Merle Haggard has always been very vocal about his support of the military. Though the country legend never served himself, he had a great admiration for the troops and their service to their country.
Throughout his career, Haggard sang a number of songs honoring servicemen and patriotism. One of his most touching songs in this vein will always be the 1970 sing “Soldier’s Last Letter”.
This song was originally written by Redd Stewart and Ernest Tubb. It was released by Tubb as a single in 1944. Stewart, a military man, was inspired to write the song based on his experience in the South Pacific after the attack on Pearl Harbor.
The song struck a chord with a great number of people after it’s original release, and it ended up topping charts for several weeks. Then, decades later, Haggard decided to release his own version of the song on his album Hag.
Haggard released the song amidst the turbulence of the Vietnam War, and it peaked at number 3 on the U.S. Billboard Hot Country Singles chart. Not only did it appeal to country fans, but the song crossed over to the pop charts, as well.
Watch the moving video for “Soldier’s Last Letter” below! What did you think? Leave us a comment, we’d love to hear from you!
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