Birthday Thank You Tommy, From Viet Nam

Annotation

Born Leroy LeBlanc on 30 January 1915, in Louisiana, Happy Fats belonged to the Cajun community - descendants of 17th-century French colonists.12 He released a series of controversial political records in the 1960s, including "Veteran's Plea / Dear Mr. President" - the A-side of which dealt with Vietnam, while the B-side featured a racist monologue arguing against desegregation. In 1972 he released a single supporting George Wallace's campaign for the presidency - "Vote Wallace in 72". In the song "Birthday Thank You Tommy, From Viet Nam" (Reb Rebel # 513) a father wrote to those fighting in Vietnam thanking them for protecting the lifestyle and freedom of his 7 year old son, Tommy, living in America. Tommy enjoyed "playing baseball" and "being a 100% American boy", but without those fighting in Vietnam the "country would be lost". A soldier wrote back to Tommy, to thank him for his show of support. Happy Fats then took on the role of the father in the US, who expressed disgust with the anti-war movement, and assured those in Vietnam that "most folks do care". He described the protesters as "beatniks, slackers, and cowards", while the "draft card and flag burners" were "scum" in a "clear lake". Sources1South to Louisiana: The Music of the Cajun Bayous (John Broven, 1987)↩2The Cajuns: Americanization of a People (Shane K. Bernard, 2003)↩

Annotation by Justin A. Brummer

Annotation — US 'Patriotic' / Pro-Government / Anti-Protest Songs

Born Leroy LeBlanc on 30 January 1915, in Louisiana, Happy Fats belonged to the Cajun community - descendants of 17th-century French colonists.12 He released a series of controversial political and racist records in the 1960s, including "Birthday Thank You Tommy, From Viet Nam" (1965), which praised the fighting soldier in Vietnam, and attacked the anti-war movement for being un-patriotic. This was followed by "Veteran's Plea / Dear Mr. President" (1966) - the A-side of which dealt with Vietnam, while the B-side featured a racist monologue arguing against desegregation. In 1967 he released "The Day of Indecision", the title of which can be seen as an answer to Barry McGuire's "Eve of Destruction", and in which he called for fighting communism in Vietnam and Laos, and praised Goldwater, Wallace, and Reagan for their patriotism (one of the earliest records referencing Reagan, then Governor of California). In 1972 he released a single supporting Wallace's campaign for the presidency - "Vote Wallace in 72". Moreover, he released a string of segregationist, anti-Civil Rights, anti-Great Society, and anti-LBJ singles, including "A Victim of the Big Mess (Called the Great Society)". In the song "Birthday Thank You Tommy, From Viet Nam" (Reb Rebel # 513) a father wrote to those fighting in Vietnam thanking them for protecting the lifestyle and freedom of his 7 year old son, Tommy, living in America. Tommy enjoyed "playing baseball" and "being a 100% American boy", but without those fighting in Vietnam the "country would be lost". A soldier wrote back to Tommy, to thank him for his show of support. Happy Fats then took on the role of the father in the US, who expressed disgust with the anti-war movement, and assured those in Vietnam that "most folks do care". He described the protesters as "beatniks, slackers, and cowards", while the "draft card and flag burners" were "scum" in a "clear lake". Sources1South to Louisiana: The Music of the Cajun Bayous (John Broven, 1987)↩2The Cajuns: Americanization of a People (Shane K. Bernard, 2003)↩

Annotation by Justin A. Brummer

Lyrics

English: You're a lucky fellow Tommy / To have so many friends to take your load upon their shoulders / To fight to the bitter end / Tell dad we thank him, Tommy, for taking up our cause / For without people like him boy, our vcountry would be lost / Dear Tommy, this is the birthday thank you from us guys on the battle field / We want you to thank your dad for his letter / And tell him how good his letter made us feel... /I guess you don't know how fortunate you are / Some day you will reflect about the joy of playing baseball and catching grasshoppers / Of being a 100% American boy... / Right now half way around the world in Vietnam you're a pretty important celebrity to some real swell fellows... / They are the men who march and fight in these steaming jungles / They know they maybe die for liberty... / Why...for Tommy, not to worry about those demonstrations by beatniks, slackers and cowards / Cause most folks do care... / The draft card and flag burners, pay no attention to what they've done / For in every crystal clear lake or ocean there is bound to be a certain amount of scum / In every breath of free air they pollute as they continue their senseless strife / You, son will live and breath fresh air for which patriots are giving their lives... / Today Tommy you're 7, and maybe your turn will come / But if not, it is because you're friends are doing a job for you / So stand behind them, they're protecting....freedom

Notes

Reb Rebel No. 513, side 1, label with two Confederate flags, P.O. Box 769, Crowley, La.; "Birthday Thank You Tommy, From Viet Nam" (L. Le Blanc-J. West — "Inspired by Joe Galloway, UPI"), 3:48, Jamil Music, BMI. [From the record sleeve and labels]

About the artist

Cajun singer LeRoy 'Happy Fats' LeBlanc (1915-1988) from Rayne, Louisiana ('Dear Mr. President'). [Source: Wikipedia]

Themes

Patriotic · Demonstration · Draft Card Burning · Draft Dodger · Draft

In collections

Draft Songs · US 'Patriotic' / Pro-Government / Anti-Protest Songs [War Years]