The Sands Of Iwo Jima Lyrics - The Dirty South - Drive By Truckers

George A. was at the movies in December '41 

They announced it in the lobby what had just gone on 

He drove up from Birmingham back to the family's farm 

Thought he'd get him a deferment there's was much work to be done 

He was a family man, even in those days 

But Uncle Sam decided he was needed anyway 

In the South Pacific over half a world away 

He believed in God and Country, things was just that way 

Just that way 

When I was just a kid I spent every weekend 

On the farm that he grew up on so I guess so did I 

And we'd stay up watching movies on the black and white TV 

We watched "The Sands of Iwo Jima" starring John Wayne 

Every year in June George A. goes to a reunion 

Of the men that he served with and their wives and kids and grand kids 

My Great Uncle used to take me and I'd watch them recollect 

about some things I couldn't comprehend 

And I thought about that movie, asked if it was that way 

He just shook his head and smiled at me in such a loving way 

As he thought about some friends he will never see again 

He said "I never saw John Wayne on the sands of Iwo Jima" 

Most of those men are gone now but he goes still every year 

And George A's still doing fine, especially for his years 

He's still living on that homestead in the house that he was born in 

And I sure wish I could go see him today 

He never drove a new car though he could easily afford it 

He'd just buy one for the family and take whatever no one wanted 

He said a shiny car didn't mean much after all the things he'd seen 

George A. never saw John Wayne on the sands of Iwo Jima