Navy reviewing if service members violated policy by wearing 'Make Aircrew Great Again' patches

[spike jones]

8. At the end of boot camp 1967

A ceremony to mark the end of basic training was a parade of the guys marching around a field in front of the reviewing stand where the post leaders were standing. Our company commander wanted the guys to sing a song as they were going by the stand. It was the most worst vile thing they had heard. Part of it was, “We want war. We want war. We want war for ever more, Stab that baby, rape that nun, its such patriotic fun. We’re all brothers and we’re only passing through.”

All the guys were appalled at it and told the Sargent we did not want to do it. One guy was a songwriter and guitar player, and he wrote another one that was given to their sergeant for us to sing instead. In the end nothing was sung. I always thought that the commander could have ordered us to sing his song but we all said no and influenced his decision which would have been a little democratic process. I hoped that saner heads had prevailed.