John Rich talked to The Boot about the third single from his solo album, 'Son of a Preacher Man.''Good Lord and the Man' is about my grandfather, 'Papaw' Rich. He had six purple hearts in World War II. He lied about his age and told them he was 18 when he was really 17, so they'd let him in the Army. He went over and became a bonafide war hero. There's a line in the song that says, "We'd all be speaking German or living under the flag of Japan, if it wasn't for the good Lord and the man." I don't think you can find an American who disagrees with that statement. When I wrote that line, I looked down at the page and thought, 'I don't know if I can say that or not.' But then I realized it probably won't upset people, because it's the truth! The World War II generation saved the world.
Reader Comments(1 of 12)
callumjstewartat 8-07-2009
The Americans are so deluded when it comes to their part in WW2. The majority of the fighting had already been done when they entered the war.
shuem8at 8-07-2009
yeah, and the rest of the world was losing til we got thrusted into the war at Pearl Harbor.
newtownartistat 8-07-2009
the allies were LOSING the war before America joined the fight...
they BEGGED us to help....jeeez, read a history book for God's sake. Or just go to Normandy.....look at those rows and rows of little white crosses. How DARE you make such a ridiculous statement!!!!!!
medtech8668at 8-07-2009
Most of the fighting had been done, what are you Stupid or something. Seems to me thatEurope was all but begging us to get involved and could not handle it without us as I'm sure they were about to go under before we got involved. Lets not forget all the fighting done in Africa on the march to Berlin, not to mention the beaches of Normandy or lets not forget IwoJima and the war in the Pacific, seems to me we were on almost every battlefront there was so for you to say we Americans are deluded in our part is just wrong. Yes we may have waited longer than we should have to get involved but once we were we were in on all fronts and lets not forget the liberation of France from German control. Thanks to the greatest generation ever.
USAF veteran 1986-1994
mcoxlegalat 8-07-2009
I lived in England for some time and my children attended British schools. Callum cannot be blamed for his ignorance, for some reason school children are not taught what really went on during WWII there. There were actually children who attended school with my children who didn't even know that America fought in WWII. It's pathetic. We have been Britins greatest ally (& they ours), it's time we all recognized the contributions both countrys made.
bnoehrenat 8-07-2009
"Seems to me thatEurope was all but begging us to get involved" It was not "all but begging"... they WERE begging, and the liberals were screaming for us not to get involved in the war. To this day, they resent the US for taking so long to help them out. Ask any Brit.
pinballprowessat 8-07-2009
You mean, the majority of the "losing" had been done. Typical delusional and "snobbish" Limey. But who exactly they're snubbing... is an international mystery. Oh, and by the way, it's: punctuation "is" your friend, not punctuation "in" your friend. Don't criticize someone's punctuation, when you don't know rudimentary English (let alone, history) and can't even use the correct words, sister-boy.
oldchvytrxat 8-07-2009
callumjstewart
at 8-07-2009
The Americans are so deluded when it comes to their part in WW2. The majority of the fighting had already been done when they entered the war.
>>
Yep,
The fighting was so close to being over it only lasted another 4 1/2 years!!!!!!
Thank God the French stood up and showed those darn Germans....... and the Chinese sure whipped Japan's butt too!!!!!
I'm pretty sure someone's "delusioned" here but not "most Americans" when it comes to our role in WWII.
"Most Americans" are in the dark as to HOW we were forced into becoming involved though!!!!
Lon Minorat 8-07-2009
Where in the Hell did you learn your history? Most of the fighting was over when America entered the war? You're an idiot! Tell that to the boys that died in North Africa, Sicily, Normandy, Bastogne....need I go on? And tell it to the Marines in the Pacific from Guadalcanal to Okinawa! I say again....you're an idiot!
gstrait01at 8-07-2009
Seems at if you are the deluted one jerk
manosteel254at 8-07-2009
Winston Churchill said. "when I heard Japan bombed Pearl Harbor, I slept the sleep of a man saved" he knew that would be a turning point for the allies
Lindsayat 8-07-2009
Yep, how dare you.
ptmclghlnat 8-07-2009
callumjstewart,Where did you get your education?
War against Japan
Pearl Harbor, Coral Sea, Midway, New Guinea, Solomons, Burma (Burma Death March),Phillipines,Okinawa (Many Americans killed),Saipan,China (We helped them).
War against Germany (They were at their Max expansion when we entered)
North Africa, Sicily, Italy, France (D-Day, ever hear of that?, Germany.
Not to mention all the money we spent on weapons, food, supplies, etc, etc. etc. to help England, Russia, China, etc. Money that was never repaid in full!!!
You are either an American hating foreigner or an un-educated American.
Don't reply about all the fighting & loss that England and Russia suffered, I'm well aware of it. But to suggest that America had nothing to do with winning WWII is just plain IGNORANT!!!
rms5453at 8-07-2009
I know little about country music. I am however a 57 year old son of a US Marine, who lied about his age of 17 to say he was 18. He proceed to land on the Phillipines, Saipan and Iwo Jima where he received a Purple Heart for being severely wounded. He carried pieces of steel inside his body the rest of his life. He was not a politically correct man and he always told me that if he did not have a limb I would have slanted eyes. So as wrong as that may be that is the way the Greatest Generation thought.
xavuneat 8-07-2009
September 1, 1939 - December 7, 1941 = 828 days
December 8, 1941 - August 15, 1945 = 1346 days
Some of the major battles post US entering: D-Day, Italy, all the fierce winter battles between Germany and the Soviet Union (e.g. Stalingrad, Kiev, Minsk, etc), Russian advances into Poland and Germany, Allied advances into France and Germany, the entire Pacific Theater (excluding mainland Asia) which included Midway, Okinawa, Iwo Jima, the Philippines, Guadalcanal, Firebombing Japan, nuclear bombs, the majority of the Holocaust.
Americans may be deluded about some things, but this is not one of those cases.