The story of Ira Hayes has been sung about by Johnny Cash, Khris Kristofferson, movies made and stories written. He was a young marine who did start up the hill with his company and only a few survived. His story is tragic and while the lyrics sung by gravel throated Johnny Cash below are not fully accurate they are close. He was a humble person who truly missed his companions who lost their lives on Iwo Jima. His being a celebrity made him miss his lost companions more and he did become an alcoholic. His is a tragic story that did end with his death due to alcohol poisoning and he was found in his own blood in a ditch. Lest we not forget all the hero's who give their lives for our freedom, Ira Hayes exemplifies the impact war has on our young men and women. The lyrics from the ballad of Ira Hayes as sung by Johnny Cash:
Ira Hayes, Ira Hayes
Call him drunken Ira HayesHe won't answer anymoreNot the whiskey drinkin' IndianNor the Marine that went to war
Gather 'round me people there's a story I would tellAbout a brave young Indian you should remember wellFrom the land of the Pima Indian, a proud and noble bandWho farmed the Phoenix Valley in Arizona land
Down the ditches for a thousand yearsThe water grew Ira's people's cropsTill the white man stole their water rightsAnd the sparklin' water stopped
Now Ira's folks were hungryAnd their land grew crops of weedsWhen war came, Ira volunteeredAnd forgot the white man's greed
Call him drunken Ira HayesHe won't answer anymoreNot the whiskey drinkin' IndianNor the Marine that went to war
There they battled up Iwo Jima's hillTwo hundred and fifty menBut only twenty seven livedTo walk back down again
And when the fight was overAnd 'Old Glory' raisedAmong the men who held it highWas the Indian, Ira Hayes
Call him drunken Ira HayesHe won't answer anymoreNot the whiskey drinkin' IndianNor the Marine that went to war
Ira Hayes returned a heroCelebrated through the landHe was wined and speeched and honoredEverybody shook his hand
But he was just a Pima IndianNo water, no home, no chanceAt home nobody cared what Ira'd doneAnd when did the Indians dance
Call him drunken Ira HayesHe won't answer anymoreNot the whiskey drinkin' IndianNor the Marine that went to war
Then Ira started drinkin' hardJail was often his homeThey'd let him raise the flag and lower itLike you'd throw a dog a bone!
He died drunk early one mornin'Alone in the land he fought to saveTwo inches of water in a lonely ditchWas a grave for Ira Hayes
Call him drunken Ira HayesHe won't answer anymoreNot the whiskey drinkin' IndianNor the Marine that went to war
Yeah, call him drunken Ira HayesBut his land is just as dryAnd his ghost is lyin' thirstyIn the ditch where Ira died
2 comments:
It is always easier to forget than to remember. That way we do have to feel ashamed of how we treat those who have fought for our freedom.
It was like living two lives. He was a decorated Marine and while he was being paraded around there wasa bit of a difference in the way Indians were treated at that time. Yet he found that even as a decorated hero, when the rubber hit the road he was still denied access to things others took for granted, just because he was an Indian. Back on the reservations there were mixed feelings about soldiers. Some saw them as the modern day warriors of the day while others saw them as sell outs, going to fight for a country that had broken every treaty it had made with Indian nations. It was a rough time to be an Indian, hero or not.
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