Haggard told The Boot that he wrote the song after he became disheartened watching Vietnam War protests and incorporated that emotion and viewpoint into song. Haggard says, "When I was in prison, I knew what it was like to have freedom taken away.

Freedom is everything. During Vietnam, there were all kinds of protests. Here were these [servicemen] going over there and dying for a cause—we don't even know what it was really all about. And here are these young kids, that were free, bitching about it. There's something wrong with that and with [disparaging] those poor guys."

He states that he wrote the song to support the troops. "We were in a wonderful time in America, and the music was in a wonderful place. America was at its peak, and what the hell did these kids have to complain about? These soldiers were giving up their freedom and lives to make sure others could stay free. I wrote the song to support those soldiers.

I was in the USAF at that time returning stateside from USAFE...(Europe.) We were ordered NOT to wear our uniforms in public back then. My... have the times changed! Anyway, thanks guys for reading my history lesson for today and listening to me trying my best with the late great Merle Haggard tune!