“First Team, First Cav, Black And Yellow Patch”: Pulled From Combat To Sing For The Soldiers

Bill Ellis grew up in the San Francisco area in a large family with three brothers and a sister. His grandfather was a World War I veteran, and his father served in World War II before retiring from the Marine Corps after twenty years. His mother raised the family. Bill always enjoyed music more than school and began writing music in the 7th grade. Early on, his musical inspirations were Duane Eddy and the Ventures. In 1966, his band, Bristol Boxkite, cut a record. His music career was showing promise when he received his draft notice (the band eventually dissolved). Military service was standard in his family, with grandparents and uncles all having done their part when called, and when he received his call to serve, he “was expecting it.” As a young man, he had been following news of the growing war in Vietnam and remembers it as a “dark cloud” hanging over the San Francisco music scene. He shipped off for training at Ft. Lewis, Washington. Having grown up outdoors, shooting and camping, he enjoyed the training. He enjoyed meeting friends in basic training. One of them, Terry, served with him in Vietnam and became a life-long friend. He remembers talking with one of his Drill Sergeants, a Vietnam Veteran, who said he served as a drill sergeant because he wanted to save lives through training the new recruits. He remembers getting ready to deploy to Vietnam, and after saying goodbye to his brothers, sister, and mother, his father, who was normally quite stoic and reserved, hugged him and told him to “come back.” He flew from Oakland on a 707, with stewardesses who were all very kind and sympathetic, and landed in Tan Son Nhut. At Bien Hoa, he was waiting to be assigned to a unit, and thought he was called for the 101st, but it was a different William Ellis. In short order, he found himself in the line for the 1st Cavalry with his buddy, Terry. He joined A Company, 1st Squadron, 5th Cavalry, where he was assigned as an ammo bearer on an M-60 team. He remembers the 1st Cavalry moving to different parts of the country, including the time when the entire division headed south from I Corps to III Corps, eventually settling near the Cambodian border. As an “FNG” (new Soldier in the unit), he recalls everyone looking out for him and watching what he did (including the time he slipped on a muddy bank after crossing a creek and ended up under water). He spent four months in the field as a grunt, from November ’68 to February ’69, before being reassigned. An Information Operations Officer had recorded him singing and playing the guitar at a base camp near Quan Loi, and he was invited to play for “the brass” (MG George Forsythe). He was then given the opportunity to spend the rest of his tour (he extended through the end of 1969) traveling first to all 1st Cavalry basecamps and firebases, and then throughout all of Vietnam as an entertainer, playing guitar and singing for the troops. He wrote several songs, including “Grunt,” “Firefight,” “Freedom Bird,” and “First Cav.” Typically, he caught a chopper to a firebase, sang, talked to the Soldiers, and decided if he was going to spend the night there (sleeping in bunkers or on pallets by the LZ) or catch a bird to the next firebase. An officer in the Cav, J.D. Coleman, managed his schedule, and after the war became something of a second father to Bill. Sometimes, he traveled with Red Cross “Donut Dollies” or USO entertainers. Once he returned to the States to record a soundtrack for a film about the 1st Cavalry Division. He also cut a 45-rpm record that was given to all Soldiers in the division when they DEROS’d (Date of Estimated Return from Overseas). Bill returned from Vietnam himself on December 31, 1969. His family held Christmas for him and gave him a new guitar. He continued to play music after leaving the military, but the changing genre of the disco era limited his opportunities to play and he sought work elsewhere. Bill continued to play his music, and years after Vietnam, he began working on two shows, “Skytrooper” and “Beyond the Wall.” Through these shows, he expressed how he felt about his memories of the war, which also reached other veterans and their families. Sometimes his songs provided a voice to emotions and memories that the veterans did not know how to express, but helped their families understand what they had experienced. For example, his song “I Want To Live” is very graphic and explores raw emotions. Bill is extremely proud of his service and was honored to serve a country he feels so deeply about. In this interview, he talks about his childhood, becoming a musician, his service in Vietnam, and his continued support of the veteran community through song. He describes his service as a grunt in the infantry, noting memorable experiences in the bush. He discusses how his experience changed once he became a singer, and how his music helped improve Soldiers’ morale. He highlights the work he continues to do with his two shows “Skytrooper” and “Beyond the Wall” and what they mean to the veteran community. Finally, he reflects on what his service and the country mean to him.