Only last June
He got his diploma
In just a short while
Trainin' in Oklahoma
Learnin' to shoot
To salute, shine a boot
Takin' orders, fixin' mortars
Guardin' our boarders
He was only a boy
But had a man's job to do
Willing to die
For me, for you
Set sail for Vietnam
To help out our nation
Tryin' to put down
The Red infiltration
Fightin' in trenches
Out in drenches and stenches
Shootin' headlong
At a throng of Viet Cong
He was only a boy
But had a man's job to do
Willing to die
Not just for me, but for you
He thought about his folks
He sure missed his girl
As bullets and shells
Around him started to swirl
One ripped through his shirt
Blood spurt, man it hurt
He spun around, fell face down
Head to the ground
He was only a boy
But had a man's job to do
Willing to die
For me, for you
Ah, so his parents got a medal
So his girl got his ring
But to his country he left
One very special thing
He helped people stay free
From the misery of tyranny
Yeah he died without fright
In a fight that he knew was right
He was only a boy
But had a man's job to do
Willing to die
Not just for me, but for you