The phrase was used as a slogan by anti-war protesters in the US, often accompanied by Nick Ut's Pulitzer Prize-winning photo, "The Terror of War" (June 8, 1972). Burke interpreted the military call-and-response work song as a rebuke thereof, an effort to self-transform the servicemember from the demonized "baby-killer" to the haunted and broken veteran.
In the context of US anti-war protests, the phrase was used as a slogan, often displayed alongside Nick Ut's iconic Pulitzer Prize-winning photo, "The Terror of War," taken on June 8, 1972. Burke viewed the military work song as a commentary, an attempt to humanize the soldier from being perceived as a "baby-killer" into a vulnerable and damaged veteran.