The trouble is...the version that gave me nightmares got a LOT of radio play about the same year as “The Ballad of the Green Berets.” And that was 1966. Wikipedia tells me that there was a Country version by Ronnie Hawkins in 1963. That sounds good because this was a southern radio station, but 1963 is just too early.
Quicksilver Messenger Service had their hit in 1969, and that is way too late. At least, I think it is....
So....I will probably never know.