Remembering Barry Sadler and the Ballad of the Green Beret

Remembering Barry Sadler.....born in Carlsbad , New Mexico on November 1, 1940, died November 5, 1989 at age 49.

Sadler is most remembered for his famous song "The Ballad of the Green Beret". He served as a Green Beret medic and Staff Sergeant in the U.S. Army during the Vietnam War. He was severely wounded in the knee by a feces-covered punji stick while leading a patrol in the Central Highlands of Vietnam , southeast of Pleiku in May 1965.

Robin Moore, author of the novel The Green Berets, encouraged Barry Sadler in his recording of the song which became the title song for the movie "The Green Berets" starring John Wayne. The Ballad of the Green Berets actually reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart for five consecutive weeks from March 5 to April 2, 1966, selling over one million copies,

Sadler later took to writing books. His "Casca" series centers on the title character, Casca Rufio Longinius who stabbed Christ during the crucifixion, and is cursed to remain a soldier eternally till the Second Coming. The series of novels takes Casca through to the 20th century. Sadler himself wrote only the first few, with the remainder of the original 22 books being farmed out by the publishers to other writers and issued under his name. Subsequent books have been written by different authors.

Enjoy the song,....you should be in the front leaning rest position during it's entirety!