Oh Danny Boy - Poem

For Danny Lepper - a dear friend.

Oh Danny Boy the pipes the pipes are calling
The pigs are safe on that mountain side
Yes we were young and mad to go a hunting
Oh Danny Boy Oh Danny Boy so long ago

Oh Danny Boy the training we did follow
From old NZ to Terendak
Through good and bad we came out for the better
Brave soldiers we were off to fight in Vietnam

Remember the Dat, Old Vungers and the Badcoe Club
The Long Green, the Horse Shoe and Dat Do
The Long Hai’s were pumbled by the B-5-2s
Oh Danny Boy Oh Danny Boy I remember well

Oh Danny Boy I remember I was told
To stay behind and not go on patrol
You all went out and only just a few came back
O Danny Boy Oh Danny Boy it haunts me so

O Danny Boy you were the only one
To bid me well for all those whom we had lost
Yes you were there and saw it all unfold
Oh Danny Boy Oh Danny Boy the price of war

Remember Long Binh, the Hat Dic and old Xuan Mok
And the Cav mobiles that we did ride
The patrols we did to find the enemy
Oh Danny Boy Oh Danny Boy I’m growing old

Richard Hamon, W2 Coy, 1968-69