WEBVTT 00:00:04.830 --> 00:00:08.630 All across America and around the world, this 00:00:08.630 --> 00:00:14.990 is Veterans Radio. This is Veterans Radio. And 00:00:14.990 --> 00:00:19.089 now, your host for today's program, Dale Throneberry. 00:00:24.390 --> 00:00:26.870 Hey, and welcome to Veterans Radio. My name is 00:00:26.870 --> 00:00:29.250 Dale Throneberry, and I get to be your host today. 00:00:29.370 --> 00:00:30.870 And today we're going to be talking all about 00:00:30.870 --> 00:00:33.689 music. We've got a couple of guests on are going 00:00:33.689 --> 00:00:36.649 to be talking about their songs. And I'm really 00:00:36.649 --> 00:00:39.090 excited to hear we've got one from Operation 00:00:39.090 --> 00:00:41.649 Song. And then we've got Lem Genovese, who is 00:00:41.649 --> 00:00:44.469 going to be on talking about his music as soon 00:00:44.469 --> 00:00:47.030 as we figure out all the technical issues that 00:00:47.030 --> 00:00:51.450 are going on here. And before we get into that, 00:00:51.869 --> 00:00:53.990 we might always have to make sure that we thank 00:00:53.990 --> 00:00:56.210 our sponsors. We can't do this program without 00:00:56.210 --> 00:01:00.789 them. So I want to make sure that you know who 00:01:00.789 --> 00:01:03.179 these people are. All right number one of course 00:01:03.179 --> 00:01:05.359 is legal help for veterans and legal help for 00:01:05.359 --> 00:01:08.200 veterans specializes in veterans disability claims 00:01:08.200 --> 00:01:12.340 call legal help for veterans at 800 -693 -4800 00:01:12.340 --> 00:01:16.060 or go to their website legalhelpforveterans .com 00:01:16.060 --> 00:01:18.700 the national veterans business development council 00:01:18.700 --> 00:01:21.680 better known as nvbdc is the nation's leading 00:01:21.680 --> 00:01:24.670 third party authority for certification of veteran 00:01:24.670 --> 00:01:27.030 -owned businesses. For more information, you 00:01:27.030 --> 00:01:30.629 can go to their website, nvbdc .org, or give 00:01:30.629 --> 00:01:37.510 them a call at 888 -237 -8433. PuroClean. PuroClean 00:01:37.510 --> 00:01:40.530 is known as the paramedics of property damage. 00:01:40.650 --> 00:01:42.709 Each PuroClean office is independently owned 00:01:42.709 --> 00:01:45.450 and operated. In fact, PuroClean is one of the 00:01:45.450 --> 00:01:47.810 nation's leading restoration franchise networks 00:01:47.810 --> 00:01:51.700 and is made up of entrepreneurs. Yep. just like 00:01:51.700 --> 00:01:54.879 you, and veterans get 25 % off the franchise 00:01:54.879 --> 00:01:58.000 fee. So for more information, go to pureclean 00:01:58.000 --> 00:02:01.400 .com. The Charles S. Kettles VA Medical Center 00:02:01.400 --> 00:02:04.379 here in Ann Arbor, Michigan. For more information, 00:02:04.579 --> 00:02:08.960 go to va .gov slash Ann Arbor Health Care. And 00:02:08.960 --> 00:02:11.599 finally, the Irwin Prescott American Legion Post 00:02:11.599 --> 00:02:14.819 46 and the Charles S. Kettles Vietnam Veterans 00:02:14.819 --> 00:02:18.639 of America chapter 310, both of Ann Arbor, Michigan. 00:02:19.920 --> 00:02:22.580 You'd like to support veterans radio, please 00:02:22.580 --> 00:02:25.639 go to our website veterans radio org click on 00:02:25.639 --> 00:02:27.740 that little donate button And thank you very 00:02:27.740 --> 00:02:30.780 much in advance All right, we're going to get 00:02:30.780 --> 00:02:34.340 to my first guest here And that is David Kent 00:02:34.340 --> 00:02:37.400 and David is working with the operation song 00:02:37.400 --> 00:02:40.400 organization and has put together a song So David 00:02:40.400 --> 00:02:43.780 welcome to veterans radio Thank you. Thank you 00:02:43.780 --> 00:02:46.580 so much for having me on pleasure. Well, it's 00:02:46.580 --> 00:02:50.349 great to have you on So tell me how you got involved 00:02:50.349 --> 00:02:54.389 with Operation Song. Oh, my goodness. I joined 00:02:54.389 --> 00:02:56.710 Operation Song, I'm going to guess, around 10 00:02:56.710 --> 00:03:00.169 years ago. It was just a year or two, I think, 00:03:00.189 --> 00:03:03.189 after their inception. And a good friend of mine 00:03:03.189 --> 00:03:05.449 and an extremely talented songwriter, but more 00:03:05.449 --> 00:03:07.949 than that, just a marvelous human being by the 00:03:07.949 --> 00:03:10.889 name of Bob Regan started this organization. 00:03:11.689 --> 00:03:13.389 I could give you the history, if you have the 00:03:13.389 --> 00:03:15.770 time, of how we came upon developing it. I think 00:03:15.770 --> 00:03:19.409 people will be interested in that. Alright, well, 00:03:19.930 --> 00:03:22.370 he was not a veteran himself any more than I've 00:03:22.370 --> 00:03:27.009 been, but he has worked as, he's just an extremely 00:03:27.009 --> 00:03:30.030 talented musician, he's worked as a D .O. guitarist, 00:03:30.250 --> 00:03:33.729 and he's a fabulous songwriter, and is a mainstay 00:03:33.729 --> 00:03:37.449 of the Nashville song community. And he was working, 00:03:37.710 --> 00:03:40.370 I believe doing U .S .O. shows or something like 00:03:40.370 --> 00:03:43.729 that where he was entertaining troops in Iraq 00:03:43.729 --> 00:03:48.879 and Afghanistan, and realized very quickly, just 00:03:48.879 --> 00:03:53.560 how incredibly important music is as a language 00:03:53.560 --> 00:04:01.400 and as a portal to reaching people is truly an 00:04:01.400 --> 00:04:07.280 international language. So many of these active 00:04:07.280 --> 00:04:11.280 duty soldiers over there reacted to just having 00:04:11.280 --> 00:04:14.990 some music brought to them. Realized how Ian 00:04:14.990 --> 00:04:17.509 it was to have him there and when he came back 00:04:17.509 --> 00:04:19.870 he thought to himself, you know so many of these 00:04:19.870 --> 00:04:22.930 veterans come back after seeing some horrendous 00:04:22.930 --> 00:04:25.490 things and living through some horrible conditions 00:04:25.490 --> 00:04:29.810 and many of them are wounded either physically 00:04:29.810 --> 00:04:34.050 or in many cases emotionally and mentally and 00:04:34.050 --> 00:04:38.149 Have not benefited as they as we'd hoped they 00:04:38.149 --> 00:04:41.879 would from talk therapy drug therapy, working 00:04:41.879 --> 00:04:44.860 with the VA, no matter how hard they tried. And 00:04:44.860 --> 00:04:47.439 he thought, what would it feel like if we were 00:04:47.439 --> 00:04:51.839 just to take a veteran who was in a bad way and 00:04:51.839 --> 00:04:57.100 ask him to open up and tell his story through 00:04:57.100 --> 00:05:01.759 song? Even if a veteran said, well, I don't know 00:05:01.759 --> 00:05:03.939 how to write a song. I'm not musical. I don't 00:05:03.939 --> 00:05:05.500 play an instrument. And he said, well, you leave 00:05:05.500 --> 00:05:09.199 that to me. You just tell your story and we'll 00:05:09.199 --> 00:05:13.100 make a song out of it. And very, very quickly, 00:05:13.120 --> 00:05:17.060 he realized how powerful that whole concept, 00:05:17.699 --> 00:05:22.079 how powerfully it worked, and expanded and enlisted 00:05:22.079 --> 00:05:24.100 a bunch of other professional songwriters from 00:05:24.100 --> 00:05:26.699 here in Nashville to work with veterans. And 00:05:26.699 --> 00:05:35.379 it was an incredible first step in seeing the 00:05:35.379 --> 00:05:37.379 transformation that some