Music Favorites From "Nam

While serving in Vietnam, music was a intricate part of all soldiers, marines, airmen and naval personnel. It was a way of staying in touch with the "world." Most of us had small radios and tape players and even reel to reel tape players were found in the "houch" at base camp.

From one corner of the billets you may hear country and western music and another Motown and on the other side or the billets next door you may hear hard or acid rock. Nonetheless music was a very big part of our culture and serving in Vietnam was no exception. AFRN (Armed Forces Radio Network) actually broadcasted daily to the outlying areas with our type of music. It was depicted well in "Good Morning Vietnam" with Robin Williams.

USO shows catered to our love of music as well. Only a small percentage of GIs ever had the opportunity to actually see Bob Hope and his USO shows but other shows that came to the country from the Philippines, Korea and so forth brought decent shows and American music with it. These shows gave many more of us the opportunity to hear and revisit home even for just a few hours.

I have through my conversations with vets and soldiers and by serving a tour of Vietnam myself, selected the following songs as the top Vietnam era songs of the 60s: (Note: please contact me by email if you think of a song that needs to be included. Contact me at the60sofficialsite@verizon.net.

• We Gotta Get Out of This Place by the Animals
• Silver Wings by Merle Haggard
• 500 Miles by Bobby Bare
• Detroit City by Bobby Bare
• Paint it Black by The Rolling Stones
• Reflections by Diana Ross & The Supremes
• In the Year 2525 by Zaeger & Evans
• People Got to Be Free by The Rascals
• Sunshine of Your Love by Cream
• In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida by Iron Butterfly
• Midnight Confessions by The Grass Roots
• Spinning Wheel by Blood, Sweat and Tears
• For What It's Worth by Buffalo Springfield
• Light My Fire by The Doors
• Only the Strong Survive by Jerry Butler
• What Does It Take (to Win Your Love) by Junior Walker and the All Stars
• Get Together by The Youngbloods
• No Time by The Guess Who
• I Want to Take You Higher by Sly and The Family Stone
• Going Up the Country by Canned Heat
• California Dreamin' by The Mamas & The Papas *
• Leaving on a Jet Plane by Peter, Paul and Mary * 
• 98.6 by Keith * 

*  Thanks to Rodger Barnes from Austin, TX, a fellow Vietnam Vet, for his email and reminding me of these great songs.