Richard Campos

Annotation — Mexican-American / Hispanic Songs

"Richard Campos", an obscure Mexican-American Vietnam War song from California, which also appeared under the name "Corrido de Ricardo Campos". It became more prominent and well-known after its inclusion in the Vietnam War Songbook, published in 1969 by Barbara Dane and Irwin Silber, which contained 100 Vietnam War songs.1234 Dane recorded a version of the song on the album FTA!: Songs of the GI Resistance (Paredon Records # P-1003) called "Ballad of Richard Campos", discussed above. The song detailed the mistreatment of a Mexican-American soldier, K.I.A. in Vietnam: "dead at twenty-seven...killed far away in Viet Nam". The body lay unclaimed at the airport. It called on people to honor him: "for this Mexican boy, let America honor his name". The narrator pondered if he would be treated this way if he had not died. The song also questioned why someone should have to kill for their country, thus presenting anti-war sentiment. This song is based on the true story of Richard F. Campos56 Daniel Valdez was born 27 April 1949 in California, USA. His brother, Luis Valdez founded the Teatro Campesino in 1965, a Mexican-American theatrical group. There are two other records about Campos on this list: El corrido de Ricardo Campos by Los Reyes de Albuquerque, and El soldado huerfanito (Homenaje al Sgt. Richard Campos) by Los Conquistadores. Sources1The Vietnam Songbook: About the Book↩2digitalrepository.unm.edu↩3Raza Si, Guerra No (Lorena Oropeza, 2005)↩4Bodies at War (Belinda Linn Rincón, 2017)↩5Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund: RICHARD F CAMPOS↩6The Virtual Wall: Richard Frederick Campos↩

Annotation by Justin A. Brummer

Lyrics

English: In a terminal in Oakland, lies a brown body of a man / Dead at twenty-seven, dead and gone to heaven / Killed far away in Viet Nam / So they ship you back to where you came from / Like a dummy you were tucked around in an aeroplane / Back to the hell from which you tried to escape / Back to the so-called free United States / But, should a man, should he have to kill in order to live like a human being in this country?... / You've never had an old man / And your mother died just trying to keep you alive / Year after year she worked so hard and long / The money she made was never quite enough... / Welcome home Richard Campos, welcome home / Welcome home to a hero's grave / You had died and you had killed and destroyed / Now let to be weeping for this Mexican boy / Let America honor his name, but should a man, should he have to kill in order to live like a human being in this country?... / They will come Richard Campos, they will come... / For your body soon / Your military fathers will pay their respects... / They will bury you this afternoon... / You are dead Richard Campos, you are gone... / If you never would have died would they treat you the same? / Or they'd send you on your way with a medal stuck in your hand / Saying: thank you boy...you have paid your debt to Uncle Sam"

About the artist

Born 27 April 1949 in California, USA.

Themes

K.I.A. · Anti-War

In collections

Mexican-American / Hispanic Songs · Peace, Protest, & Anti-War Songs [War Years]