He could be white or black or brown, it doesn’t matter to this fellow,
He fights with them and dies with them, be they red or yellow.
And when the fight is over and they know the battle’s won,
They all take pride in knowing that the job they did’s "Well done!"

That’s the way it’s always been, from Tobruk to Normandy,
From the bloody sands of Iwo to the shores of Tripoli,
They fought and died with unmatched pride in the air, on land, and sea,
And then came back to fight again in defense of liberty.

There were times and other climes when they fought but not to win,
Because the politicians thought that winning was a sin,
Police actions, they were called, a disgrace to Uncle Sam,
And yet they died like heroes in a place called Vietnam.

And when there were no wars to fight, they roamed the ocean floor
Searching out the enemy from the Med to Singapore,
Under Arctic ice floes and ‘neath the equatorial sun,
They fought in watery silence on the cold, rough Northern Run.

Yet there were more, WACS by the score, the WAVES and Nurses too,
The women served with honor for the old red, white, and blue. 
For every vet who ever served knows there’s no substitute
For the life he lives and the flag he serves-altogether, HAND SALUTE!