In 1945, songwriter Frank Loesser wrote "The Ballad of Rodger Young". At the time, he was a private serving in the Army's Radio Production Unit. "Life" magazine featured the ballad's sheet music and lyrics in a story on Young in its March 5, 1945, edition. The "Life" article, together with the 1949 repatriation of Young's body to the United States, boosted the song's popularity. Best-selling recordings were made by Burl Ives and Nelson Eddy by the end of 1949. On March 31, 1946, "The Ballad of Rodger Young" was sung by tenor Dennis Day on the "Jack Benny Program" on the radio. After the song, Jack Benny gave a speech in Young's honor.