-Hello,
Please see the enclosed Memorial Day lead and front page story on Country
Joe McDonald in the May 29,2000 San Francisco Chronicle. I would appreciate
any feedback or discussion on your reaction to it.
I am writing a book with Joe McDonald about his life and the emergence of
Country Joe - to see samples of the book see www.countryjoe.com
Ron Cabral rcabral@pacbell.net
--------------------------------------------------------This article was
sent to you by someone who found it on SF Gate.
>The original article can be found on SFGate.com here:
>http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/chronicle/archive/2000/05
>/29/MN54285.DTL
> ----------------------------------------------------------------------
>May 29, 2000 (SF Chronicle)
>An Unlikely Hero/Anti-war anthem gives Country Joe a platform for crusade
>t
>o honor vets
>Michael Taylor, Chronicle Staff Writer
>
>
> It's one of those indelible images from the Vietnam War era -- 1969,
>Woodstock, Country Joe McDonald up on the stage, belting out the era's
>anti-war anthem to more than half a million gyrating, mud-slathered,
>toasted-to-the-gills fans.
> "Come on, all of you big strong men/Uncle Sam needs your help
>again/He's
>got himself in a terrible jam/Way down yonder in Vietnam."
> The jam in Vietnam ended a quarter of a century ago, at a cost of more
>than 2 million Vietnamese civilians and soldiers, as well as 58,220
>American service men and women, whose memory is being honored today. But
>the "Feel Like I'm Fixin' To Die Rag," the anthem of the anti-war '60s
>and
>'70s and the signature song of Berkeley's own Country Joe, stayed on and
>on and on.
> "Because of that song and the Woodstock film," McDonald said the other
>day, "I'm linked to the Vietnam War, like it or not. In whatever way
>people feel about the war, that's how they view Country Joe."
> Things have mellowed. A lot of those Woodstock kids cut their hair and
>a
>re
>now driving Beemers and washing down the second half of their lives with
>Dom Perignon.
> But McDonald, who is now 58 years old, became frozen in the aspic of
>Indochina. And through a combination of personal obsession, colored by
>his
>own experience of being a Navy veteran turned anti- war activist, he has
>become the champion of Vietnam veterans.
> "I may dislike the generals and the politicians," he said of his
>anti-war
>days, "but I never said anything bad about the individual soldiers." It's
>a sentiment he has carried to numerous veterans' rallies during the past
>three decades.
> After a while, McDonald found that in some military circles he was
>"being
>mentioned in the same breath as Jane Fonda," who became known as "Hanoi
>Jane" for her highly publicized support of North Vietnam during the war.
> "It's bothersome to be mentioned that way," McDonald said, pointing
>out
>that he was trained as an air traffic controller and served from 1959 to
>1962 in the Navy, stationed in Japan. "I enlisted when I was 17 years
>old,
>and I've experienced what every military veteran has experienced -- a
>bell-shaped curve of emotions. Before you go in, you wonder about
>patriotism and you're scared and you're not scared. Then you go in and
>you
>learn that it's a lot more complicated than just a bunch of push-ups and
>pull-ups and shooting a gun."
> After he was discharged, McDonald became a rock singer, and when the
>bitterly satirical "Feel Like I'm Fixin' To Die Rag" came out, it
>crystallized the experience of many Vietnam vets.
> After the war ended, McDonald found himself in big demand to play
>benefi
>ts
>for veterans causes that desperately needed money.
> And it was during those years that McDonald persuaded the city of
>Berkel
>ey
>to affix a bronze plaque honoring the notoriously anti-war city's 22
>Vietnam War dead on the city's veterans building. He also helped create
>an
>interactive Web site (www.ci.berkeley.ca.us/links/comm/vvm/default.htm)
>that, in stark black and white, brings to electronic life the images and
>remembrances from the slain veterans' family, friends and former comrades
>in arms.
> Now, working with the San Francisco veterans group, Swords to
>Plowshares,
>McDonald is trying to get San Francisco officialdom to pay symbolic
>attention to the 163 San Franciscans who died in the Vietnam War by doing
>for San Francisco what he did for Berkeley.