of these people had. 00:05:37.759 --> 00:05:40.540 unable to make advancements through other forms 00:05:40.540 --> 00:05:43.920 of therapy. But they were not threatened at all 00:05:43.920 --> 00:05:46.759 by saying, just tell us their story and we'll 00:05:46.759 --> 00:05:49.759 see if we can get them the song. And so well, 00:05:49.839 --> 00:05:52.980 and I've been, I was so honored to have been 00:05:52.980 --> 00:05:56.040 asked to join them so many years ago and have 00:05:56.040 --> 00:05:58.600 seen with my own eyes things that I would never 00:05:58.600 --> 00:06:03.519 have guessed have been possible. I've seen soldiers 00:06:03.519 --> 00:06:08.040 who have come back, and unable to speak in more 00:06:08.040 --> 00:06:11.459 than one or two word sentences or grunts and 00:06:11.459 --> 00:06:14.759 sort of shut themselves off from the world. And 00:06:14.759 --> 00:06:18.660 yet I personally have worked with people who 00:06:18.660 --> 00:06:22.199 didn't go anywhere without their wife, a support 00:06:22.199 --> 00:06:27.180 animal, a support person, and were basically 00:06:27.180 --> 00:06:30.639 locked up inside themselves. And yet we were 00:06:30.639 --> 00:06:33.279 able to crack through. In one case it was a fellow 00:06:33.279 --> 00:06:37.720 who had been a medic. And he was in this bad 00:06:37.720 --> 00:06:40.120 way and with we worked together we wrote a song 00:06:40.120 --> 00:06:45.740 together and After we were done He was so proud 00:06:45.740 --> 00:06:48.600 of the song and I learned through the process 00:06:48.600 --> 00:06:50.560 that before he joined the service back when he 00:06:50.560 --> 00:06:53.040 was a teenager He himself had been on a rock 00:06:53.040 --> 00:06:56.939 band and was the lead singer and so I asked him 00:06:56.939 --> 00:06:58.779 Normally what happens is we take these songs 00:06:58.779 --> 00:07:01.180 and we either go into a studio with some hired 00:07:01.180 --> 00:07:04.100 musicians and produce them a very nice demo or 00:07:04.100 --> 00:07:09.160 record quality production. Sometimes I do them 00:07:09.160 --> 00:07:11.540 here at home in my home studio where I am able 00:07:11.540 --> 00:07:14.540 to put down some drums and some keyboard and 00:07:14.540 --> 00:07:17.660 guitar parts and sing the thing and turn it into 00:07:17.660 --> 00:07:20.600 a very nice presentation. In this case I asked 00:07:20.600 --> 00:07:23.519 him if he wanted to do the vocal on it and he 00:07:23.519 --> 00:07:25.980 said well he'd be glad to give it a try. He came 00:07:25.980 --> 00:07:28.879 out to the house and he sang it and it turned 00:07:28.879 --> 00:07:30.879 out better than the version I had done earlier 00:07:30.879 --> 00:07:34.060 where I sang it myself. He did a great job. He 00:07:34.060 --> 00:07:37.199 became he was so proud of it. He ended up calling 00:07:37.199 --> 00:07:40.040 his brother father people He had not been in 00:07:40.040 --> 00:07:43.480 touch with him five years And and just said you've 00:07:43.480 --> 00:07:46.899 got to hear this song His wife was just over 00:07:46.899 --> 00:07:49.879 the moon about how it opened him up and how it 00:07:49.879 --> 00:07:52.740 brought him back into society I've and I've that 00:07:52.740 --> 00:07:56.040 is only one of hundreds of stories of people 00:07:56.040 --> 00:08:02.220 who have been very very near even suicidal situations. 00:08:03.079 --> 00:08:05.980 But on one hand, they had a pistol or a bottle. 00:08:06.339 --> 00:08:08.100 Yeah. And on the other hand, they had a cassette 00:08:08.100 --> 00:08:11.279 tape of the song they had done. And they've turned 00:08:11.279 --> 00:08:14.079 around to the point that I don't, you know, you 00:08:14.079 --> 00:08:17.379 can take it from here. All right. Well, you know, 00:08:18.980 --> 00:08:22.199 Operation Song is an incredible organization 00:08:22.199 --> 00:08:26.439 that our audience should know. We've played quite 00:08:26.439 --> 00:08:30.209 a few Operation Song songs. and gotten the stories 00:08:30.209 --> 00:08:33.750 behind them. So tell me about this new song that 00:08:33.750 --> 00:08:36.610 you're involved with. Tell me about that. Okay, 00:08:37.250 --> 00:08:39.909 I will be glad to, but before I do, I want to 00:08:39.909 --> 00:08:42.070 know if I have a chance to talk about it after 00:08:42.070 --> 00:08:45.409 the song plays, because this song has a bit of 00:08:45.409 --> 00:08:47.889 a twist and a surprise in it, and I don't want 00:08:47.889 --> 00:08:50.909 to give away any spoilers by saying too much 00:08:50.909 --> 00:08:54.009 in the introduction thereof. No, no, I'll bring 00:08:54.009 --> 00:08:57.639 you back after we play the song. Okay, and what 00:08:57.639 --> 00:09:00.720 I will tell you before we play it is I work with 00:09:00.720 --> 00:09:04.399 this group in in Murfreesboro the Murfreesboro 00:09:04.399 --> 00:09:08.100 Operation song alumni group and by alum they've 00:09:08.100 --> 00:09:10.480 been through the program Everyone in this group 00:09:10.480 --> 00:09:14.059 of probably a dozen or more people I would say 00:09:14.059 --> 00:09:16.820 the both Vietnam veterans, but not all of them. 00:09:16.840 --> 00:09:20.039 Maybe sixty seventy percent of the mark They've 00:09:20.039 --> 00:09:22.899 been through the program and they enjoyed it 00:09:22.899 --> 00:09:25.519 so much and felt like it was an important thing 00:09:25.519 --> 00:09:28.860 enough to establish a group that would continue 00:09:28.860 --> 00:09:34.919 writing songs all the time. They have two sessions 00:09:34.919 --> 00:09:38.019 a year where it's about eight weeks, once in 00:09:38.019 --> 00:09:40.059 the spring and once in the fall, where they all 00:09:40.059 --> 00:09:42.259 get together with the songwriter and we write 00:09:42.259 --> 00:09:45.840 a song every week. It's just a continuation of 00:09:45.840 --> 00:09:48.159 the program I had been through in the first place. 00:09:48.440 --> 00:09:50.620 And I'm so lucky to work with this group of people. 00:09:50.799 --> 00:09:55.320 In this case, guy named Mike and his wife Kathy 00:09:55.320 --> 00:10:00.379 who both come to the group regularly and I can 00:10:00.379 --> 00:10:02.879 tell you I don't want to tell you too much what 00:10:02.879 --> 00:10:05.440 we were talking about but because of what I said 00:10:05.440 --> 00:10:08.220 before about spoiling the the twist in the song 00:10:08.220 --> 00:10:13.600 but we got to talk about mothering and We actually 00:10:13.600 --> 00:10:16.799 thought that this episode of your show today 00:10:16.799 --> 00:10:19.580 would be closer to Mother's Day, but it doesn't 00:10:19.580 --> 00:10:23.120 much matter. We'll go ahead with it anyhow. And 00:10:23.120 --> 00:10:25.720 we talked about mothering, and all I will say 00:10:25.720 --> 00:10:30.320 is that this song is about the jobs that mothers 00:10:30.320 --> 00:10:39.559 do. It's called That's What Mamas Do, and I was 00:10:39.559 --> 00:10:42.200 lucky enough to get my wife, who is a wonderful 00:10:42.200 --> 00:10:45.669 singer, but not always... Happy about coming 00:10:45.669 --> 00:10:47.370 up in the studio and singing because she's a 00:10:47.370 --> 00:10:48.990 little self -conscious about it. I don't know 00:10:48.990 --> 00:10:51.590 why because she does a lovely job She's the one 00:10:51.590 --> 00:10:55.070 singing on this song called