Intro: A G D (x2) A Said goodbye to his mama as he left South Dakota G D To fight for the red, white and blue A He was 19 and green with a new M-16 G D Just doin' what he had to do A He was dropped in the jungle where the choppers would rumble G D With the smell of napalm in the air A G Then the sergeant said, look up ahead A Like a dark evil cloud 1200 came down G D On him and 29 more A They fought for their lives but most of them died G D In the 173rd airborne A On the 8th of November the angels were cryin' G D As they carried his brothers away A With the fire raining down and the hell all around G D There were few men left standing that day F G Saw the eagle fly through a clear blue sky F G A G D 1965, the 8th of November A Now he's 58 and his ponytail's gray G D But the battle still plays in his head A He limps when he walks but he's strong when he talks G D Bout the shrapnel left in his leg A He puts on a gray suit over his airborne tattoo G D And he ties it on one time a year A (one strum ) And remembers the fallin' as he order's a tall one G D Swallows it down with his tears A G D F (one strum ) G (one strum ) Saw the eagle fly through a clear blue sky F G (one strum each) 1965 x2 (1st 4 lines then whole thing) A Said goodbye to his mama as he left South Dakota G D To fight for the red, white and blue A He was 19 and green with a new M-16 G D Just doin' what he had to do
