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My good friend Jim Hatch (USMC, RVN) is a talented artist and one of my favorite songs he does is called “Drive On”, written by Johnny Cash after he and his wife June returned from a USO tour in Viet Nam. With Jim’s permission, please take a minute and listen to “Drive On!
If you enjoy “Drive On”, drop Jim a note and you might even want to buy his awesome CD with more super songs.
Jim was in-country with HMM-161, H&MS-17 & VMGR-152.
His e-mail address is cwfhat@pacbell.net
Another good friend, Gordon Boswell 1st Force Recon, Vietnam, says when times get tough, he remembers this song and just drives on!
Share your thoughts.
“Drive On”
I got a friend named Whiskey Sam
He was my boonierat buddy for a year in Nam
He said I think my country got a little off track
Took ’em twenty-five years to welcome me back
But, it’s better than not coming back at all
Many a good man
I saw fall And even now,
every time I dream I hear the men
and the monkeys in the jungle scream
Drive on, don’t mean nothin’
My children love me , but they don’t understand
And I got a woman who knows her man
Drive on, don’t mean nothin’, drive on
I remember one night,
Tex and me Rappelled in on a hot L.Z.
We had our 16’s on rock and roll
But, with all that fire,
was scared and cold
We were crazy, we were wild
And I have seen the tiger smile
I spit in a bamboo viper’s face
And I’d be dead , but by God’s grace
Drive on, don’t mean nothin’
My children love me, but they don’t understand
And I got a woman who knows her man
Drive on, don’t mean nothin’, drive on
It was a real slow walk in a real sad rain
And nobody tried to be John Wayne
I came home, but Tex did not
And I can’t talk about the hit he got
I got a little limp now when
I walk Got a little tremolo when
I talk But my letter read from Whiskey Sam
You’re a walkin’ talkin’ miracle from Vietnam
Drive on, don’t mean nothin’
My children love me, but they don’t understand
And I got a woman who knows her man
Drive on, don’t mean nothin’, drive on
Hi, Jim. The first time I heard your song “Drive On” was on that CD that our good friend, Wally (Bytes) Beddoe put together. I purchased the CD that Wally made of the collection of photos and songs that he made up and was selling at the 2004 reunion.
Do you know the difference between a lie and a fairy tale? Well, if you don’t then I shall educate you. A fairy tail starts out, Once Upon a Time, and a lie starts out, “Now this ain’t no bull sh!t.
Anyway, this really AIN’T NO BULL SH!T, But, when ever I am reminded of of that CD the first thing I think about is your song, “Drive On.” That is a very powerful song. I love it. I am a picker, too. I was in Nam from 1969-1970. I was lucky to get to serve with some fine young Marines. I was with the MABS-16/H&MS-16 Ordnance.
I worked with the guys at the H&MS-16 Ordnance crew. If there was a Marine helicopter carrying 2.75 rockets, our crew assembled them. There were 14 men in that Ordnance Shop counting myself. I and my crew of 13 men asembled in excess of 2,000 rockets a day. We were on duty 24/7, but we didn’t get many of the midnight calls, thank God!
So, take it easy, Jim, I enjoy your music. As a matter of fact, when I finish this email to you,I think I will go and play that CD.
Semper Fi my friend,
Chuck Brewer
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