that Thomas do that's 00:10:55.070 --> 00:10:56.769 all I'll tell you right now And we'll play the 00:10:56.769 --> 00:10:58.669 song and talk about it afterwards. Is that all 00:10:58.669 --> 00:11:02.129 right? Okay, right. Here we go. So that's what 00:11:02.129 --> 00:11:20.500 mama's do Oh my goodness, look at you Haven't 00:11:20.500 --> 00:11:28.220 we made quite a mess? Crackers and tomato soup 00:11:28.220 --> 00:11:36.720 All over your favorite dress But I can wash your 00:11:36.720 --> 00:11:45.259 pretty face Cause that's what I'm here for All 00:11:45.259 --> 00:11:51.159 too soon there'll come a day When you won't need 00:11:51.159 --> 00:12:00.500 me anymore But don't you worry, never fear You 00:12:00.500 --> 00:12:06.320 know I'm gonna be right here To braid your hair 00:12:06.320 --> 00:12:14.299 and take good care of you Cause that's what mamas 00:12:14.299 --> 00:12:37.509 do Go speeding by and you'd get lost all on your 00:12:37.509 --> 00:12:45.769 own Then I'll draw your bubble bath And dress 00:12:45.769 --> 00:12:51.549 you in your nicest clothes I'll pull out some 00:12:51.549 --> 00:12:58.009 old photographs How you love to look at those 00:13:09.740 --> 00:13:16.600 Tuck you in when lights grow dim And day is through 00:13:16.600 --> 00:13:26.700 Cause that's what mamas do It's all in how you 00:13:26.700 --> 00:13:35.360 look at things We live, we learn, we grow And 00:13:35.360 --> 00:13:42.860 we can curse this damn disease But I see opportunities 00:13:42.860 --> 00:13:50.700 To do for you what you did for me Sixty some 00:13:50.700 --> 00:13:59.559 long years ago So don't you worry mama, never 00:13:59.559 --> 00:14:15.200 fear You know I'm gonna be right here Yes, that's 00:14:15.200 --> 00:14:24.820 what mamas do. I learned it all from you. Yes, 00:14:24.919 --> 00:14:34.519 that's what mamas do. All right, David. What 00:14:34.519 --> 00:14:37.000 a beautiful song. That really is just gorgeous. 00:14:39.480 --> 00:14:43.919 And so it was obvious from the beginning that 00:14:43.919 --> 00:14:47.179 a mother was talking to the person that she was 00:14:47.179 --> 00:14:51.419 taking care of. And we hoped in writing that 00:14:51.419 --> 00:14:54.139 would sound like she was taking care of a wee 00:14:54.139 --> 00:14:59.740 baby, feeding her and braiding her hair and taking 00:14:59.740 --> 00:15:02.480 care of her and dressing her up and taking her 00:15:02.480 --> 00:15:06.299 outside. And then the twist in the end is that 00:15:06.299 --> 00:15:09.379 you realize whom she's taking care of is her 00:15:09.379 --> 00:15:13.179 own mother. who is going through dementia in 00:15:13.179 --> 00:15:15.720 her later years. And the mother in this case 00:15:15.720 --> 00:15:20.139 is 60 some years old and her mother is probably 00:15:20.139 --> 00:15:24.700 in her late 80s and the help to be dressed and 00:15:24.700 --> 00:15:29.340 fed and all of that because of dementia or Alzheimer's 00:15:29.340 --> 00:15:33.120 or the advanced aging effects that take place 00:15:33.120 --> 00:15:37.799 in older people's brains. And so we were hoping 00:15:37.799 --> 00:15:42.220 that that twist would make an important switch 00:15:42.220 --> 00:15:46.480 and surprise the listener. In this case, it was 00:15:46.480 --> 00:15:50.080 Mike's wife Cathy, who I mentioned before, who 00:15:50.080 --> 00:15:53.879 had the idea she took care of her mother in just 00:15:53.879 --> 00:15:59.299 that long from when she was 18, called Coming 00:15:59.299 --> 00:16:03.960 for Ginny. And it was about, it was sung by Tex, 00:16:04.019 --> 00:16:05.980 and I don't know if those listeners remember 00:16:05.980 --> 00:16:12.139 Tex Ritter. but he was a cowboy. And the song 00:16:12.139 --> 00:16:15.360 talked about a guy who was coming down the road 00:16:15.360 --> 00:16:18.759 on his hip and he was coming for Ginny and gonna 00:16:18.759 --> 00:16:22.059 take her away and how threatening it was and 00:16:22.059 --> 00:16:26.860 how could we protect this fair maiden Ginny from 00:16:26.860 --> 00:16:29.240 the guy who was on his way to come claim her. 00:16:29.480 --> 00:16:31.580 And there are all these references throughout 00:16:31.580 --> 00:16:33.759 the song that lead you to believe it's an old 00:16:33.759 --> 00:16:36.500 western. It turns out at the end you find out 00:16:36.500 --> 00:16:38.549 that The guy who's coming to get her is a little 00:16:38.549 --> 00:16:40.590 five -year -old boy, and Jimmy is his little 00:16:40.590 --> 00:16:43.309 four -year -old sister or a neighbor, and it's 00:16:43.309 --> 00:16:47.009 all in fun. And she always wished she could have 00:16:47.009 --> 00:16:49.649 a song that had that same kind of surprise twist, 00:16:50.049 --> 00:16:53.409 but dealing with the case that instead of it 00:16:53.409 --> 00:16:55.769 sounding like a mother taking care of a baby, 00:16:56.090 --> 00:16:58.009 it was a mother taking care of her own mother. 00:16:58.269 --> 00:17:00.769 So that's what we attempted to do with this song. 00:17:02.549 --> 00:17:06.109 I think we achieved it pretty well. I played 00:17:06.109 --> 00:17:09.609 it for people. Of course, about this at the meetings 00:17:09.609 --> 00:17:12.430 and then I song with all the information I've 00:17:12.430 --> 00:17:16.009 gotten from the group. And so when I play, they 00:17:16.009 --> 00:17:19.430 all knew what, there was one guy who hadn't been 00:17:19.430 --> 00:17:21.930 at the earlier meeting and he came to the one 00:17:21.930 --> 00:17:24.289 where we played the song. And so he was the one 00:17:24.289 --> 00:17:26.750 we were looking to, to see if he was surprised 00:17:26.750 --> 00:17:30.849 and the twist. In fact, it worked. So we were 00:17:30.849 --> 00:17:33.829 all pretty happy with that result. I would I 00:17:33.829 --> 00:17:36.369 would think so David Thank you so much for sharing 00:17:36.369 --> 00:17:38.670 this long work. Where can our listeners get a 00:17:38.670 --> 00:17:43.329 little copy of it? I'm assuming you could go 00:17:43.329 --> 00:17:48.190 to operation song comm I think in one way or 00:17:48.190 --> 00:17:51.950 another all of the songs are available there 00:17:51.950 --> 00:17:55.329 and I know that well over a thousand songs, maybe 00:17:55.329 --> 00:17:57.210 close to a thousand songs, I could be wrong, 00:17:57.630 --> 00:18:00.569 have been recorded over the last 10 years or 00:18:00.569 --> 00:18:05.710 so. But if you contact operationsong .com, a 00:18:05.710 --> 00:18:08.250 place at the website where you could contact 00:18:08.250 --> 00:18:11.450 them and they could provide you a copy or at 00:18:11.450 --> 00:18:14.410 least tell you how to access it online. Yeah, 00:18:14.509 --> 00:18:17.170 okay. Well, I mean, I've got it. So I'll put 00:18:17.170 --> 00:18:19.230 it on our website so our listeners can listen 00:18:19.230 --> 00:18:22.339 to it. And Dave, I want to thank you so very 00:18:22.339 --> 00:18:24.680 much for being on our program today. And thank 00:18:24.680 --> 00:18:27.119 you for such a really, a really beautiful song. 00:18:28.059 --> 00:18:30.500 You know, that's what I want to know. Thanks. 00:18:30.660 --> 00:18:33.759 Thanks for being on our program. My pleasure. 00:18:33.920 --> 00:18:35.900 Thank you for having me on. You have a great 00:18:35.900 --> 00:18:39.220 day. We'll talk to you again soon. All right. 