, than I imagine that Terry, at least, was probably brought up as a Catholic.

Another band member, Larry Ramos, was from Hawaii, and had done time as a monk in Catholic seminary school. This the Latin influence. By the way, Kyrie Eleison is Greek. Means Lord have mercy.

As the song says, we were taught not to ask why. We get our orders and we carry them out. I remember when they sent me to the Middle East. I felt like screaming, "I don't want to go there!" but instead I went silently. I came back but for the grace of god, as they say, I could very well not have. There was one night when this song could have been about me. Instead it was about someone else. I could only imagine what it did to their families. I know what it would have done to mine.

@@Kirke182 I am grateful for your service AND....I know it was a horror show. Glad you made it. Take care.

I passed my army physical in 1970 with flying colors.It was my birthday lottery that kept me out.I was 160 and they only took up to 125 that year.If i knew in 1970/71 what Jesus words were to the Apostle Peter when Peter drew his sword cutting off the ear of a soldier getting to arrest Jesus,I would have gone to jail.Jesus scolded Peter and said those that draw the sword will die by it.Put it back in your sheathe.

Same here, at 73...and a Vietnam Veteran who had his mental health ravaged by Nixon's BS war.

Glad your sons came home. And, as long as America fights wars of economic colonization, in the name of freedom, but geared to make CORPORATIONS RICH, we will have war after war....

Denise you are a bonehead. Guess you didn't pay attention to all the men of ww2. Without that - Where would we be? Gosh so obtuse

Marc,go back to the beginning of how Dickie Smothers intros the song and what he says at the end.He asks the question why.The bible answers that at Jer 10:23.Mans way does not belong.He is walking to direct his step.Correct me God.I suggest you listen to Denise advice.

Many to whom we are grateful for the freedoms that we enjoy today are now silent and invisible, however, so is peace, freedom, love, compassion and faith: And so are memories and dreams.

Yes some of the Older Generation before had a rude awakening when they realized they were going to have any grandchildren. Difficult choice they had to make. Which did they want more, serial wars, or grandchildren ????

Kyrie Eleison is actually Greek

Rex Tremendae Majestatis

Vietnam war was a genocide which destroyed, the white working/middle class & the Black working/middle class, & hank "Heinz" kissinger is still stealing oxygen him & the rest of the deep,dark state !!!!

Nulla verborum in lingua describere

So did I