Thanks very much for your help and the suggestion Wilfried. As it stands now..

Johnny landed in Saigon in December
With a pack in his hand, and a gun
Holding up Johnson's letter
As he stood under the burning sun

He was assigned to the first cavalry
Of the Third Battalion, Vietnam
And as 1968 rang in
He weeped as he wrote to his maw'(mom possibly?)

And for five long weeks Johnny stood
As ammunition guard of the night (ammo guard, maybe?)
When out nowhere came a blast
With a flash that burned his sight

And the first cavalry we're put into action
Their destination was Hue
They hung out the flag of war, and
Johnny held the pole all the way

In Hue he saw a thousand dead
And he shot a eleven more
By evening he'd held the river
And by night he lay dead on the floor

He'd woke in the middle of night
And lit up' a Marlboro Red
When the smoke caught the sniper's eye
A bullet caught him right in the head

They crossed the flag for Johnny's sacrifice
A symbol of his life
While Nixon made another speech
And Johnson said his goodbyes

Flares in an a tattered envelope
And box of Marlboro Red
We're all that came home that day
With the last letter that Johnny had sent


Thanks for all your help. If anybody has anymore corrections or comments I'd really appreciate it.