00:18:39.339 --> 00:18:41.859 Bye bye now. Bye bye. All right. We're going 00:18:41.859 --> 00:18:43.960 to take a real quick break. We're going to do 00:18:43.960 --> 00:18:45.660 our Medal of Honor segment. When we come back, 00:18:45.700 --> 00:18:48.500 we've got our next guest, Lem Genovese. We just 00:18:48.500 --> 00:18:51.420 uploaded some of his songs, so we should be ready 00:18:51.420 --> 00:18:53.779 to go. So you're listening to Veterans Radio 00:18:53.779 --> 00:18:57.319 and we'll be right back. The Medal of Honor is 00:18:57.319 --> 00:18:59.480 the highest award for valor and combat given 00:18:59.480 --> 00:19:01.880 a member of the Armed Forces of the United States. 00:19:02.079 --> 00:19:04.079 There have been over three thousand four hundred 00:19:04.079 --> 00:19:10.859 recipients of the nation's highest award. If 00:19:10.859 --> 00:19:21.660 you have a VA claim denied by the Board of Veterans' 00:19:21.839 --> 00:19:23.980 Appeals, contact Legal Help for Veterans at 1 00:19:23.980 --> 00:19:28.299 -800 -693 -4800. They're experts in handling 00:19:28.299 --> 00:19:30.640 cases before the U .S. Court of Appeals for Veterans' 00:19:30.880 --> 00:19:34.799 claims. Their number again, 1 -800 -693 -4800. 00:19:35.470 --> 00:19:37.829 After completing a hitch on the Navy, Ferguson 00:19:37.829 --> 00:19:40.509 got his commercial pilot's license and then joined 00:19:40.509 --> 00:19:43.569 the army to fly helicopters. Two weeks after 00:19:43.569 --> 00:19:45.509 graduating from helicopter school, he was in 00:19:45.509 --> 00:19:50.190 Vietnam. On January 31, 1968, Ferguson heard 00:19:50.190 --> 00:19:52.450 that a first cavalry helicopter had gone down 00:19:52.450 --> 00:19:55.130 in Hue and another had been badly shot up trying 00:19:55.130 --> 00:19:58.490 to rescue them. Ferguson and his crew agreed 00:19:58.490 --> 00:20:02.029 to go get them. While refueling, he asked three 00:20:02.029 --> 00:20:04.190 Huey gunships if they wanted to accompany him. 00:20:04.359 --> 00:20:07.740 They did. The GIs in the compound reported they 00:20:07.740 --> 00:20:10.880 were under heavy fire. Ferguson circled until 00:20:10.880 --> 00:20:13.539 the fire abated, then began a low -level high 00:20:13.539 --> 00:20:16.720 -speed run into the compound. He descended blindly 00:20:16.720 --> 00:20:19.460 in a dust storm from his rotors. When he touched 00:20:19.460 --> 00:20:22.140 down, he saw there was only one foot clearance 00:20:22.140 --> 00:20:26.000 on each side of his blades. The GIs jumped aboard 00:20:26.000 --> 00:20:28.759 and Ferguson pulled up. A mortar shell exploded 00:20:28.759 --> 00:20:31.460 under his aircraft, spinning at 180 degrees. 00:20:32.339 --> 00:20:34.619 One of the Hueys was shot down. and the crew 00:20:34.619 --> 00:20:37.359 rescued. The other two were so badly shot up 00:20:37.359 --> 00:20:39.579 by the time they landed, they were no longer 00:20:39.579 --> 00:20:42.839 able to fly. Ferguson received his Medal of Honor 00:20:42.839 --> 00:20:47.900 from President Nixon on May 17, 1969. The Medal 00:20:47.900 --> 00:20:50.299 of Honor series is a production of Veterans Radio. 00:20:51.279 --> 00:20:53.880 Military veterans touch everyone's life. I'm 00:20:53.880 --> 00:20:55.720 guessing right now you're thinking of a veteran, 00:20:56.319 --> 00:21:00.099 a close friend, relative. Maybe it's you. Even 00:21:00.099 --> 00:21:02.599 the toughest of us sometimes need help, but... 00:21:02.559 --> 00:21:05.019 don't know where to turn for support. You don't 00:21:05.019 --> 00:21:06.779 need special training to help a veteran in your 00:21:06.779 --> 00:21:09.019 life. We can all help someone going through a 00:21:09.019 --> 00:21:11.700 difficult time. Learn how you can be there for 00:21:11.700 --> 00:21:16.140 veterans. Visit veteranscrisisline .net. Veteranscrisisline 00:21:16.140 --> 00:21:18.940 .net. A message from the U .S. Department of 00:21:18.940 --> 00:21:26.180 Veterans Affairs. We're back here on Veterans 00:21:26.180 --> 00:21:30.519 Radio and we're talking music today. And my guest 00:21:30.519 --> 00:21:35.380 right now is Lem Genovese. And Lem is a musical 00:21:35.380 --> 00:21:40.519 veteran troubadour. He was in Vietnam. I got 00:21:40.519 --> 00:21:44.099 it written down here. What he was doing in Vietnam. 00:21:44.380 --> 00:21:47.000 Oh, goodness. He was with the 1st Aviation Brigade. 00:21:47.059 --> 00:21:50.259 Hey, I know about those folks. And then he was 00:21:50.259 --> 00:21:54.160 a medic during the Persian Gulf War. And this 00:21:54.160 --> 00:21:57.019 guy stayed on for a long time, 209th Med Clearing 00:21:57.019 --> 00:22:00.529 Company. That's to the 1st Infantry Division. 00:22:00.910 --> 00:22:04.710 That's a big red one. He's lived in Wisconsin, 00:22:04.750 --> 00:22:06.710 been writing, performing tunes about the Vietnam 00:22:06.710 --> 00:22:09.589 War since the early 70s. And he actually contacted 00:22:09.589 --> 00:22:12.730 me because he said, hey, how about having a Vietnam 00:22:12.730 --> 00:22:14.769 veteran on that's still around that can play 00:22:14.769 --> 00:22:17.730 some of his songs? And so that's why we did that. 00:22:18.130 --> 00:22:21.730 So Lem, welcome to Veterans Radio. Thank you, 00:22:21.730 --> 00:22:24.490 Dale. Always nice to speak with a fellow member 00:22:24.490 --> 00:22:26.930 of the Alumni Association of Chicken on a Stick. 00:22:27.200 --> 00:22:30.240 There you go, there you go for those of people 00:22:30.240 --> 00:22:32.819 who are not familiar with that the The symbol 00:22:32.819 --> 00:22:35.339 of the first aviation brigade is an eagle with 00:22:35.339 --> 00:22:39.640 a sword hawk It's a golden hawk on a sword landing 00:22:39.640 --> 00:22:45.259 go sort of like chicken fricassee if you if you 00:22:45.259 --> 00:22:48.500 remember the tail insignia of the American Airlines 00:22:48.500 --> 00:22:52.160 back in the 60s and early 70s what the heraldic 00:22:52.160 --> 00:22:57.650 artists did was reverse that eagle and a lot 00:22:57.650 --> 00:23:00.230 of the patches, a lot of the units basically 00:23:00.230 --> 00:23:03.789 had that sword as the center of their shoulder 00:23:03.789 --> 00:23:09.309 patch. And so MACV had a broken line of a castle 00:23:09.309 --> 00:23:12.890 wall. And First Aviation Brigade, First Signal 00:23:12.890 --> 00:23:16.769 Brigade used that same basic design. And we were 00:23:16.769 --> 00:23:19.369 the ones that had the hawk landing on the hill 00:23:19.369 --> 00:23:21.210 of the sword. I still think it's one of the most 00:23:21.210 --> 00:23:23.529 beautiful patches the Army ever produced. It 00:23:23.529 --> 00:23:27.029 is awesome. I have a few samples of it around 00:23:27.029 --> 00:23:29.529 here. Yeah, me too. But people, you know, obviously 00:23:29.529 --> 00:23:32.910 cannot see that on radio. Yeah. But anyway, Len, 00:23:33.309 --> 00:23:35.049 thanks so much for joining me. Tell me about 00:23:35.049 --> 00:23:38.089 tell me about how you got involved in songwriting. 