“Fighting soldiers from the sky, fearless men who jump and die. Men who mean just what they say, the brave men of the Green Beret. Silver wings upon their chests, these are men America’s best. One hundred men will test today, but only three win the Green Beret.”
These are the words to one of the most popular songs ever to be written during a time of war, “The Ballad of the Green Berets” was written in 1967 by Barry Sadler, himself a Green Beret.” For the first time, millions of Americans were exposed to a Special Forces soldier or a Green Beret, as they were known because of their distinctive headgear.
Then in 1968 John Wayne made the movie “The Green Berets.” The critics didn’t think much of it, but the people loved it, and many went to see it. A Green Beret became every American’s ideal for the perfect soldier. He became a sort of cult figure for some. A Green Beret couldn’t walk down the street without people staring in a sort of reverent awe. Even today, twenty years later, people have a special respect for the Green Beret.
So, who is this man who wins the Green Beret? Who are these men who aren’t afraid to jump and die? Special Forces were activated in 1952 as the first special service force. It was a joint venture of Americans and Canadians. The Canadians wore Green Berets which the Americans soon adopted. But the department of the army wouldn’t allow it, so the soldier had to wear it on the sly.
Then in 1963, during the Bay of pig’s crisis, President John Kennedy sent in Special Forces soldiers to do a job no one else could. When it was all over, President Kennedy was so grateful for a job well done that he made it a presidential order that Special Forces soldiers would be able to wear their Green Berets.
What makes a Green Beret so special? It must be his training. An “A” team, which is the basic Special Forces unit is made up of ten men and two officers. The ten men include two men who are expert in operations and intelligence, two communications experts, two demolition and engineering experts, two light and heavy weapons experts, and to medical specialists. The training is so difficult at an average of only three men out of one hundred will graduate.
Besides the rigorous expert training which can last for as long as 18 months, each Green Beret will get additional training in mountaineering, small boat training, skydiving, scuba, karate, foreign languages, escape, evasion, and survival, as well as any other training deemed necessary in order to perform a specialized mission.
In addition to the expert and specialized training, each Green Beret will be cross trained in at least one other specialty. For example, a weapons expert could be cross trained as a demolition expert and a medic. A medic could be cross trained as a communications expert and weapons expert.
It’s true that the Green Beret is the most recognizable soldier in the world, but most people have no idea what his job is. His job is not to fight the world’s wars. His job is to go into foreign countries and teach that nation’s army how to fight their own wars. For example, in 1963 when John Kennedy sent Green Berets into South Vietnam, they were sent to help organize and train the South Vietnamese army to fight the communist backed troops from North Vietnam. An “A” team will be assigned to train as many as 500 foreign soldiers. They will train the men in weapons, demolitions, communications, and first aid. The officers will be trained and operations and intelligence techniques. All of the soldiers will be trained in basic gorilla fighting, such as combat and reconnaissance patrols, ambushing, search and destroy missions, POW snatches, repelling, using a map and a compass, and parachute training. It is this knowledge, skill, and expertise that makes the Green Beret such a viable and elite military men.
There’s no wonder why there is so much respect for the Green Beret. It’s not hard to understand why a Green Beret soldier is one of the proudest soldiers in the world. As the words to the song say, “Back at home a young wife waits. Her Green Beret has met his fate. He has died for those oppressed, leaving her this last request. Put silver wings on my son’s chest. Make him one of America’s best. He’ll be a man they’ll test one day. Have him win the Green Beret.”
This was paper I had to write for my English 1A class at Harbor Junior College on April 30, 1985. My instructor was Miss C. O’Hearn; I received an “A” grade.
