What a wonderful fall day here in Hillsborough, North Carolina. Just a bit of nip in the air and the leaves on the trees in our yard are like a rainbow. The air is so fresh and crisp and I slept like an angel last night. Certainly all is well with the world.
I haven’t tuned in on a single newscast or read a bit on what might be happening, allegedly, in the outside world. Today I feel a poem coming on.
Say Something Good
Veterans Day. There is an old song that goes back to the Civil War titled “When Johnny Comes Marching Home.” You might like to look up the lyrics. It was played for veterans of World War One and World War Two but when I returned from Korea there was no band there to greet me, no cheering crowd. Many Americans of that time were not even aware there was a Korean War. It was called a “Police Action.” And then when our Viet Nam Veterans came home many were treated poorly, with disrespect from some and worse from others. Today on Veterans Day it is considered polite to say, “Thank you for serving.”
For those many veterans that still recall that shock of returning to an ungrateful nation. Welcome Home!
May God Bless America and bring us world peace.
Great blog as usual, Art.
Years ago a struggling songwriter friend of mine who I’d see once or twice a year named Tom Russell came through with really big news. Johnny Cash had recorded one of his songs but then word came out that it wasn’t going to be released. Still, it was a big deal to have old Johnny record something you wrote.
Later Tom Russell found himself invited onstage to sing his song, “Veteran’s Day,” with Johnny Cash and that must have been the thrill of a lifetime for him. Later he teamed up with Ian Tyson up in Canada that proved to be a fruitful songwriting team.
Here is Johnny’s version of the song:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jV5B6Dy4D9A
This is the version by Tom Russell that Johnny Cash heard when he decided to record it: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lA5HaUkeRoU