00:23:39.009 --> 00:23:42.670 Well, I was a musician in high school. I started 00:23:42.670 --> 00:23:47.349 out on Bongo's Kukanga. And I want to plug the 00:23:47.349 --> 00:23:51.329 book because it explains the musical. journey 00:23:51.329 --> 00:23:54.289 that I've taken in my life. Uh, this is, uh, 00:23:54.289 --> 00:23:56.509 an independent publication only made a hundred 00:23:56.509 --> 00:23:59.950 copies, but you can, uh, go to eBooks and I think 00:23:59.950 --> 00:24:03.049 Amazon, you can pick it up dirt cheap. And it's 00:24:03.049 --> 00:24:05.890 called the Toon Smith Chronicles, a musical history 00:24:05.890 --> 00:24:14.849 tour. Smith Chronicles. That's, uh, several hundred 00:24:14.849 --> 00:24:18.309 pages. Uh, the original copy is a coffee table 00:24:18.309 --> 00:24:23.119 size. with large print for us who are losing 00:24:23.119 --> 00:24:25.720 some of our eyesight as we age. Yeah, that's 00:24:25.720 --> 00:24:28.579 a problem. But that took several years to write. 00:24:29.099 --> 00:24:32.160 But OK, so high school, it was basically acoustic 00:24:32.160 --> 00:24:37.839 folk trios through junior college. And then when 00:24:37.839 --> 00:24:42.119 I went to NAMM, I picked up the auto harp, which 00:24:42.119 --> 00:24:44.680 was a poor man's guitar. Basically press a button 00:24:44.680 --> 00:24:48.960 and makes a chord. And so that was my first introduction 00:24:48.960 --> 00:24:52.440 to court progressions and I ordered from the 00:24:52.440 --> 00:24:55.039 Pasek's catalog a Yamaha guitar and had it sent 00:24:55.039 --> 00:24:58.039 home and when I was at the University of Iowa 00:24:58.039 --> 00:25:04.279 I was blessed to have so many great songwriters 00:25:04.279 --> 00:25:09.619 around that area including the folky Greg Brown 00:25:09.619 --> 00:25:12.380 who's if you're from the upper Midwest you know 00:25:12.380 --> 00:25:14.519 who Greg Brown is and if you know reggae you'll 00:25:14.519 --> 00:25:18.009 know Tony Brown And all of them were in Iowa 00:25:18.009 --> 00:25:20.309 City at the same time. And so I'm soaking up 00:25:20.309 --> 00:25:22.970 all this information and all these great chord 00:25:22.970 --> 00:25:26.730 progressions and how to write a song. And basically 00:25:26.730 --> 00:25:29.430 took as many courses as I could in creative writing, 00:25:29.589 --> 00:25:33.210 journalism and poetry to hone the craft as it 00:25:33.210 --> 00:25:35.849 were. So by the time I got out of the University 00:25:35.849 --> 00:25:42.309 of Iowa, I was I become a Vietnam veterans advocate. 00:25:42.589 --> 00:25:45.630 I went to National Association of Concerned Veterans 00:25:46.230 --> 00:25:48.450 uh, conventions for several years in a row and 00:25:48.450 --> 00:25:51.609 entertained there. And from there, uh, a lot 00:25:51.609 --> 00:25:57.609 of the guys that, uh, were veterans, uh, campus 00:25:57.609 --> 00:26:00.869 reps would book me to play their college for 00:26:00.869 --> 00:26:02.869 the veterans and the community at large. And 00:26:02.869 --> 00:26:05.509 that's pretty much how it took off. I didn't 00:26:05.509 --> 00:26:07.470 start recording though, until the late seventies. 00:26:07.490 --> 00:26:11.309 I just didn't feel like I was ready. Well, I 00:26:11.309 --> 00:26:13.809 mean, I think it takes a lot of courage to be 00:26:13.809 --> 00:26:16.369 a songwriter. I know I was talking to a friend 00:26:16.369 --> 00:26:19.130 of mine who was also, you know, in Vietnam at 00:26:19.130 --> 00:26:21.769 the same time that, you know, that we were I 00:26:21.769 --> 00:26:26.970 mean, I was there in 69. And he played guitar. 00:26:27.329 --> 00:26:30.009 And, you know, he said he sat around his barracks, 00:26:30.009 --> 00:26:32.460 you know, and he was in the infantry and he You 00:26:32.460 --> 00:26:34.500 know to kind of relax he would play that and 00:26:34.500 --> 00:26:37.039 he says some colonel came around one time and 00:26:37.039 --> 00:26:40.779 said that the filipino band Needed a player and 00:26:40.779 --> 00:26:43.299 we know you play so you get up there and you 00:26:43.299 --> 00:26:47.579 play with them And so he said no pressure No, 00:26:47.579 --> 00:26:50.099 no pressure, but you you know the bands that 00:26:50.099 --> 00:26:52.799 we heard Yeah, you know while we were in vietnam 00:26:52.799 --> 00:26:55.640 were really kind of really pretty good Yeah, 00:26:55.660 --> 00:26:58.200 there was a couple of filipino bands in particular 00:26:58.200 --> 00:27:00.779 that impressed me to the point Uh in long been 00:27:00.779 --> 00:27:02.359 always getting ready to go home where i'm just 00:27:02.359 --> 00:27:04.660 going these guys should be recording, right? 00:27:04.839 --> 00:27:07.359 That's how good they sounded exactly like the 00:27:07.359 --> 00:27:09.920 record they were copying. Yeah, exactly So my 00:27:09.920 --> 00:27:12.440 friend got to play with them and uh, he said 00:27:12.440 --> 00:27:15.279 it was an awesome experience for him and he said 00:27:15.279 --> 00:27:18.319 He said they they blew me away, you know, they 00:27:18.319 --> 00:27:21.779 were so so good Yeah, but there was a lot of 00:27:21.779 --> 00:27:25.460 music. Uh, well, I I personally think that you 00:27:25.460 --> 00:27:28.710 know it's been referred to as the first rock 00:27:28.710 --> 00:27:34.849 and roll war. And I was amazed when I found out 00:27:34.849 --> 00:27:37.470 that Toy Caldwell, who is the lead guitarist 00:27:37.470 --> 00:27:39.309 and leader of the band, Marshall Tucker, was 00:27:39.309 --> 00:27:42.170 a Marine Vietnam vet. He never mentioned it, 00:27:42.269 --> 00:27:45.990 but through friends of mine, I found out that 00:27:45.990 --> 00:27:50.029 Toy Caldwell was a non -vet. And one of the guys 00:27:50.029 --> 00:27:52.990 that played for the Fireballs that had come on 00:27:52.990 --> 00:27:55.470 React and then another hit single, he was drafted. 00:27:55.980 --> 00:28:02.980 he went over. So there are a few of us. My three 00:28:02.980 --> 00:28:04.880 years in San Francisco, I got to sit in with 00:28:04.880 --> 00:28:06.960 country Joe McDonald on harmonica, which was 00:28:06.960 --> 00:28:10.359 a real kick for me because I can remember watching 00:28:10.359 --> 00:28:14.740 Woodstock in 69 before I went over in 70. And 00:28:14.740 --> 00:28:17.099 never thought in a million years that I would 00:28:17.099 --> 00:28:19.339 get to perform with Joe McDonald. But here we 00:28:19.339 --> 00:28:22.039 are, you know, we did benefits for three solid 00:28:22.039 --> 00:28:24.670 years all over the Bay Area. and I had a blast. 00:28:24.970 --> 00:28:30.609 What an absolute mentor he was for me as a musician, 00:28:30.789 --> 00:28:34.250 as a professional entertainer, and as a songwriter. 00:28:34.369 --> 00:28:38.529 In fact, one of the songs on the Recon album, 00:28:38.750 --> 00:28:41.670 I wrote it in his kitchen and I borrowed his 00:28:41.670 --> 00:28:47.890 12th string. You know, musicians, they all jam, 00:28:48.009 --> 00:28:50.690 and I think that's what's so great about that. 00:28:50.789 --> 00:28:54.700 It's such a giving art form. And it's really 00:28:54.700 --> 00:28:58.019 great therapy. So we might as well get into Playing 00:28:58.019 --> 00:29:00.519 one of the songs from righteous reconnaissance. 00:29:00.619 --> 00:29:04.279 Let me show you here. So At least you've got 00:29:04.279 --> 00:29:07.200 I've got a couple of them that way. Yeah I've 00:29:07.200 --> 00:29:09.519 got love among the ruins. Yeah love among the 00:29:09.519 --> 00:29:14.940 ruins is sort of my answer to if We could have 00:29:14.940 --> 00:29:17.400 a conversation with the honored dead of Vietnam. 