Vietnam Vets
1983 · Upstart UP 001 · Los Angeles, California
- Artist
- Circle One
- Title
- Vietnam Vets
- Release
- Patterns of Force
- Year
- 1983
- Label
- Upstart # UP 001
- Format
- Album
- Language
- English
- Country
- Los Angeles, California, USA
- Genre
- Punk · Punk
- Primary theme
- Post-War
Annotation
Hardcore Punk group, formed in 1980 in Los Angeles, California, USA. Members imcluded: John Macias (vocals), Michael Vallejo (guitar), Mike Ituarte (bass), Bill Ituarte (drums), Danny Dorman (bass), Jody "D.J." Hill (drums), Omar (vocals), and Nick Manning (drums). The song "Vietnam Vets" (Upstart Records # UP 001) of course looked at the experience of the Vietnam veteran, which included familiar lines about Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) - frequently referenced in post-war 1980s songs about US veterans, often connected in songs to stress, shell shock, flashbacks, nostalgia, and feelings and dreams related to an event: "Flashbacks, jitters another nightmare". It noted that the vets did not receive a heroes welcome, with parades etc, as seen after World War Two, and often noted in songs: "came back with no glory... a war the people want to forget". The song criticised the US and Russia for being imperialistic: "the U.S. and Russia are almost the same, leaders of the imperialist game". The song also made reference to "gook" - a racist, derogatory name for the Vietnamese, used by US soldiers during the Vietnam War, and often featured in cultural representations, such as in…
Annotation by Justin A. Brummer
About the artist
American hardcore band formed circa 1980 in Los Angeles, California. [Source: Wikipedia]
Themes
Anti-Government · Combat · Gook · PTSD · Vet · WW2 · Anti-Asian Racism