THE POWER OF SONG
Soldier Mike Archer had to take time and write a letter to Tommy James thanking him “for weaving a tapestry of peace and tranquility through your music, offering solace to those who sought refuge from the chaos.” He put in the subject line that “you may never know the profound impact your song had on a young soldier fighting a war (Vietnam) far from home, but your music will forever hold a special place in my heart.” James, a longtime Cedar Grove resident, and who can be seen performing in The Jersey Sound documentary currently free-streaming on TubiTV, shared the contents of the letter with this reporter. It was too profound not to share.
He writes, “the jungle humidity was all over our pores, and the smell of sweat and gunpowder remained from our recent patrol. But when we finally made it back to the relative safety of our base, it was like a weight lifted off our shoulders. We could hear the familiar sounds of guys banging on their mess kits and laughing their heads off as they stripped down to wash off all the grime and dirt from the war.
“I was sitting on a sandbag bunker with a paperback novel in my lap, but I wasn't reading. I was staring off into space thinking. Then, the last rays of sunlight started to peek over the horizon, and the sky turned into a beautiful mix of orange and purple. Right on cue, Armed Forces Radio played a familiar voice through the static.
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“The song was `Crystal Blue Persuasion’ and it sounded like a soothing balm on my soul. I leaned back against the sandbags and closed my eyes, letting the music distract me from all the horrors I'd seen. The lyrics were all about hope, love, and peace, a far cry from the reality of war.
“For a while, I forgot about all the danger and fear that was always there. I was just a young guy, lost in a beautiful melody, feeling like a speck in this vast, fantastic universe. The sun kept rising, and its golden light started to shine on the scarred landscape around us. I felt a sense of peace so deep that it almost felt like I was betraying the friends I'd lost in the war.
“But even though the song ended and the guys started getting ready for bed, that moment of peace stayed with me. It was a reminder that even in the darkest times, there's still beauty to be found and hope to hold onto.”