00:29:17.400 --> 00:29:19.779 What would be the one question they would ask 00:29:19.779 --> 00:29:23.559 us and Immediately, I thought, what have you 00:29:23.559 --> 00:29:27.539 been doing with your life? Right? Yeah. How do 00:29:27.539 --> 00:29:30.380 you came to mind? Because, you know, I was combat 00:29:30.380 --> 00:29:32.759 infantry trained, I was totally ready to go over 00:29:32.759 --> 00:29:38.039 there as a grunt. So I had made peace with dying 00:29:38.039 --> 00:29:40.700 in Vietnam before I even went over. I figured 00:29:40.700 --> 00:29:44.579 the mindset that I had was a lot like some of 00:29:44.579 --> 00:29:47.220 my uncles who had known combat infantrymen in 00:29:47.220 --> 00:29:49.720 both the Pacific and European theaters. And they 00:29:49.720 --> 00:29:52.569 had that They had that mindset. We're going to 00:29:52.569 --> 00:29:55.710 date one day at a time, do the best job we can, 00:29:56.029 --> 00:30:00.430 but understand the odds. And I think I think 00:30:00.430 --> 00:30:03.130 that once I was made a clerk in a combat aviation 00:30:03.130 --> 00:30:05.390 battalion headquarters unit in the Mekong Delta, 00:30:06.150 --> 00:30:09.990 I took that aspect of that professionalism with 00:30:09.990 --> 00:30:12.190 me my entire tour. I just tried to do the best 00:30:12.190 --> 00:30:14.950 job I could every single day for the for the 00:30:14.950 --> 00:30:16.769 troops to make sure they had what they needed. 00:30:17.390 --> 00:30:20.410 Well, we, you know, Also being within an aviation 00:30:20.410 --> 00:30:23.410 company, of course it depended upon the people 00:30:23.410 --> 00:30:26.230 back in the company area to make sure that you 00:30:26.230 --> 00:30:28.450 know, they knew where I was at the aircraft or 00:30:28.450 --> 00:30:30.869 Well, and that's and everything that's that's 00:30:30.869 --> 00:30:34.089 exactly my point was these guys work in 18 hour 00:30:34.089 --> 00:30:37.069 days 20 hour days making sure they shot up Huey's 00:30:37.069 --> 00:30:41.809 the shot up fixed wing bird dogs the the loaches 00:30:42.579 --> 00:30:45.339 The Chinook we didn't have Chinooks, but on occasion 00:30:45.339 --> 00:30:47.720 one would come in and banged up and we we had 00:30:47.720 --> 00:30:51.220 to you know Our guys would on it. So yeah, those 00:30:51.220 --> 00:30:54.380 were the guys I dedicated my time to Okay. Well, 00:30:54.380 --> 00:30:56.359 why don't we play this song? It's called level 00:30:56.359 --> 00:31:00.700 but love among the ruins Yeah, and so this is 00:31:00.700 --> 00:31:04.339 a Lem Genovese and Here it is. This is my wall 00:31:04.339 --> 00:31:26.009 song Sometimes out of friendship, the strongest 00:31:26.009 --> 00:31:32.029 love will grow Sometimes you never notice, and 00:31:32.029 --> 00:31:39.329 sometimes you'll never know Believing's not so 00:31:39.329 --> 00:31:45.230 easy, when you open old wounds again But trust 00:31:45.230 --> 00:31:49.529 them that you have to, and let them start to 00:31:49.529 --> 00:31:57.630 mend Without you all my battles Never who will 00:31:57.630 --> 00:32:04.490 be won It's easier in silence When all is said 00:32:04.490 --> 00:32:11.529 and done They'll never know the difference Between 00:32:11.529 --> 00:32:17.609 the passion and the blood Never see the distance 00:32:17.609 --> 00:32:25.299 From the water and the mud It's just not the 00:32:25.299 --> 00:32:29.299 cheapest It flows the stillest and the deepest 00:32:29.299 --> 00:32:37.759 The brightest and the steepest in my life Now 00:32:37.759 --> 00:32:42.299 what have you been doing With love among the 00:32:42.299 --> 00:32:47.779 ruins? What have you been doing with your life? 00:33:18.789 --> 00:33:23.569 for too long sitting on the sidelines searching 00:33:23.569 --> 00:33:28.609 for a sign of spring black granite names on the 00:33:28.609 --> 00:33:35.950 wall reflecting why this man must sing keeping 00:33:35.950 --> 00:33:41.089 track of the present we get so lost in the past 00:33:41.089 --> 00:33:45.970 turning my back on that legacy that reads nice 00:33:45.970 --> 00:33:50.480 guys finish nice guys finish nice guys finish 00:33:50.480 --> 00:33:57.460 last it's the richest not the cheapest those 00:33:57.460 --> 00:34:02.400 the stillest and the deepest the brightest and 00:34:02.400 --> 00:34:09.500 the steepest in my life now what have you been 00:34:09.500 --> 00:35:10.199 doing doing with your life. won't you put me 00:35:10.199 --> 00:35:14.760 in the second half it only hurts when i laugh 00:35:14.760 --> 00:35:18.519 now coach won't you put me in the second half 00:35:18.519 --> 00:35:45.780 it only That was love among the ruins and it's 00:35:45.780 --> 00:35:48.280 it's really kind of Unfortunate that those of 00:35:48.280 --> 00:35:50.539 us who are doing this thing on zoom. We can't 00:35:50.539 --> 00:35:53.420 hear Yeah, all of the great music that yeah, 00:35:53.760 --> 00:35:56.000 you know we can either hear the lyrics or sometimes 00:35:56.000 --> 00:35:58.739 we can hear the melody and I'm sorry we couldn't 00:35:58.739 --> 00:36:06.539 hear you 12 string is that Had I known back in 00:36:06.539 --> 00:36:11.139 the early 80s that I would have reenlisted in 00:36:11.139 --> 00:36:15.099 the National Guard The the the end of the song 00:36:15.099 --> 00:36:17.519 is coach won't you put me in the second half 00:36:17.519 --> 00:36:23.000 it only hurts when I laugh It was very prophetic 00:36:23.000 --> 00:36:28.659 and I didn't know it at the time but I Ended 00:36:28.659 --> 00:36:33.239 up as a combat medic in Desert Storm 20 years 00:36:33.239 --> 00:36:37.460 to the day It just blows my mind when I stop 00:36:37.460 --> 00:36:39.300 and think about that, that I was in good enough 00:36:39.300 --> 00:36:41.760 physical condition and I'd had a break in service 00:36:41.760 --> 00:36:44.400 because I was a veteran's advocate for about 00:36:44.400 --> 00:36:49.059 12 years. I went in, I think I was 35 or 36 and 00:36:49.059 --> 00:36:51.139 then did the rest of it to do the full 20 so 00:36:51.139 --> 00:36:55.420 I could retire out. And it's interesting how 00:36:55.420 --> 00:36:59.480 much I learned as a Vietnam veteran, as an advocate, 00:37:00.320 --> 00:37:02.139 combat infantry training, then became a medic. 00:37:04.489 --> 00:37:08.469 Being able to literally see the other side of 00:37:08.469 --> 00:37:10.630 the coin where we're liberating a country that 00:37:10.630 --> 00:37:14.590 stayed liberated was one of the greatest honors 00:37:14.590 --> 00:37:19.429 of my life and So the songs the songs from that 00:37:19.429 --> 00:37:23.550 I wrote after desert storm. I think are a little 00:37:23.550 --> 00:37:26.579 better balanced and they're a little jazzier. 00:37:26.739 --> 00:37:29.360 And I'm sure that's probably, I'm sure that's 00:37:29.360 --> 00:37:32.280 the reason the folks from Nashville, from Operation 00:37:32.280 --> 00:37:35.139 Song, when I sent them a CD, they had no concept 00:37:35.139 --> 00:37:37.960 of what I was doing, because it's just, it's 00:37:37.960 --> 00:37:40.460 way different from where they're coming from. 00:37:40.500 --> 00:37:43.679 And I'm cool with that. Well, I mean, there are 00:37:43.679 --> 00:37:46.639 some, you know, some really great organizations. 