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My brother and I were big fans of folk music. He played guitar and so did I and he played a great harmonica. One of our favorites was Eric Andersen and I just thought of the song that made such a huge impression on me while my brother was in Viet Nam. The song was called "For What Was Gained For What Was Lost" on an album called "Avalanche" I definitely identified with the "little brother" role.

Here are the lyrics:

How Many times we talked the night away
How many plans we made to hit the road someday
How many things there was to see, there was to be,
How many things when you're young and free

He never had much family
Little brother and him, and Mama made three,
There was a time there once was four
But he don't talk about that no more.

And then one day a letter came,
And on that day, I knew right there, our roads had changed.
It called for him to fight for us
He said, "I ain't scared" but I knew he was.

He said "if daddy was here he would have said so"
'If your country calls for you then you must go.'
It's a sad design the Lord he weaves
But if it was His Will, then it was meant to be."

He looked so young in his uniform
And mama packed the trunk so old and worn
Little brother, he watched so proudly then
Said, "When I grow up I'm gonna be like him."

A tear was hid as he stood and waved
And mama said, "We love you son, try to be brave."
He held her close and he touched her hair,
Said, "I'll write soon if I get lonely there."

It was a Sunday mornin', little brother he ran
Up the front porch cryin' with a telegram
The contents read it was on a hill
It was in action a boy was killed.

Mama shrunk and fell, said "God help me understand,"
And on her shoulder was little brother's hand
"I'll be all right go on to your room,"
Thinkin' to herself--he'll be eighteen soon."

To die so young in an unknown land
Where the shame of blood is on no one's hands,
And on whose heart will the shame be found
The one who sent him out,...the one who shot him down?

He was eighteen and he had to die
And to this day, God knows, I don't know why,
To be so young and payin' such a cost,
For what was gained, for what was lost.