European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - February 14, 1991, Darmstadt, Hesse Rock n Roll on the Battlefield a real Nam Dejavu by Colin Nickerson the Boston Globe from a Lance corporals Boombox perched atop an. Olive drab ammo crate in northeastern saudi Arabia an camped up voice asked the age old question. A Quot War what in the world is it Good for. Quot absolutely nothing. The Corporal Joseph Taylor or. Of Boston played Fingernail Ratta Tat Tat on the action housing of his 30mm machine gun More or less keeping beat with the backup a band. A a a a a a a. A a / a. A a a a a. Quot can t be making War without music Quot said the Marine infantryman As the Thunder of thigh explosive shells and the noxious Mist cast by burning Oil Fields rolled endlessly Down from Kuwait not Many Miles to the North. The bombs thudded the ground trembled Taylor cranked the volume higher. Quot Rock n Roll is a rats for the soul Quot he said using military Slang for Field rations americans Are once again marching into Battle in a far Cornero the world. But the Young warriors of 1991 appear to be adopting As their own the songs and even some of the symbols of another War., another Era. The time of Vietnam. With magic markers some inscribe their Battle helmets with peace signs doves and profane slogans including the one made classic by a 1960s newsmagazine cover photograph hell sucks. Meanwhile portable tape decks lugged out to desert fighting posts in camouflaged Rucksacks blare the apocalyptic sounds of the doors Bob Dylan s hard rain he metallic riffs of Jimi Hendrix and the Bluesy Wail of Anis Joplin. J Quot close your eyes and you could be Back in Saigon Quot Aid Marine maj. Joe Kirkman of Excelsior Springs mo., a Vietnam combat Veteran. Quot hearing these kids listen now to what i listened to Back then is kind of a Shock a real . / even the armed forces radio station beaming music to the troops from a City in Eastern saudi Arabia echoes the theme opening its broadcasts with a drawn out Quot Googoo Woood morning saudi Arabia Quot with Only the country name serving As variant for the trademark radio makeup made famous in Vietnam and playing heavy doses of music from the 1960s and 1970s. Many troops have packed in tapes from the same Era. Quot hey it s great. I brought All my old Grace Slick and Janis Joplin tapes and go ditty bopping across these 1 miserable dunes pretending i m Back in the summer of love Quot said sgt. Jefferson 38, of Buffalo another Vietnam vet. Quot Only this time All us closet hippies got most of the troops of course Are in their late teens or Early 20s, with no personal memories of the Vietnam War Jimi Hendrix left Janis Joplin and Jim Morrison of the doors Are making a comeback among gis in the persian Gulf. Or the social and political upheavals it generated. To them or at least Many of them Jane Fonda is an aging actress getting Rich on aerobics tapes and the tet offensive was maybe that nifty play in last year s super bowl. Ancient history the Young grunts say then repeat the Buzz phrases they have lifted from the Vietnam time history hell Don t mean nothing. Quot Quot Only thing i know about history is it goes round and round. And it looks like i got stuck on the merry go round Quot said Chi. Steven Ross 23, of Berlin . Quot wars happen. It Don t mean nothing. The band plays but the Rock rhythms pulsating from the Foxholes fighting pits and sandbagged Hootchew seem strangely out of Kilter with this time and place. Or maybe not. Quot it makes sense because Vietnam is the Only War Guys my age really know even though we Don t remember it Quot said sgt. Jason Hollis 27, of Jacksonville . Quot i must have seen platoon and full Metal jacket a dozen times. And even some of the old War flicks like apocalypse now and the Green berets hey that is where most of us got our idea of War from. Quot strangely enough the gloom and death theme music from a Afoon is wildly popular fare for the Sony walk alarmed troops Arabia. Ditto for the doors song the end which played Over the napalm bursts in the opening scene of apocalypse now. Quot face it rap sound Don t make it out Here with the scorpions and such Quot said pfc. Thomas Laws or. Of Dorchester mass. Quot it s of for to act out bad Back on Dot Avenue. But we grunts Are the mean Green machine that is going to make that King Saddam wish he never was born to breathe. We need real War music from the War a so he marines and the soldiers and the tight lipped special forces commandos go about the grim business of gearing up for the looming ground offensive on these harsh desert Flats to music that conjures images of deep Jungle firefights the siege of Khe Sanh peace protestors mobbing Washington and jumping Jack Flash. Songs that served As the musical backdrop for a bloody War fought in a Little known country for obscure reasons. That was another War another country but like Chi. Ross said the band plays on. Meanwhile in this War in saudi Arabia Thibold Antiwar ode crackles Over the airwaves Courtesy of armed forces radio. Quot Ain t nothing but a heart breaker Quot goes t he song. Quot War. I hate the idea deep Down Quot said Chi. Todd a Baptista 22, of Swansea mass. Quot All that killing and getting killed All that waste of he hitched Rifle to shoulder shrugged. T. Quot that s just Orve Grunt s opinion. It Don t mean Chart pop singles Colin Nickerson is a member of the Pentagon Media Pool v. Gonna make you sweat Csc Musl factory 1 a 2. All the Man that i need1 Whitney Houston 3 one More try Timmy t. 4 the first time surface. 5 someday a Mariah Carey. 6 where does my heart beat now Celine Dion 7 i la give All my love to you Keith sweat 8 disappear inns 9. Play that Funky music Vanilla ice 10 love will never do without you Janet Jackson top a albums 1 to the extreme Ico 2 Mariah Carey Mariah Carey 3. The immaculate collection Madonna 4. The Simpsons sing the blues the Simpsons 5,please Hammer Don t Hurt Emma Hammer 6 i m your baby tonight a Whitney Houston 7 Wilson Phillips a Wilson Phillips a 8 some people s lives Bette Midler 9. The razors Edge acc a 10. The soul cages sting country a singles1 brother Jukebox Mark Chesnutt 2 walk on Faith Mike Reid 3. Daddy s come around a Paul Over Street 4. Rumor has it a Roba Mcentire 5. These lips Don t know How to say goodbye Douce Stone. A 6. You. Be got to stand for something a Aaron tip pm 7 love can build a Bridge Tho judds 8 if you want me to Joe Dit Liea 9 forever s As far As i la go Alabama 10. What a Way to go Ray Kennedy amp a singles 1 i la give All my love to you Keith sweat 2 Gonna make you sweat a amp a music factory 3 when will i see you smile again Boll big Devoo 4. Something in my heart Michelle 5 All the Man that i need a Whitney Houston 6 Iesha another bad creation 7 written All Over your face rude boys 8 get Here a Oleta Adams 9 you Don t have to worry in Vogue a 10 i Don t know anybody else Black to a Rock tracks last week s listing All this time sting give it up Zzz top a lil Ain t enough a David Lee Roth King of the Hill Roger Mcguinn headlong a Queen Money talks acc. She talks to Angels a the Black crowds 8 righteous Eric Johnson 9 it s love King so. 10 runaway a Damn Yankees compiled by billboard february 14, 1fj91 stripes Magazine 5 o