00:37:46.940 --> 00:37:49.380 I mean, I understand, you know, as a therapy, 00:37:49.599 --> 00:37:52.019 it's absolutely perfect. I mean, it kept me from 00:37:52.019 --> 00:37:55.809 committing suicide. No. I mean, if I hadn't picked 00:37:55.809 --> 00:37:58.550 up the guitar, I wouldn't be here today. I think 00:37:58.550 --> 00:38:00.869 that's I've talked to a number of people that 00:38:00.869 --> 00:38:02.929 feel the same way. I know there's an organization 00:38:02.929 --> 00:38:05.190 in Wisconsin. I think it's called Warrior Songs. 00:38:05.630 --> 00:38:08.070 Well, then you've also got guitars for vets. 00:38:08.429 --> 00:38:10.730 Yeah, that's around here. I know we've got the 00:38:10.730 --> 00:38:12.949 number of chapters all over the United States 00:38:12.949 --> 00:38:16.650 now. It started in Wisconsin. Yeah. It's not 00:38:16.650 --> 00:38:21.510 too late. Milwaukee. Yeah. Maybe I can still 00:38:21.510 --> 00:38:24.719 learn how to play. Listen. I didn't actually 00:38:24.719 --> 00:38:29.139 pick up a guitar until I was like 25. And I've 00:38:29.139 --> 00:38:33.380 known veterans from Vietnam that once they're 00:38:33.380 --> 00:38:37.519 retired, and they've got the time, they're, they're 00:38:37.519 --> 00:38:39.199 doing the guitar thing, they're either taking 00:38:39.199 --> 00:38:41.840 lessons, or they're part of guitars for vets, 00:38:41.880 --> 00:38:43.519 where there's a program where you learn how to 00:38:43.519 --> 00:38:47.000 play. Well, the nice thing about guitar for vets 00:38:47.000 --> 00:38:48.719 is that, you know, as you learn how to play, 00:38:48.739 --> 00:38:50.880 I guess when you graduate, you get to keep the 00:38:50.880 --> 00:38:54.699 guitar, right? And, um, it's been really fun 00:38:54.699 --> 00:38:57.860 that, uh, one of the best known guitar shops 00:38:57.860 --> 00:39:01.360 here in La Crosse is Dave's guitar, Dave's guitars. 00:39:01.440 --> 00:39:03.539 And he's got like three other shops in Wisconsin 00:39:03.539 --> 00:39:06.159 and he has donated some guitars, two guitars 00:39:06.159 --> 00:39:11.039 for vets, which, you know, that's, that's, that's 00:39:11.039 --> 00:39:12.719 as good as it gets in my book. There's a guy 00:39:12.719 --> 00:39:17.679 that is making good money, uh, since the seventies 00:39:17.679 --> 00:39:20.969 and he's willing to do that for veterans. Well, 00:39:20.969 --> 00:39:22.869 I think there's a lot more people out there that 00:39:22.869 --> 00:39:25.849 support veterans and we then we realize yeah, 00:39:25.949 --> 00:39:29.650 and It's a good feeling to know that How much 00:39:29.650 --> 00:39:32.289 this country's changed in that regard since Vietnam 00:39:32.289 --> 00:39:35.090 and I think I think Vietnam veterans are the 00:39:35.090 --> 00:39:39.349 ones that kind of spearheaded that No other generation 00:39:39.349 --> 00:39:42.449 is going to get ignored like we did right absolutely 00:39:42.449 --> 00:39:46.469 and I feel I feel good about that I just wish 00:39:46.469 --> 00:39:48.309 there was some more venues out there that would 00:39:48.309 --> 00:39:50.510 at least give me a chance to perform again, but 00:39:50.510 --> 00:39:57.090 you know, hey We'll see what we could come up 00:39:57.090 --> 00:40:00.309 with you get involved with You mentioned one 00:40:00.309 --> 00:40:02.989 of the other songs that you that you wanted us 00:40:02.989 --> 00:40:06.989 to play today was the the elegy Yeah, that if 00:40:06.989 --> 00:40:08.929 we've only got time for one more list you elegy 00:40:08.929 --> 00:40:12.349 for the fallen. I just hope to God the the folks 00:40:12.349 --> 00:40:17.159 can hear the 12th string because this is a It's 00:40:17.159 --> 00:40:20.320 really interesting that I had the beginning of 00:40:20.320 --> 00:40:24.119 it, I borrowed, there's a chapter on it in the 00:40:24.119 --> 00:40:27.360 memoir, but I borrowed a chaplain's guitar the 00:40:27.360 --> 00:40:29.380 night before the ground war started in Desert 00:40:29.380 --> 00:40:33.980 Storm. And I had tried to figure out the actual 00:40:33.980 --> 00:40:39.739 introduction and into the first part of it. Then 00:40:39.739 --> 00:40:44.420 my wife, who was my daresay for, and Penn Powell 00:40:44.420 --> 00:40:46.840 allowed me to buy my first 12 string acoustic. 00:40:48.239 --> 00:40:51.619 And one day after the wedding, about six months 00:40:51.619 --> 00:40:55.980 afterwards, I was following the court progression 00:40:55.980 --> 00:40:59.340 of Crosby, Stills, and Nash's Wooden Ships. The 00:40:59.340 --> 00:41:01.940 next thing I knew, I had the second half of the 00:41:01.940 --> 00:41:04.860 song ready to go. She's downstairs listening 00:41:04.860 --> 00:41:07.639 and she goes. What was that? And I go, I have 00:41:07.639 --> 00:41:09.739 no idea. She said, can you play it again? And 00:41:09.739 --> 00:41:12.260 I go, let me try it. And she said, you have to 00:41:12.260 --> 00:41:16.380 record that. And so this is, this is what happens. 00:41:16.420 --> 00:41:22.860 This is Elegy for the Fallen. This was used on 00:41:22.860 --> 00:41:25.980 the funeral scene for the one five Marines in 00:41:25.980 --> 00:41:31.119 the documentary, Patrol Base Jaker. That's exactly 00:41:31.119 --> 00:41:36.619 what I wrote it for. was if you just had an acoustic 00:41:36.619 --> 00:41:39.980 guitar, this is what I was shooting for. But 00:41:39.980 --> 00:41:45.300 if I had piano, concert harp, maybe a string 00:41:45.300 --> 00:41:48.300 section in certain parts, it would be absolutely 00:41:48.300 --> 00:41:52.360 perfect for another documentary or a movie about 00:41:52.360 --> 00:41:55.780 veterans. So let's give it a shot. Well, let's 00:41:55.780 --> 00:41:57.820 give it a shot. Now, again, remember, we're not 00:41:57.820 --> 00:42:01.699 going to be able to hear it clearly at all. The 00:42:01.699 --> 00:42:04.679 audience out there will hear it all. That's the 00:42:04.679 --> 00:44:55.940 thing to remember. Okay, so here we go. that 00:44:55.940 --> 00:45:00.820 was Elegy for the Fallen. That song is beautiful 00:45:00.820 --> 00:45:06.079 in its own way. And I was reading the notes on 00:45:06.079 --> 00:45:10.260 the CD cover and was this dedicated to Gold Star 00:45:10.260 --> 00:45:15.300 families? Yes. Like I said, there's a chapter 00:45:15.300 --> 00:45:19.840 in the book about it and I always thought Taps 00:45:19.840 --> 00:45:24.519 was too short. And there's a reason for that. 00:45:24.670 --> 00:45:28.530 And I'm good with it. But gold star families 00:45:28.530 --> 00:45:31.730 doesn't matter whether it's in training or in 00:45:31.730 --> 00:45:35.050 combat. When you lose a loved one, a family member 00:45:35.050 --> 00:45:38.429 in military service, you earn that gold star 00:45:38.429 --> 00:45:41.929 the hard way. And I always thought they needed 00:45:41.929 --> 00:45:46.190 something uplifting to listen to when that date 00:45:46.190 --> 00:45:49.349 comes around. Whether it's Memorial Day, Veterans 00:45:49.349 --> 00:45:52.369 Day or the day their loved one actually passed. 