Crucial Track for July 23, 2025

"The Ballad of the Green Berets" by SSgt. Barry Sadler

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What's a song you associate with your hometown? Although my hometown was founded in the pre-colonial era and has a rich history, we are know for one thing, and that is our close ties to the American war machine, specifically the Special Forces command and the 82nd Airborne Infantry Division. Kids around here grow up to the sound of artillery and the sight of paratroopers falling from the sky. I saw a big jump last week over Sainte-Mère-Eglise drop zone. Barry Sadler was an active duty Green Beret when he recorded this song in the 1960s. He lived in the same neighborhood as my high school girlfriend, about one mile from the Ft. Bragg gate.