> "If Berkeley can relate to its past and bring out the scrapbooks and
>all
>ow
>people to heal and have closure," he said, "San Francisco can do it if
>they want to. Isn't it time to do the right thing?"
> McDonald wants the city to hang a plaque, preferably at the War
>Memorial
>Veterans Building across the street from City Hall, and create its own
>Web
>site to honor its Vietnam War dead. He said he mentioned this to Willie
>Brown at a party during the San Francisco mayoral campaign five years ago
> -- "you get to talk to him for a hot minute" -- and Brown said, sure,
>let's do it, it's a good idea, and went on to be mayor and nothing's
>happened since.
> Asked about McDonald's idea the other day, Brown said, "I think he's
>right. There should be some acknowledgment. There should be a Vietnam
>memorial somewhere in San Francisco." But he said the memorial would have
>to be privately financed.
> "I hope by the end of my term we can have something," Brown said,
>pointi
>ng
>out that it took years of lobbying in Sacramento to get a Vietnam
>veterans
>memorial on the Capitol grounds.
> In fact, San Francisco has had a memorial to its war dead since 1932,
>wh
>en
>the War Memorial Veterans Building and Opera House on Van Ness Avenue,
>built to honor the dead of World War I, were dedicated. But there are no
>plaques honoring San Francisco veterans.
> Whenever the subject of honoring the city's war dead with specific
>plaqu
>es
>comes up, the War Memorial Board of Trustees turns it down, something
>that
>rankles veterans and San Francisco politicians alike.
> Two years ago, Supervisor Barbara Kaufman asked members of the War
>Memorial Board why they couldn't put up plaques and received a reply from
>the memorial's managing director, Elizabeth Murray.
> "Over the years, there have been various proposals for the placement
>of
>plaques and/or monuments on the `San Francisco War Memorial' to
>memorialize the purposes for which the War Memorial was constructed,"
>Murray wrote. "However, for a variety of reasons, none of these proposals
>were implemented."
> Murray told Kaufman that the two buildings themselves, along with
>their
>common courtyard, "were intended to convey homage and spirit as a
>memorial
>to veterans."
> Kaufman, however, thinks there's a problem.
> "The way we treated Vietnam veterans was different from the way we
>treat
>ed
>other veterans," she said. "They weren't treated as heroes, they were
>treated as if they were the enemy. It's pretty disgraceful the way we
>treated the Vietnam veterans."
> "But I can see where the trustees would argue that we already have two
>magnificent monuments for those who have fought for our country," she
>said.
> For those whose loved ones died in Vietnam, however, a plaque honoring
>t
>he
>Vietnam War dead should have been erected a long time ago, she said.
> "We, the survivors, are still waiting for the city of San Francisco to
>honor their sacrifice," said Margo McRice of Castro Valley, whose first
>husband, Army Lt. Arthur R. Timboe, was killed during the Tet Offensive
>in
>early February 1968, six weeks before his 24th birthday. "As this is the
>25th anniversary of the official end of the war in Vietnam, I feel time
>is
>of the essence."
> The San Francisco memorial plaque or statue is still in search of a
>powerful sponsor, but the memorial Web site may have better luck.
> A ranking member of San Francisco's Veterans Affairs Commission, one
>of
>the city's two official veterans organizations, said he is eager to do
>something for the city's Vietnam War dead and welcomed the idea of
>opening
>up the commission's Web site (www.ci.sf.ca.us/vets/) to the kind of
>interactivity already in use in Berkeley.
> "I think it's a great idea to add the Vietnam vets to this Web site,"
>sa
>id
>Commissioner Wallace Levin, a San Francisco private investigator who is
>also a Korean War veteran and past president of the commission. "There's
>no reason why we shouldn't recognize the Vietnam veterans."
> He said he would bring up the idea when the commission meets at 6 p.m.
>June 5 at the Veterans Building, 401 Van Ness Ave.
