...on every acre...

[Unregistered]

There is a song from Billy Joel "Goodnight Saigon". Can anyone explain me what is meant with:
Remember Charly, remember Baker,
they left their childhood on every acre.

Thanks, Paul

[Tdol]

I'd say, though it's not clearcut, that 'leaving their childhood' means losing their innocence, 'on every acre' means in every part of Vietnam. 'Charlie' was a term used by the Americans for the North Vietnamese, so I presume he means that both the Viet Cong and the Americans lost their innocence, which seems to fit with the lines that follow. I haven't heard the song so I'm simply going from reading the lyrics from Google.