"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. It is the fourth song on the group's 2006 album Servants in Heaven, Kings in Hell. While not released as a single, the song was recognized as one of the album's standout tracks.

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.

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.

...
Wikipedia