Importance of Folk Music to Prisoners in North Viet Nam

As the folk boom of the mid fifties and early sixties melted into another era of protest songs and folk rock, the lasting view is that the entire movement was one at odds with the thousands of young Americans who were called to serve their country in Viet Nam.

Gene Smith, who was a prisoner of war in North Viet Nam tells the story from another point of view, indicating what a solace the music of New Christy Minstrels, Kingston Trio, Bud & Travis et al could be In the most difficult of conditions.

“We fighter pilots loved the great folk music, but the extent of our music was enjoying it, playing our guitars in our flight suits, with, would you believe maybe a bit too much booze.

I spent many evenings with my wife and kids in our kitchen(in my flying suit) with my guitar and a glass of wine or beer, teaching them and singing my favorite folk songs.

Then Major Gene Smith in front of his “trusty steed “ - the magnificent "thud" as she was called (otherwise known as the F105D Thunderchief) who incidentally, as Gene notes, “did almost all the hard work in the north part of North Vietnam (where the most guns were), i.e. the reason why we had so many losses.”

In my last few months in the prisons of North Vietnam(where I spent 5 1/2 years), a guitar showed up in our cell and we really brought back some memories and entertainment during those difficult times.

Home at last with his wife Rae in the Spring of 1974, Gene, meantime promoted to Lt. Col., is honored with medals that he modestly declares “finally “caught up with“ him - two Silver Stars and two Purple Hearts , as well as “a couple of Distinguished-Flying Crosses, and some other stuff.”

Some of my favorites were folks that were anti war. We had a hard time stomaching that, but great voices, technique, etc had to be appreciated. Peter Paul and Mary or Mary Paul and Pete as we used to say were great, but would have a hard time understanding us

fighter pilots.

Lt. Col Richard Eugene Smith in front of his squadron building, the 50 Flying Training Squadron where he was the Commander.

Indeed, there are times I'm in my attic and see all the 33 records, all the great music of the sixties, and it's easy to get really nostalgic about the good old days - Flying fighters, my kids, my late wife, Shakey Pizza in Vallejo and the banjo player.”

Gene Smith

February 2008

Read more remarks by Gene Smith at http://www.cdispatch.com/articles/2007/11/14/local_news/local01.txt