Daniel Fernandez

Annotation — Latin & Central American, & Caribbean Music

Group formed and currently based in General Terán, Nuevo León, Mexico. The group contained the well-known artist Poncho Villagómez. This record, released on the San Antonio, Texas, US record label Del Rio # DDR-1518 contained two songs related to the Mexican-American Vietnam War experience, appealing to the American audience. It is in the Corrido genre - a Mexican type of song which traditionally spread news and information in Mexican territories through folk music in the late 18th century. The first song was "Daniel Fernández", composed by Roberto Martinez of the New Mexico-based group Los Reyes de Albuquerque, which also released it as a single. It paid tribute to Danny Fernandez - the first Mexican-American soldier awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor for service in Vietnam. The official Medal of Honor citation read: "Fernández demonstrated indomitable courage when the patrol was ambushed by a Viet Cong rifle company...an enemy grenade landed in the midst of the group...Fernández vaulted over the wounded sergeant and threw himself on the grenade as it exploded, saving the lives of his 4 comrades at the sacrifice of his life".1234 It took a patriotic position:Songs about Daniel Fernandez: Los Reyes de Albuquerque - El corrido de Daniel Fernandez / The Ballad of Dan Fernandez Los Reyes de la Frontera - Corrido de Daniel Fernandez / Besos y Caricias Eddy Harrison - Danny Fernandez Los Coyotes del Río Bravo - Daniel Fernández The other song, also Mexican-American, was "El padre de un soldado" ("The Father of a Soldier"), composed by Francisco Montalvo, copyright filed in 1968. This song was covered by many Mexican-American artists: Shorty Martinez - "El padre de un soldado"; Flaco Jimenez - "El padre de un soldado"; Los Dinos - "El padre de un soldado". The song is narrated from the home front perspective, narrated by the father of a soldier, who prayed to god to "protect all the soldiers that find themselves in Vietnam" - making particular reference to the "Virgin of San Juan", the Roman Catholic title of the "Virgin Mary" used in Mexico and Texas. As the soldier went off to war, he told his parents that "I am pure Mexican and I am not afraid to die". At the end of the song, the father offered his own life in the place of his son: "in place of the life of my son I offer you my own". Transcription by Eric Silberberg and Ignacia Morales Reyes. Translation by Eric Silberberg.5Sources1Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund: DANIEL FERNANDEZ↩2Wikipedia: Daniel Fernandez↩3history.army.mil: Vietnam a l (archived copy)↩4rattler-firebird.org (archived copy)↩5El padre de un soldado (Shorty Martinez)↩

Annotation by Justin A. Brummer

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

Group formed and currently based in General Terán, Nuevo León, Mexico. The group contained the well-known artist Poncho Villagómez. This record, released on the San Antonio, Texas, US record label Del Rio # DDR-1518 contained two songs related to the Mexican-American Vietnam War experience, appealing to the American audience. It is in the Corrido genre - a Mexican type of song which traditionally spread news and information in Mexican territories through folk music in the late 18th century. The first song was "Daniel Fernández", composed by Roberto Martinez of the New Mexican-based group Los Reyes de Albuquerque, which also released it as a single. It paid tribute to Danny Fernandez - the first Mexican American soldier awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor for service in Vietnam. The official Medal of Honor citation read: "Fernández demonstrated indomitable courage when the patrol was ambushed by a Viet Cong rifle company...an enemy grenade landed in the midst of the group...Fernández vaulted over the wounded sergeant and threw himself on the grenade as it exploded, saving the lives of his 4 comrades at the sacrifice of his life".1234 It took a patriotic position:Songs about Daniel Fernandez: Los Reyes de Albuquerque - El corrido de Daniel Fernandez / The Ballad of Dan Fernandez Los Reyes de la Frontera - Corrido de Daniel Fernandez / Besos y Caricias Eddy Harrison - Danny Fernandez Los Coyotes del Río Bravo - Daniel Fernández The other song, also Mexican-American, was "El padre de un soldado" ("The Father of a Soldier"), composed by Francisco Montalvo, copyright filed in 1968. This song was covered by many Mexican-American artists: Shorty Martinez - "El padre de un soldado"; Flaco Jimenez - "El padre de un soldado"; Los Dinos - "El padre de un soldado". The song is narrated from the home front perspective, narrated by the father of a soldier, who prayed to god to "protect all the soldiers that find themselves in Vietnam" - making particular reference to the "Virgin of San Juan", the Roman Catholic title of the "Virgin Mary" used in Mexico and Texas. As the soldier went off to war, he told his parents that "I am pure Mexican and I am not afraid to die". At the end of the song, the father offered his own life in the place of his son: "in place of the life of my son I offer you my own". Transcription by Eric Silberberg and Ignacia Morales Reyes. Translation by Eric Silberberg.5Sources1Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund: DANIEL FERNANDEZ↩2Wikipedia: Daniel Fernandez↩3history.army.mil: Vietnam a l (archived copy)↩4rattler-firebird.org (archived copy)↩5El padre de un soldado (Shorty Martinez)↩

Annotation by Justin A. Brummer

Lyrics

English: Fellow American listen, I'd like to have your attention / So I can tell you a story of love, duty, and devotion / The ballad of Dan Fernandez is the title of this song / He died in South Vietnam while fighting the Viet Cong / As a child he was schooled...he used to run playing... / Then off to South Vietnam where he was destined to die / When he was mortally wounded, the soldier had this to say / Dear lord I'm ready to go, just give me the time to pray / To say an act of contrition, that's all I wish to do / Then my heavenly father I will gladly go with you / He loved New Mexico, you have the right to be proud / One of your sons has distinguished himself today in the crowd

Notes

Del Rio DDR-1518, "Corridos del Rancho con: Los Coyotes del Rio Bravo", ten-track LP, yellow and orange swirl labels, "Dist. by Marsal Pro. Inc., 2811 Guadalupe, San Antonio". Lado A: El Padre de un Soldado (D.A.R.) 3:06; Las Mañanitas de Heraclio Bernal (D.A.R.) 2:45; Polino Guerrero (Heriberto Garcia) 2:46; Gabino Suarez (D.A.R.) 2:50; El Grano de Oro (Jose Antonio Melendez) 2:25. Lado B: Luis Pulido (Cain Alfaro T.) 3:06; Pedro Nevares (D.A.R.) 2:58; Mariano Resendez (D.A.R.) 2:58; Daniel Fernandez (D.A.R.) 2:50; La Prision de Colorado (D.A.R.) 2:08; every track is marked "Cor." (corrido). The front cover is a colour photograph of the four members in white hats and fringed jackets, with a sticker reading "Fabricado por Industrias Audiofonicas, S.A., P. Diaz Sur 613, Monterrey, N.L." The back cover note in Spanish praises each song as a life story set to music with simple country…

About the artist

Formed General Terán, Nuevo León, Mexico

Themes

Patriotic · Medal of Honor · VC · K.I.A.

In collections

Latin & Central American, & Caribbean Music · Mexican-American / Hispanic Songs · US 'Patriotic' / Pro-Government / Anti-Protest Songs [War Years]