> At the city's Department of Telecommunications and Information
>Services,
>Deputy Director Rod Loucks said that adding the names of the 163 San
>Francisco veterans who gave their lives in Vietnam would not be very
>difficult and would fit within the purpose of the taxpayer-supported
>site.
> "The intent of the city's Web site is not only for government people,"
>he
>said, "but is also a community- based resource."
> Loucks said there might be a problem paying for Web-savvy techs to get
>t
>he
>material on the Web site -- it could cost up to about $5,000 for an
>interactive site -- but McDonald said that in the past he has been able
>to
>raise money to pay for these memorials.
> McDonald said he is inured to the fact that these things don't happen
>overnight and he takes comfort from his friend Jan Scruggs, the veteran
>who conceived the idea of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial (The Wall) that
>was dedicated in Washington, D.C., in November 1982, after Scruggs and
>others spent three years raising $8.4 million from private donations to
>get the wall designed and built.
> "Inertia is always easy, particularly with government officials,"
>Scruggs
>said the other day. "All that's needed there is some leadership, and I'm
>sure Country Joe and other veterans will get behind this thing and make
>it
>happen. Symbols are very important, as many small towns and large towns
>have found out. Commemorating tragedies and triumphs is part of the
>fabric
>of a city. It's the type of thing people have to remember."
>
>"I-Feel-Like-I'm-Fixin'-to-Die Rag" Well, come on mothers throughout the
>land, Pack your boys off to Vietnam. Come on fathers, don't hesitate,
>Send
>'em off before it's too late. Be the first one on your block To have your
>boy come home in a box. And it's one, two, three, What are we fighting
>for? Don't ask me, I don't give a damn, Next stop is Vietnam. And it's
>five, six, seven, Open up the pearly gates, Well there ain't no time to
>wonder why Whoopee! we're all gonna die.
>
>S.F. VICTIMS OF THE VIETNAM WAR San Franciscans who died or were declared
>missing in action as a result of the Vietnam War ((m) -- missing in
>action):
> Sgt. Eddie Achica, 35, Army.
> Tech. Sgt. Felizardo Aguillon, 36, Air Force.(m)
> SFC Albert Akamu, 34, Army.
> Staff Sgt. Daniel Alegre, 21, Army.
> PFC John Ananian, 22, Army.
> Sgt. Gregory Antunano, 21, Army.(m)
> Sgt. Joseph Artavia, 19, Army.
> PFC Tony Baker, 20, Marine Corps.
> PFC Carlos Baldizon-Izquierdo, 22, Marine Corps.
> PFC Gary Banglos, 21, Army.
> Spec. 4 Charles Barrett, 20, Army.
> Staff Sgt. Michael Bartholomew, 21, Army.
> Staff Sgt. Samuel Bell, 30, Marine Corps.
> Sgt. Boris Bentley, 22, Army.
> Lance Cpl. Michael Bianchini, 19, Marine Corps.
> CN Martin Blakely, 22, Navy.
> 1st Lt. Richard Bloom, 24, Marine Corps.
> SFC Domingo Borja, 35, Army.(m)
> PFC Joseph Borruso Jr., 20, Army.
> Spec. 4 Theophilus Bowles, 21, Army.
> Sgt. Oscar Boydston, 22, Army.
> PFC Murray Britton, 20, Marine Corps.
> Spec. 4 Franklin Brodnik, 23, Army.
> HM3 Bruce Brown, 22, Navy.
> Lance Cpl. Leonard Burris, 19, Marine Corps.
> Cpl. Jose Caiquep, 25, Army.(m)
> Sgt. Richard Campos, 26, Army.
> Cpl. Richard Carlson, 20, Army.
> SA Peter Chan, 20, Navy.
> 2d Lt. Gary Clark, 20, Army.
> Capt. Robert Clirehugh Jr., 25, Army.
> PFC Sam Cole Jr., 20, Marine Corps.
> PFC Charles Cook Jr., 25, Army.
> Spec. 4 Robert Criswell, 20, Army.
