2019
4th ANNUAL HISTORY IN THE PARK
Sunday, August 25th, 1:00 pm
at the Deitz Shelter in Leonard-Leota Park
Doug Bradley presented:
WE GOTTA TO GET OUT OF THIS PLACE: THE SOUND TRACK OF THE VIETNAM WAR
“We Gotta Get Out of This Place: The Soundtrack of the Vietnam War” places popular music at the heart of the American experience in Vietnam. The presentation explores how and why U.S. troops turned to music as a way of connecting to each other and the World back home and of coping with the complexities of the war they had been sent to fight. It also demonstrates that music was important for every group of Vietnam veterans—black and white, Latino and Native American; men and women; officers and “grunts”—whose personal reflections drive the book’s narrative.
Doug Bradley is a veteran of the Vietnam war and has written two books, DEROS Vietnam: Dispatches from the Air-Conditioned Jungle and co-authored, with Professor Craig Werner, We Gotta Get Out of This Place: The Soundtrack of the Vietnam War which was named “Best Music Book of 2015” by Rolling Stone magazine. He and Dr. Werner co-taught a very popular class at UW–Madison on the music of the Vietnam War.
Sorry to have missed you! Sunday’s 4th Annual History In The Park event, sponsored by the Evansville Grove Society, was well attended including several local Vietnam Veterans. The Grove Society greatly appreciates your support.
Most started with lunch from BBQ Bob’s Brat Bunker. I can personally recommend the vegetable pasta salad and the bacon wrapped brats. We also heard several rave reviews of the baked beans. They had a little extra something.
The event allowed us to introduce some of our local Vietnam Veterans and thank all our local veterans for their service as well as apologize for the harsh treatment our retuning Vietnam Veterans received. Doug Bradley from UW Badger Talks presented a moving explanation of the music of the era and what it meant to the soldier in Vietnam as well as their families back home. Listening to the music was all the more special because Matt Koser’s volunteered sound system made the music reach us all. Several people and the Grove Society picked up the book “We Gotta Get Out Of This Place: The Soundtrack of the Vietnam War” on which the presentation was based. Doug told many touching stories of interviews with Vietnam Veterans he and professor Craig Werner collected. Those interviews motivated the writing of the book.
One take away from the presentation, after listening to all the familiar songs of the time period, was how pertinent many of them still are to today’s world. Songs of social confusion as well as calls for acceptance and brotherly love. The presentation has definitely caused me to want to find Marvin Gayes album “What’s Going On?”
Overflow crowd with BBQ Bob's Brat Bunker in the background
Presentor Doug Bradley |
Doug Bradley signing books as Matt Koser takes down the sound system |
Dan Stephans, EGS VP, introducing presentor
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