The Cricket Lament


[un] Official song of the 23rd TASS, Written in the NKP Oh-Club bar on April 16, 1966 by a few FACs. Sung to the "Wabash Cannonball" (click for music)

 

Flying down Mugia at fifteen hundred feet,
Hear that mighty engine that's holding up my seat,
Spied a big ten-wheeler a-moving down the pass,
Called in for some fighters to jump right on his ass.

Invert, Invert, Invert, this is Gombey Sixty Nine,
I gotta get some fighters so please stay on the line.
Guess you cannot hear me, it's the same thing every time,
Think I'll call up Cricket, they always read me fine.

I got a flight of fighters, a bunch of mighty Thuds,
Also got some Phantoms, loaded down with duds.
I hope that you can find me, I'm right behind the Karst,
Here's a TACAN radial-shove it up your ARST.

Finally got together, amidst the smoke and haze,
Took about an hour, but seemed more like two days.
Rolled in on my marking pass and fired a Willie Pete,
Hit that mother broadside, it was a sterling feat.

Sorry 'bout that target, please hold high and dry,
I only meant to mark it, but hit it on the fly,
I've got another target; it's further down the road,
Defended by quad-fifties; better salvo all your load.

They rolled-in on the target, there were tracers all aglow,
Sorry 'bout your BDA, I think I'd better go,
If it's like the last time, you missed it by a mile,
Accidentally hit a truck park, now grin a shitty smile.

Now listen to the rumble, the rattle and the roar,
You dropped those 750s right on that dirty whore,
Watch those secondaries, a-risin' in the sky,
Lead is calling bingo, but four knows it's a lie.

Gotta head for homeplate, the weather's getting bad,
A strong and gusty crosswind and man my Spad's been had,
My tanks were reading empty, the fence was not in sight,
My wingman called for Jolly Green, Much to my delight.

As I was comin' cross the fence, found Sandy on my wing,
It made me feel so God dam good, I felt I had to sing.
Naked Fanny Tower, this is Gombey 69,
Turning on the downwind, but things don't look too fine.

Clear that God dam PSP, my engine has just quit,
If I don't get it on the ground, I think that I will shit.
Rolled out on the final, pulled the stick clear aft,
Stalled it in from 15 feet and damn near broke my shaft.

Came to rest out in the sod, the ground loop did its stuff,
I stepped out very smartly and fell right on my duff;
Now this ends my story, you've heard my tale of woe,
But I guess that it was worth it-Old Ho just went FIGMO!

 

Notes from Bill Tilton:

1.  Those Phantoms with duds were from carriers--Navy had faulty fuses at that time.
2.  In the early months we always got our fighters from Invert GCI site; Cricket control was a new idea for a few hours each day;  I take no credit for writing this, but belted it out quite a few times--I think John Taylor was ring-leader. 


The Nimrod Song


On November 20, 1966, four Cricket FACs wrote this in honor of Project Eagle.  Woke up ops officer (Joe Kittinger, I think) to sing it to him. Sung to the music of "Ghostriders of the Sky."

 

An old truck driver got the word
One dark and rainy night
That he would have to drive the trail
Without a beam of light
He knew that Uncle Ho Chi Minh
Would be so proud of him
So he loaded up his P-O-L
And headed out of Vinh

[chorus]
Nimrods, Nimrods, truck killers of the night

He rattled down Mugia Pass
There was no turning back
He had to find a truck park soon
To hide from Cricket FACs
When all at once a Nimrod flare
Lit the sky like day
He felt the sudden chill of fear
As it drifted down his way

Nimrods, Nimrods, truck killers of the night

The Nimrods bombed and strafed and flared and blew
That F*c*k*r Up........

 

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