> Staff Sgt. Kenneth Cruise Jr., 23, Army.
> PFC Gregorio Deocampo, 23, Marine Corps.
> GMG3 Raymond Dock Jr., 22, Navy.
> PFC Johnnie Douglas, 22, Army.
> Spec. 4 Gerald Douglass Jr., 21, Army.
> Spec. 4 Ronald Ducommun, 19, Army.
> Sgt. Jimmy Dunagan, 23, Army.
> Staff Sgt. Robert Elgin, 29, Army.
> Lt. Bruce Farrell, 30, Navy.
> Staff Sgt. Alexander Fedoroff, 23, Army.
> Spec. 4 Ronald Ferguson, 23, Army.
> Spec. 4 Ronald Fillmore, 20, Army.(m)
> Spec. 4 Terence Fitzgerald, 27, Army.
> GMG2 Patrick Ford, 26, Navy.(m)
> Sgt. Paul Foster, 28, Marine Corps.
> PFC Harry Gamble, 23, Marine Corps.
> Lance Cpl. Marcial Garcia, 19, Marine Corps.
> 2d Lt. David Garringer, 22, Marine Corps.
> Spec. 5 Robert Geiger, 28, Army.
> Spec. 4 Everett Goias, 20, Army.
> Spec. 4 Jose Gosse, 23, Army.
> Cpl. Kenneth Gray, 20, Army.
> PFC Raymond Griffiths, 19, Marine Corps.
> PFC Thomas Guaraldi, 20, Army.
> Capt. James Hall, 35, Marine Corps.
> Lance Cpl. Robert Henneberg, 19, Marine Corps.
> Staff Sgt. Faleagafulu Ilaoa, 27, Air Force.
> PFC Rudolph Jennings, 18, Marine Corps.
> Cpl. Michael Jensen, 21, Army.
> Cpl. Anthony Johnson, 20, Army.
> Pvt. Floyd Johnson, 20, Army.
> Capt. James Johnson, 33, Army.(m)
> Staff Sgt. Ralph Johnson, 23, Marine Corps.
> Staff Sgt. John Joys, 27, Marine Corps.
> Sgt. James Kajiwara, 20, Army.
> Capt. William Kennedy III, 25, Army.
> PFC Ludwig Kohler, 39, Army.
> Sgt. Leonard Labowski, 22, Marine Corps.
> Spec. 4 Leonard Lanzarin, 20, Army.
> Capt. Peter Larson, 25, Army.
> BUL3 Robert Lathrope, 21, Navy.
> PFC George Lazar, 20, Marine Corps.
> Cpl. Elroy Felipe Este Le Blanc, 20, Army.(m)
> Sgt. Roy Lede, 20, Air Force.
> HM3 Earl Lerch, 22, Navy.
> 2d Lt. Gary Letson, 24, Marine Corps.
> PFC Sai Lew, 21, Army.
> Cpl. Max Lieberman, 22, Army.
> PFC Michael Lowery, 20, Army. SFC Thomas Lutge, 31, Army.
> Lt. Col. William Lynch Jr., 45, Air Force.
> Spec. 4 Danny Mack, 20, Army.
> Sgt. Robert Mack, 43, Army.
> PFC George Martinez, 20, Marine Corps.
> Sgt. John Martinez, 21, Army.
> Cpl. Paul Martinez Jr., 20, Army.
> Sgt. William McTaggart, 27, Marine Corp.
> 2d Lt. Paul Medlin, 24, Army.
> Lance Cpl. Allan Mendell, 21, Marine Corps.
> Cpl. Rene Mischeaux, 20, Army.
> Spec. 4 Michael Monahan, 21, Army.
> Cpl. Jimmy Moore, 21, Army.
> Cmdr. Richard Morrow, 40, Navy.(m)
> Cpl. Jose Munatones Jr., 19, Army.
> Sgt. Vincent Murphy Jr., 22, Marine Corps.
> Cpl. Alvin Narcisse, 19, Army.
> Spec. 4 John Nathan, 19, Army.
