Stories of service in Music and Prose – Army and Coast Guard
Dale Throneberry hosts our guests:
- George Meldrum – Vietnam Infantryman, 1968-1972
- Chuck Jones – Nashville Songwriter and Performer
- Capt. Steven J. Craig (ret) – Coast Guard Reserves, author of “All Present and Accounted For”
- Jack Hunter – Gunners Mate on the Cutter Jarvis
- Richard Brunke – Seaman on the Cutter Jarvis
Music and Prose - February 5, 2023
“Whiskey on Your Stone” with veteran Meldrum and songwriter Jones
Army Infantryman George Meldrum – Vietnam 1968-1972
The information below is from George.
I was playing drums and doing vocals in a blues band when I was drafted in May of 1968. That was before the lottery and I was surprised one day at the mailbox with the letter ordering me to report to the induction center.
I have no pictures of me or James O’Banion, the “buddy” for which this song was inspired. There was a very low point in my life where I didn’t want to think about the war and I got rid of everything; including every picture I had. After serving a little less than 4 years I briefly returned to performing music. However, that ended when I had to sell my drums to support a move to Salem, Oregon.
50 years later I started playing and performing again and currently perform locally doing a wide variety of music.
Video Production Planned for Spring 2023
I am planing a video that will be shot at the Riverside National Cemetery in the spring when colors and lighting are best, the funding for which I’m providing myself.
I also must say that one of the reasons I was motivated to get involved with this project is that there is an epidemic of suicides among veterans currently going on in this country that’s so terrible. Some of this involves what they call “survivors remorse” which is kind of what the song is about. If this song and the video can help shed more light on this problem, I would feel like it was well worth all the effort.
CHUCK JONES
Chuck Jones’ compositions embody the spirit and soul of his hometown, Memphis, TN. He has had songs recorded by artists as diverse as Patti Labelle, Ronnie Milsap, Shelby Lynne, Chris Ledoux, The Fabulous Thunderbirds, Charlie Daniels, Deana Carter, Reba McEntire, and Peter Cetera.
John Berry’s version of “Your Love Amazes Me” hit the #1 spot and also won Song Of The Year from the Country Radio Music Awards and the Music City News Country Songwriter Awards. Chuck has also had #1’s with Diamond Rio’s “Love A Little Stronger” and Billy Dean’s “It’s What I Do”.
Chuck has had over 140 songs recorded, multiple top ten singles, and various other charting singles on country and pop radio during his tenure in Nashville. He recently started his own publishing company, Jonesin’ For A Hit LLC, which has garnered recordings on a variety of artists ranging from Montgomery Gentry and Trace Adkins to Rascal Flatts, Jake Owen, and Randy Houser. He resides in Nashville.
Lyrics and MP3 Links
Lead Singer George Meldrum – Whiskey On Your Stone – mix 4
Lead Singer Chuck Jones – Whiskey On Your Stone mix1
Whiskey On Your Stone
Remember when we landed it was humid it was hot
Four day operations, we were walking point a lot
Humping through the jungle, how thirsty it got
Man do you remember
Remember when we’d stop, set up for the night
Spread out in a circle, hope the moon don’t get too bright
Prayin’ it don’t rain, just waitin’ for the light
Man do you remember
Been a while now since I talked to you
‘Bout all the crazy times ‘we had
All the hell that we walked through
The good, the ugly, and the bad
Can’t share this stuff with no one else
I don’t like talkin’ to myself
And you know I don’t like to drink alone
So here I am again – pourin’ whiskey on your stone
Remember all the dreams we shared over coffee and some spam
You were gonna drive for NASCAR, I’d be a music man
When we got back to the world, we sure had big plans
Man do you remember
Often times I think about the way that day went down
If I’d been standin’ where you were, I’d be layin’ in that ground
But that ain’t how it happened and there ain’t no peace I’ve found
But it hurts me to remember
Been a while now since I talked to you
‘Bout all the crazy times ‘we had
All the hell that we walked through
The good, the ugly, and the bad
Can’t share this stuff with no one else
I don’t like talkin’ to myself
And you know I don’t like to drink alone
So here I am again – pourin’ whiskey on your stone
CREDITS
Written by Army Veteran George Meldrum with Operation Song Writer Chuck Jones
Released December 1, 2020
Operation Song Has Produced Over 1,000 Songs to Date
There has never been, nor will there ever be, a charge to any veteran or family member for our services. It is our honor to serve those who have served.
For More Information: www.OperationSong.org
“All Present and Accounted For”
It was late November—one of the coldest periods to be on a ship near Alaska. The Coast Guard Cutter Jarvis had run aground during a severe storm and was taking on water. The engine room flooded, disabling the engines. Mountainous seas and gale force winds pounded the Jarvis, and to make matters worse, the ship was floating toward a rocky coastline that would surely destroy it and probably kill most, if not all, of the men.
The ship’s captain ordered an emergency message be sent to the Seventeenth Coast Guard District Office in Juneau requesting Coast Guard assistance. But there were no Coast Guard assets near enough to provide immediate help.
At 7:04 p.m., for one of the few times in Coast Guard history, a MAYDAY call for help would come from a Coast Guard vessel.
This is the incredible story of the grounding and near sinking of the USCGC Jarvis and how her crew fought to save their ship—and themselves—from disaster.
About Captain Craig
Steven Craig is a retired Coast Guard Reserve Captain with over 38 years of both active and reserve service. He is also a retired Postmaster with the U.S. Postal Service. During his period of Coast Guard service, he actively participated with Hurricanes Katrina and Ike, the 2010 Haiti earthquake port recovery planning, the 9/11 response in Seattle, APEC maritime security planning in Honolulu, 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles, and the Deepwater Horizon oil spill response to name a few. Prior to his commissioning, Craig held the rank of senior chief petty officer in the Coast Guard.
He holds a Master’s degree in Emergency Management and has held associated jobs with federal, state, college, county, and local agencies. Steven Craig previously taught as a professor at a university in Italy and has spoken at several disaster conferences including in Rome, Italy.
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