00:45:56.610 --> 00:46:00.269 This particular piece really kind of resonated 00:46:00.269 --> 00:46:06.489 for that to me. That's who I envisioned would 00:46:06.489 --> 00:46:14.969 get the best sense of serenity when they're thinking 00:46:14.969 --> 00:46:17.829 about the loss of their loved one, which is a 00:46:17.829 --> 00:46:22.010 huge, huge milestone in any family's life. It's 00:46:22.010 --> 00:46:26.570 something they never forget. Been around those 00:46:26.570 --> 00:46:31.369 folks at my concerts in particular For years 00:46:31.369 --> 00:46:33.590 and always felt like I hadn't done enough for 00:46:33.590 --> 00:46:36.070 them musically. So this is this is my homage 00:46:36.070 --> 00:46:42.329 to them Well, it's it's It's a beautiful song. 00:46:42.469 --> 00:46:48.269 Thank you. I mean, it's just an Incredibly talented 00:46:48.269 --> 00:46:51.989 man, you know, I think that's I'm really jealous 00:46:51.989 --> 00:46:54.900 of that Well, I don't, I don't, hopefully there's 00:46:54.900 --> 00:46:57.940 more admiration and jealousy, Dale. Yeah, well, 00:46:58.059 --> 00:47:00.820 it's more admiration than jealousy. It's only 00:47:00.820 --> 00:47:03.159 because I can't, I can't sing and I can't do 00:47:03.159 --> 00:47:05.380 any of the instrumental stuff. What you're doing 00:47:05.380 --> 00:47:07.440 is very important to the community at large, 00:47:07.539 --> 00:47:10.440 my friend. And that's a gift in and of itself 00:47:10.440 --> 00:47:17.369 every time you do one. We've got a little time 00:47:17.369 --> 00:47:19.090 here to kind of talk about some of these things 00:47:19.090 --> 00:47:21.670 And as I said, I wish we could hear because I 00:47:21.670 --> 00:47:25.289 wanted to just play I want to play just as a 00:47:25.289 --> 00:47:29.090 little bit of the um again, we won't be able 00:47:29.090 --> 00:47:33.989 to hear it when we are of the six lazaro Six 00:47:33.989 --> 00:47:36.590 lazari lane six lazari lane. Tell me a little 00:47:36.590 --> 00:47:40.809 bit about that Surprisingly, uh for a kid from 00:47:40.809 --> 00:47:42.929 Des Moines, Iowa. I'm a third generation new 00:47:42.929 --> 00:47:47.159 york yankees fan Oh, that's too bad. So Being 00:47:47.159 --> 00:47:50.659 Sicilian, not Italian, being Sicilian on both 00:47:50.659 --> 00:47:54.300 sides of the family, my grandfather, who was 00:47:54.300 --> 00:47:58.860 an immigrant, and my father loved the Yankees. 00:47:59.260 --> 00:48:01.980 I mean, they were fanatics about it. And when 00:48:01.980 --> 00:48:05.260 the first Italian American to use this real name, 00:48:06.820 --> 00:48:11.059 Tony Lazzari, joined the Yankees in 1926, that 00:48:11.059 --> 00:48:14.059 pretty much solidified it. You know, prior to 00:48:14.059 --> 00:48:15.880 that, you had to use a fake name, believe it 00:48:15.880 --> 00:48:20.320 or not. No, I believe that. There was a Yankee 00:48:20.320 --> 00:48:23.099 who was a Italian American, but he went by the 00:48:23.099 --> 00:48:25.760 name of Ping, just like the golf club, Ping Bodie, 00:48:25.900 --> 00:48:29.639 B -O -D -I -E. Francesco Pizzolo was his real 00:48:29.639 --> 00:48:35.000 name. Okay. He ruled with Babe Ruth. So when 00:48:35.000 --> 00:48:38.659 Tony came around, that kind of broke the ice. 00:48:39.500 --> 00:48:43.360 He was like the Jackie Robinson. So, okay, that's 00:48:43.360 --> 00:48:45.539 how Six Lazare Lane got its name because of him. 00:48:45.619 --> 00:48:49.039 Okay, I just want to play just one minute of 00:48:49.039 --> 00:48:54.039 this and just because the drive of this particular 00:48:54.039 --> 00:48:56.119 song is amazing. We've only got three, four minutes 00:48:56.119 --> 00:49:01.159 left anyway. Well, we're going to play this right 00:49:01.159 --> 00:49:41.690 now. Okay, I just wanted to play the introduction 00:49:41.690 --> 00:49:44.070 to that cuz that that was just something that 00:49:44.070 --> 00:49:47.409 I thought I just put in the car and just drove 00:49:47.409 --> 00:50:10.179 with We have some live music That's the part. 00:50:16.679 --> 00:50:19.519 I'm sorry. You cannot see this. He pulled his 00:50:19.519 --> 00:50:22.260 guitar off of his wall. Thank you. Thank you, 00:50:22.300 --> 00:50:26.679 Lem. That was really when I put that in the CD 00:50:26.679 --> 00:50:28.940 player. I have an old car, obviously. I put the 00:50:28.940 --> 00:50:31.480 CD player and I hit that thing and it was just 00:50:31.480 --> 00:50:35.960 like I was pulled back into the 60s and stuff 00:50:35.960 --> 00:50:41.070 and just that driving Yep. Rhythm there. Anyway, 00:50:41.610 --> 00:50:43.989 Lem. I still love the music from that decade. 00:50:45.070 --> 00:50:47.489 You're not the first person to tell me that I 00:50:47.489 --> 00:50:52.690 reinvent 60s music. And Six Lasere Lang was a 00:50:52.690 --> 00:50:56.349 gift, man. I just I flat out went, OK, if Booker 00:50:56.349 --> 00:51:00.130 T and the M .G.'s had met Buddy Holly, this is 00:51:00.130 --> 00:51:03.590 what it would sound like. I have to agree. I 00:51:03.590 --> 00:51:07.230 have to agree. All right. So we can get all of 00:51:07.230 --> 00:51:09.289 this music. We've been talking with Lem Genevieve 00:51:09.289 --> 00:51:13.050 today here on Veterans Radio. His albums are 00:51:13.050 --> 00:51:15.230 available on Amazon. You can just download them 00:51:15.230 --> 00:51:19.889 from Amazon, which is kind of cool. And I think 00:51:19.889 --> 00:51:24.630 he's an incredibly talented man. And I'm very 00:51:24.630 --> 00:51:27.130 happy to have had him on the program. And I'm 00:51:27.130 --> 00:51:30.449 going to ask you to stick around after the program 00:51:30.449 --> 00:51:34.230 is over so I can talk to you. Sure. So as we 00:51:34.230 --> 00:51:36.449 come up to the end of today's Veterans Radio 00:51:36.449 --> 00:51:39.449 program, we always go out on a God bless America 00:51:39.449 --> 00:51:44.230 version. And today we're going out under Jimmy 00:51:44.230 --> 00:51:48.550 Fountain. And this is one of them. I'm just you 00:51:48.550 --> 00:51:51.570 know, I want everybody to understand how much 00:51:51.570 --> 00:51:53.849 all of us, no matter where we are politically, 00:51:54.070 --> 00:51:57.289 really do love this country. And it's it's so 00:51:57.289 --> 00:52:00.389 important for us to realize that we need to get 00:52:00.389 --> 00:52:03.599 together instead of driving the way outwards. 00:52:03.739 --> 00:52:05.820 We need to come back. Find the common ground, 00:52:05.980 --> 00:52:08.599 my brother. Find the common ground. Find the 00:52:08.599 --> 00:52:10.440 common ground. He's interrupting my editorial 00:52:10.440 --> 00:52:12.639 right here now. So we want to make sure what 00:52:12.639 --> 00:52:14.880 we always go out on God bless America. So that's 00:52:14.880 --> 00:52:17.539 one of my favorite songs. And so this is what 00:52:17.539 --> 00:52:20.099 we're going to do today. And I'm probably going 00:52:20.099 --> 00:52:21.800 to have to stretch a little bit because I've 00:52:21.800 --> 00:52:25.360 got I don't know how much time left. Just a little 00:52:25.360 --> 00:52:29.639 bit more. So all right. Oh, I know. 10 seconds. 00:52:29.880 --> 00:52:32.179 Never mind next week is our benefits program. 00:52:32.199 --> 00:52:34.300 So if you got a question get it to us So make 00:52:34.300 --> 00:52:36.800 sure that so until next week, this is dale thrombury 00:52:36.800 --> 00:52:47.900 for veterans radio. You are dismissed God bless 00:52:47.900 --> 00:53:00.230 america Land that I love Stand beside her and 00:53:00.230 --> 00:53:05.989 guide her through the night with a light from 00:53:05.989 --> 00:53:14.730 above. From the mountains, to the prairies, to 00:53:14.730 --> 00:53:24.650 the oceans, white with foam. God bless America, 00:53:25.889 --> 00:53:39.380 my home sweet. Oh God bless America, my home.