"Uncommon Valor: A Vietnam Story" is a song by hip-hop duo Jedi Mind Tricks, consisting of rapper Vinnie Paz and producer Stoupe the Enemy of Mankind, and features a guest verse from R.A. the Rugged Man.
[1][2] The song's producer, Stoupe the Enemy of Mankind provides a dark, minimalist beat for the track, 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 motivation behind the Vietnam War.
R.A.'s father reaches a moment of clarity while in the hospital and has a near-death experience, but, after being sent home, he discovers that he was exposed to Agent Orange which ultimately leaves two of his children severely mentally and physically handicapped.
"[2] The opening of the song begins with an excerpt from Richard Nixon's resignation speech[7] and a line from a 1950s American public service announcement, Duck and Cover, about a possible nuclear attack.
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 as a member of the 20th Special Operations Squadron (The "Green Hornets").
The helicopter 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 airmen, with Thorburn and the other gunner sustaining serious injuries.