Incoming

Annotation

1969 Vietnam War song "Incoming", recorded on personal tape in Vietnam, performed and written by Emily Strange, an American Red Cross Donut Dolly with the 9th Infantry Division and Mobile Riverine Force in Vietnam (1968-69) and Barbara Hager of the US Army Special Services - Dong Tam, Vietnam (1969).1 Emily Strange passed away in 2016, and Barabara Hagar in 2017. This rare and unique recording of active service females performing a song in Vietnam, was given from Emily Strange to the editor of the Vietnam War Song Project, Justin Brummer, to post the song on YouTube, and to Hugo Kessing, for use in his book chapter "Understanding the Vietnam Era Through Music" (2013). Emily Strange wrote on 11 November 2011, "I never care about making money with my writings or songs. The people most interested are those who served in Nam and students writing reports for school. Nam Vets long ago paid the price for my songs and students need to understand the war". The VWSP passed the song onto Erin R. McCoy, Associate Professor of English at the University of South Carolina Beaufort, for her book "A War Tour of Viet Nam: A Cultural History" (McFarland & Company, 2021). McCoy notes on p.102-03: "the duo recorded the song on tape, and Emily... had sent Dr. Brummer a copy. 'Incoming' features acoustic guitar and vocals and is hauntingly pretty... The particulars of 'Incoming' confirm that this is a war song created in the midst of war... Strange and Hagar... bemoan their decision to go to Viet Nam, using wit to describe their good-hearted motivations... They simultaneously convey lightness (via gallows humor) and weariness at the constant sirens and mortar shelling.... Their song offers us a momentary glimpse into the life of an American woman's role in a combat zone in Vietnam".2 Sources1emilydd.com (archived copy)↩2google.com: A War Tour of Viet Nam↩

Annotation by Justin A. Brummer

Annotation — US Military & Veteran Songs

1969 Vietnam War song "Incoming", recorded on personal tape in Vietnam, performed and written by Emily Strange, an American Red Cross Donut Dolly with the 9th Infantry Division and Mobile Riverine Force in Vietnam (1968-69) and Barbara Hager of the US Army Special Services - Dong Tam, Vietnam (1969).1 Emily Strange passed away in 2016, and Barabara Hagar in 2017. This rare and unique recording of active service females performing a song in Vietnam, was given from Emily Strange to the editor of the Vietnam War Song Project, Justin Brummer, to post the song on YouTube, and to Hugo Kessing, for use in his book chapter "Understanding the Vietnam Era Through Music" (2013). Emily Strange wrote on 11 November 2011, "I never care about making money with my writings or songs. The people most interested are those who served in Nam and students writing reports for school. Nam Vets long ago paid the price for my songs and students need to understand the war". The VWSP passed the song onto Erin R. McCoy, Associate Professor of English at the University of South Carolina Beaufort, for her book "A War Tour of Viet Nam: A Cultural History" (McFarland & Company, 2021). McCoy notes on p.102-03: "the duo recorded the song on tape, and Emily... had sent Dr. Brummer a copy. 'Incoming'" "features acoustic guitar and vocals and is hauntingly pretty... The particulars of 'Incoming' confirm that this is a war song created in the midst of war... Strange and Hagar... bemoan their decision to go to Viet Nam, using wit to describe their good-hearted motivations... They simultaneously convey lightness (via gallows humor) and weariness at the constant sirens and mortar shelling.... Their song offers us a momentary glimpse into the life of an American woman's role in a combat zone in Vietnam".2 Sources1emilydd.com (archived copy)↩2google.com: A War Tour of Viet Nam↩

Annotation by Justin A. Brummer

Lyrics

English: Incoming, Incoming / Can't you hear those sirens, don't you see those flares / Ol' Charlie's playing games again / Incoming, Incoming / Grab your poncho liner and cigarettes and bring a friend / I applied for Vietnam, a weak moment understand / Came over here to build morale in this never - never land / They briefed us on the monsoon rains and the Mekong Delta dust / But they didn't mention one damn word / About the mortars fired at us / Standing in the shower stall, the water's trickling slow / The dogs are staring at your bod and the bugs put on a show / You're all soaped up and getting clean / You're scrubbing down your back / Then the siren blasts, the MP yells, it's another damned attack / To be awakened in the dark of night is really quite a strain / Those funny sounds like thunder from an early morning rain / The sudden realization and both feet hit the floor / I`m headin' up and I'm movin' out, but I can't unlock the door

About the artist

Emily Strange, an American Red Cross Donut Dollie (Donut Dolly) attached to the 9th Infantry Division and the Mobile Riverine Force in the Mekong Delta, 1968-69, and Barbara Hager of US Army Special Services at Dong Tam, 1969. Emily Strange was based at Dong Tam and worked across the delta, at Ambush Alley, Vinh Kim, Tan An, Tan Tru, Rach Kien, Tiger's Lair, Fire Support Base Danger and Phu Quoc Island. 'Incoming' was recorded in country and was never commercially released; the recording and the photographs are used with Emily Strange's permission. [Source: Emily Strange's website Emily…

Themes

Soldier's Perspective · Military · In Country · Red Cross Donut Dolly

In collections

US Military & Veteran Songs