Uncommon Valor: A Vietnam Story

Song description

The song's producer, Stoupe the Enemy of Mankind, usually known for his intricate, layered production, provides a dark, minimalist beat for the track, simply featuring drums, bass, and a light, wailing female vocal sample. Jedi Mind Tricks vocalist Vinnie Paz provides the opening verse, a first-person narrative telling the story of a young, scared and confused United States soldier stationed in Gia Định, who, after seeing the carnage of battle and the corruption of the Army, begins to question the real motives behind the Vietnam War. R.A. the Rugged Man's verse recounts the war experience of his father, highly decorated war hero Staff Sgt. John A. Thorburn, who was nearly killed in a crash near Cambodia after his helicopter's pilot was hit. He reaches a moment of clarity while in the hospital, but after being sent home, he discovers he has been exposed to Agent Orange, leaving two of his children severely mentally and physically handicapped. His son Maxx died at the age of 10 - his daughter Dee-ann at the age of 27.

Acclaim

The key factor to the song's acclaim was the nearly two-minute verse by R.A. the Rugged Man. Numerous album reviews referenced the verse as the highlight of the song. An AllHipHop.com review called the song "the most insightful track JMT has done in years" and states that "This record will be remembered most for R.A.'s robotic flow recounting his own father's story of war while absolutely murdering the beat."Hamza, Omar. HipHopDX.com writer Joshua Naber states that it is "possibly my favorite verse of the year", calling it an "epic tale of War". The October 2006 issue of The Source magazine featured the verse as its "Hip-Hop Quotable" of the month, and also listed "Uncommon Valor" on its "Fat Tape" list.

While the performance of R.A. garnered considerable attention and acclaim, it was not the sole factor in the song's popularity. An online reviewer for HipHopLinguistics.com also praises the performance of Vinnie Paz, stating that he "does a great job personalizing the effects of war." RapReviews.com reviewer Steve 'Flash' Juon calls the song "as creepy and hair-raising as hip-hop gets", and praises the production work, "Stoupe ups the ante by sneaking in subtle sound effects that make you feel like you're right there in the jungle." MVRemix.com reviewer Michael Diston calls the song a "stunning moment", and also comments on the song's concept and fitting production, "The haunting beat does the subject matter justice – a fantastic concept and one of JMT's finest moments."

Introduction

The opening of the song begins with an excerpt from Richard Nixon's resignation speech and a line from a 1950s American public service announcement, Duck and Cover, about a possible nuclear attack.

John A. Thorburn

Staff Sgt. John Andrew Thorburn (August 26, 1946 in St. Albans, Queens−January 7, 2010 in Port Jefferson, New York) was an American war Veteran who for seven years served in the United States Army and the United States Air Force during the Vietnam War. Thorburn received several medals for his service. In the Army he was with the 101st Airborne Division (The "Screaming Eagles"). He was later assigned with the Green Berets into the 10th Special Forces Group. In June 1968, Thorburn transferred to the Air Force.

On March 14, 1970, Thorburn was on a Long-range reconnaissance patrol (LRRP) from the Ban Me Thuot East Airfield in South Vietnam aboard a UH-1P "Papa" Huey helicopter with the 20th Special Operations Squadron (The "Green Hornets"), when the chopper was shot down near the Duc Lap Special Forces Camp by enemy ground fire which resulted in pilot USAF Capt Dana Allen Dilley's death and three wounded soldiers, including Thorburn. An Army helicopter on the same operation retrieved the soldiers and took them to Cam Ranh Air Base. Thorburn was later discharged following injuries he received.

Staff Sergeant Thorburn was awarded the Conspicuous Service Cross by New York State Senator John J. Flanagan for his accomplishments in the Vietnam War. He also earned several awards and decorations from the United States Army and Air Force.