Who Are the Names on the Wall?

Annotation

Double-side Vietnam War single by singer/songwriters Michael J. Martin and Tim Holiday - both were Vietnam War veterans. Martin, born 27 January 27 1949, in Lubbock, Texas, USA. He died on 2 December 2014 in Joelton, Tennessee. He spent 12 months in Vietnam, with the 11th Infantry / American Division, class of '68-'69. He received several medals: Silver and Bronze Stars, Purple Heart, and Combat Infantryman's Badge. Holiday did three tours in Vietnam, with the Navy Corpsman. He lived in Texas, and died in 2000.123 The back of the picture sleeve said: "these songs are dedicated to the memory of those that died and to the recognition of those that served". The b-side "I Ain't Here Alone" dealt with the mistreatment of a veteran, who lost his job. The protagonist didn't need parades etc., just needed to know that he was not alone. It referenced combat conditions, girls on R&R, and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). The song "Who are the names on the Wall?" (Windmill Productions # UR-4324) referred to the memorial wall in Washington D.C. The narrated recalled several of the people he knew, and how they were K.I.A.: "I've seen so many...Don Michael was on that Wall". The narrated noted that "one guy got blown away on his first day". This track also contained PTSD references, such as the veteran "who go back to 'Nam every night, when they're supposed to be asleep". At the end of the song, the narrator concluded with the question: "did it ever really matter at all? Hell yes it mattered".Sources1fundrazr.com↩2Find a Grave: Michael joe martin↩3You Don't Lose 'Til You Quit Trying (Sammy Lee Davis, 2016)↩

Annotation by Justin A. Brummer

Annotation — Veterans Memorial Wall Songs

Double-side Vietnam War single by singer/songwriters Michael J. Martin and Tim Holiday - both were Vietnam War veterans. Martin, born 27 January 27 1949, in Lubbock, Texas, USA. He died on 2 December 2014 in Joelton, Tennessee. He spent 12 months in Vietnam, with the 11th Infantry / American Division, class of '68-'69. He received several medals: Silver and Bronze Stars, Purple Heart, and Combat Infantryman's Badge. Holiday did three tours in Vietnam, with the Navy Corpsman. He lived in Texas, and died in 2000.123 The back of the picture sleeve said: "these songs are dedicated to the memory of those that died and to the recognition of those that served". The b-side "I Ain't Here Alone" dealt with the mistreatment of a veteran, who lost his job. The protagonist didn't need parades etc., just needed to know that he was not alone. It referenced combat conditions, girls on R&R, and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). The song "Who are the names on the Wall?" (Windmill Productions # UR-4324) referred to the memorial wall in Washington D.C. The narrated recalled several of the people he knew, and how they were K.I.A.: "I've seen so many...Don Michael was on that Wall". The narrated noted that "one guy got blown away on his first day". This track also contained PTSD references, such as the veteran "who go back to 'Nam every night, when they're supposed to be asleep". At the end of the song, the narrator concluded with the question: "did it ever really matter at all? Hell yes it mattered". Sources1fundrazr.com↩2Find a Grave: Michael joe martin↩3You Don't Lose 'Til You Quit Trying (Sammy Lee Davis, 2016)↩

Annotation by Justin A. Brummer

Lyrics

English: Who are the names on the Wall? Who are the names on the Wall? / Did it ever really matter at all, Who are the names on the Wall?... / Lord I've seen so many I can find, Don Michael was on that Wall... / There are a lot of names I can't recall, never knew / Everybody had nicknames, Okie, Don... / One guy got blown away on his first day / I never got a chance to meet him... / Who are the names on the Wall? / They were just like me the names on the Wall / Young and foolish, brash and full of bravado, hell a lot of them still virgin... / Could have been my name on the at Wall / It probably is, out of 57,939 names it likely there's a Michael Martin there somewhere... / Don't forget the Holiday...it could have been me, if it weren't for lady luck or sister fate or whatever... / I can see my reflection on the polished granate, the image of myself dead / Who are the names on the Wall? Who are the names on the Wall? / What about the one who came home who goes back to 'Nam every night when they're supposed to be asleep / We ought to have our names on the Wall... / So I'd like to know who among us survivors still survives, cause a lot of them didn't / Thousands, thousands died after they got back / Who are the names on the Wall?... / Did it ever really matter at all? / Hell yes it mattered, it's mattered to me, its effected everything I've ever done since / It mattered to the friends and families... / It mattered to the ones who didn't come back, but left pieces of themselves…

Notes

Windmill Productions UR-4324, pale blue label with windmill logo; A-side "Who Are the Names on the Wall?", © 1982 Michael J. Martin and Tim Holiday, 4:59; B-side "I Ain't Here Alone!", © 1982 Michael J. Martin, 4:14; both Yorkshire Music Co. BMI, produced by Paul Christensen, Michael J. Martin and Tim Holiday, and recorded and mixed at Omega Audio, (214) 350-9066. [From the record sleeve and labels]

About the artist

Veteran singer-songwriter duo. Michael J. Martin, from Ropesville, Texas, served in Vietnam 1968-69 with the Americal Division; with Tim Holiday he performed his album 'Windmill' at the dedication of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C. (1982). Martin founded the veterans organisation The Last Patrol and organised awareness walks - Dallas to the Alamo ('A Journey to Remember') and the Alamo to the Wall (1987) - spotlighting Agent Orange, PTSD, and POW/MIA issues; he later wrote and performed 'Say a Prayer for Me' for a Wounded Warrior Project commercial. Both members are credited…

Themes

Vet · Military · Soldier's Perspective · Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall

In collections

US Military & Veteran Songs · Veterans Memorial Wall Songs