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“The Ballad of the Green Berets” is a 1966 patriotic song co-written and performed by Barry Sadler, in the style of a ballad about the United States Army Special Forces. It was one of the few popular songs of the Vietnam War years to cast the military in a positive light.

The song became a major hit in January 1966, reaching number one for five weeks on the Billboard Hot 100, and was ranked number one of that chart’s most successful songs of 1966. It was also a crossover hit, reaching number one on Billboard‘s Easy Listening chart and number two on Billboard‘s Country survey. “The Ballad of the Green Berets” was the most commercially successful topical song of the Vietnam War era.