Letter to Hanoi

Annotation

The country music song "Letter to Hanoi" (IPI Records # 1) by Don Holiman & The Sky Pilot Choir dealt with the P.O.W. issue. This record received a minor reference in Billboard magazine on 7 August 1971, in reference to a distribution story: "Pickwick International will release nationwide all products of IPI Records...the first record to be released under the new agreement is Don Holliman's recording of his own composition 'A Letter to Hanoi'."1 - the article spelt his name "Holliman" in contrast to the single, which went with "Holiman". This may be the country musician who released some singles in Nashville around 1973.2 He narrated it from the perspective of a US postman. A boy gave him a letter, which said "Dear Mr. Hanoi...I'll be nine years old in a month...you have my daddy". He wanted Hanoi to let him have some contact with his father. The song also contained a patriotic element. The boy's mother explained why his father went to war: "he loved his country and knew his duty". Composed by G. Wells and A. Davis. Produced by Joe Harrelson.Sources1Billboard, 7 August 1971↩2google.co.uk↩

Annotation by Justin A. Brummer

Annotation — P.O.W. / M.I.A. Songs

The country music song "Letter to Hanoi" (IPI Records # 1) by Don Holiman & The Sky Pilot Choir dealt with the P.O.W. issue. This record received a minor reference in Billboard magazine on 7 August 1971, in reference to a distribution story: "Pickwick International will release nationwide all products of IPI Records...the first record to be released under the new agreement is Don Holliman's recording of his own composition 'A Letter to Hanoi'."1 - the article spelt his name "Holliman" in contrast to the single, which went with "Holiman". This may be the country musician who released some singles in Nashville around 1973.2 He narrated it from the perspective of a US postman. A boy gave him a letter, which said "Dear Mr. Hanoi...I'll be nine years old in a month...you have my daddy". He wanted Hanoi to let him have some contact with his father. The song also contained a patriotic element. The boy's mother explained why his father went to war: "he loved his country and knew his duty". Composed by G. Wells and A. Davis. Produced by Joe Harrelson. Sources1Billboard, 7 August 1971↩2google.co.uk↩

Annotation by Justin A. Brummer

Lyrics

English: A little boy came up to me today, said please Mr. Postman mail this for me / I took his humble paper to see where it should go / As I smoothed out the wrinkles this is what I saw / 'Dear Mr. Hanoi, my name is Billy Brown / I'll be nine years old in a month or two / Mama says you have my daddy, so I'm writing to ask a favour of you / We write to daddy real often because we love him and miss him so / We don't hear from him but he still loves us... / I was only six years old when he left and I don't understand why he left that day / But mummy said he loved his country and knew his duty... / I prayer for daddy in my prayers each night... / You know Mr. Hanoi, I even say a prayer for you / Ask god to bless you and see the wrong you do...' / There were tear in my eyes as I read those last lines

Notes

IPI Records IPI 1 (IPI 1 - A), yellow "Promotion Copy – Not for Sale" label with a globe logo, "Distributed by P I P Records • A Division of Pickwick International, Inc."; "Letter to Hanoi" (G. Wells & A. Davis), time 3:00, Beatrix Music & Mourbar Music (ASCAP); producer IPI Productions - Joe Harrelson. [From the record sleeve and labels]

About the artist

Don Holiman was an American country singer and bass player, described on Discogs as originally from Southern California, who worked with The Detours and The Boondockers. 'Letter to Hanoi' was issued on the IPI label (IPI 1) in 1971 with the Sky Pilot Choir. [Source: Discogs; RCS (Rockin' Country Style)]

Themes

P.O.W. · Patriotic · Soldier's Perspective

In collections

P.O.W. / M.I.A. Songs · US 'Patriotic' / Pro-Government / Anti-Protest Songs [War Years]