> Sgt. Elavain Nious, 21, Army.
> Spec.4 Charles Nurisso, 19, Army.
> Capt. Denis O'Connor, 27, Army.
> Sgt. Dennis Kenneth O'Connor, 20, Army.
> Cpl. Reinaldo Ortiz, 20, Marine Corps.
> PFC Ceizhar Pagcaliuagan, 21, Army.
> Staff Sgt. Luther Page Jr., 38, Army.
> PFC Keila Paopao, 20, Marine Corps.
> Lance Cpl. Kenneth Parker, 21, Marine Corps.
> Spec. 4 John Parnella, 22, Army.
> 2d Lt. Dorris Patton, 34, Marine Corps.
> PFC Joseph Perez, 21, Army.
> Staff Sgt. Samuel Pierce Jr., 37, Army.
> HM2 Bob Pogre, 18, Navy.
> PFC Richard Pratt, 21, Army.
> PFC Emmett Pringle, 18, Marine Corps.
> Maj. Edward Quill Jr., 33, Air Force.(m)
> Sgt. George Ramos, 20, Marine Corps.
> Lance Cpl. Edward Rauch, 20, Marine Corps.
> Maj. Robert Reed, 34, Marine Corps.
> Cpl. Salvador Ricardo, 22, Army.
> PFC Jose Rivera, 20, Army.
> Cpl. Gary Rodgers, 20, Army.
> CMS Victor Romero, 28, Air Force.(m) Cpl. Francisco Samson Jr., 21,
>Mari
>ne
>Corps.
> PFC Robert Sandstrom, 22, Army.
> Capt. John Santos Jr., 30, Air Force.
> PFC Joel Schubert, 26, Army.
> Spec. 4 Steven Segura, 20, Army.
> Spec. 4 Donald Smith, 19, Army.
> BM3 Wiselee Smith, 28, Navy.
> CWO Odin Sorensen, 49, Air Force.
> Spec. 4 Frank Spotwood Jr., 20, Army.
> Col. Theodore Springston Jr., 44, Air Force.(m)
> Staff Sgt. Michael Stearns, 23, Army.
> Spec. 5 Jose Suarez, 26, Army.
> Spec. 4 Raymond Sullivan, 18, Army.
> A1C Richard Supnet, 19, Air Force.
> Lance Cpl. Laavale Tagata, 26, Marine Corps.
> PFC Paul Taylor, 19, Army.
> PFC Edgar Thompson, 20, Marine Corps.
> PFC Fred Thorpe, 20, Army.
> 1st Lt. Arthur Timboe, 23, Army.(m)
> Spec. 4 Dennis Timmons, 22, Army.
> PFC Matau Toia Jr., 19, Marine Corps.
> PFC Richard Tomasini Jr., 19, Army.
> SFC Bertalan Toth, 31, Army.
> Cpl. Robert Tyes, 25, Army.
> Col. Russel Utley, 44, Air Force.(m)
> Sgt. John Valero, 21, Army.
> Lance Cpl. Arthur Vigil, 21, Marine Corps.
> Spec. 4 Patrick Weber, 20, Army.
> PFC Frank Wells Jr., 19, Army.
> Lance Cpl. Jeffrey Wentzell, 19, Marine Corps.
> PFC William Wheatley, 18, Marine Corps.
> Sgt. Michael Whelan, 20, Army.
> Spec. 4 Jeffrey White, 21, Army.
> Spec. 5 David Williams, 18, Army.
> A1C Darryl Winters, 27, Air Force.
> Spec. 5 Akira Yamashita, 28, Army.
> Sgt. Victor Yanez, 21, Army.
> Cpl. Efrain Zuniga Jr., 21, Army.
> Source: Department of Defense, Chronicle research.
>
> Chronicle staff writer Edward Epstein contributed to this report.
> ----------------------------------------------------------------------
>Copyright 2000 SF Chronicle
>
>
This archive was generated by hypermail 2b29 : Tue Jun 13 2000 - 00:43:32 CUT