Ann Margaret and Johnny Rivers
USO Show Chu Lai 1966.

While looking for photos (for another section) in the Internet archives, I came upon this one, which has a story attending it. First, the photo. This is a picture of Ms. Margaret singing while sitting on the stage (center). Johnny Rivers is behind her. His band is in the back somewhere.

I had duty in MAG36 (Marine Air Group 36 - Helicopters) Group S-3 (operations) and wasn't going to be able to see Ms. Margaret's performance. My friends LCPL Wolf and another LCPL left hours early so as to get a seat. They departed laughing at me because I was not going to get to see the sexy actress and singer and they were. This was a great prize for anyone able to attend her show. But more than that in 1966 Marine Corps, Chu Lai, Vietnam, just being able to be close to the vamp was a sign of obvious sexual virility and prowess, and not being able to attend her performance denoted impotence, a mark of demasculation. My persona was in deep trouble with this luck of the work roster draw.

No matter. Getting off duty much later, I hurried over to the hill anyway where she was to sing hoping to at least hear her. I had done the same with the Bob Hope Christmas Show 1965. But there I found a tree that I climbed and from which I had viewed his show, at the time and ever since, the greatest entertainment moment on earth. But there was no tree here this time at Ms. Margaret's performance and the crowd overflowed back up over the ridge, precluding any visibility at all of the stage. Plus, MPs or SPs were guarding the perimeter stopping anyone else from trying to get in.

While standing there, a mita (mini or small) jeep pulling a trailer loaded with suitcases and things showed up. While the gestapo was looking the other way, I just raised up and fell back into the trailer. It was let in and as it passed the cops asked if I was the detail for carrying Mrs. Margaret's luggage. I nodded yes and they passed the jeep, trailer, baggage and me through the mob.

When we got to the stage, everyone else was cleared away and I was escorted with her luggage in my hands up the stairs and onto the stage , then to her small dressing room where I smiled at her and put her stuff down. She smiled at me in a very nice way. She was the first woman with round eyes I had seen since Mr. Hope's show. I returned to get more suitcases which turned out to be Mr. Rivers' and his band's instruments. 

It took about 4 trips. But I carried everything up and onto the stage and to their location, which was on the right side from the audience's perspective. As I crossed the middle of the platform, my friends who had left earlier and were in the audience, having been there for hours, and who were sitting about 25 yards out started yelling at me in disbelief that I was up there on the stage. Everybody started laughing as I said (yelled) something back to them. I think I told them that she had personally asked for me to carry her luggage. Everybody was laughing in the audience and it was much fun.

I then got a front row seat which was at the corner of the stage to her right where she is sitting in this photo. Then the producer and Mr. Rivers said that she and he wanted me to be the one selected for her to sing to, and then with whom she would dance. I declined as was too shy for such an honor.

There is more to this. But this should suffice to tell my story of meeting Ann Margaret and Johnny Rivers at Chu Lai in the Summer of 1966 at a time when as it was for us, the war was winding down. I left for home I think within the month.

Jesse "Skip" Collins (class of 1964)
Semper Fi

Skip,

What a story and experience, you also tell it so well. I am going to have to think long and hard and I am not sure I have ever had an experience as moving as yours. I will think and I do have a couple but not while I was in the army. I really enjoy listing to the songs and I know at the time you were over there and listing it must have felt like a dream. Heck I have not had dreams that good. I know it was and experience you will never forget and one that few people have, thanks for sharing with us all. I am looking forward to anyone who will let us know about there adventures. I do have many more but I am going to read and think about yours a few more times.

Rodney

Thanks my good Vietnam War era veteran friend. I meant to tell you when we talked on the video chat system that I admire you for volunteering for the Special Forces and Rangers when you didn't have to do that stuff. They were top notch units. I even have a Ranger - Marine training comparison story I told upon request to a swabby who was even younger than me on an LST in another - January, 1966, - South China Sea storm. He wanted to know the difference between Marine Corps and US Army Ranger training, which I told him of course. And you will need to hear that explanation - later (Here is the link to that story which I'm adding in a different time). But your trying to get into those units with those extra distinguished guys is the Rodney Pine I used to know on Westbury's football team. Courage and dedication to the rest of us, never stopping, fast as lightning, strong as a horse when even wounded with that shoulder injury, and never say die. You were our starting halfback and leading ground gainer in the city.  I remember in all our afternoon practices over the years your constantly coming through that line and being tough, tough, tough, the most difficult of all our backs to bring down. Your only competition for fierceness was Cunningham. But where he hit direct, head up, and hard., not to mention again, again and again, you were so fast that even on contact, you'd be there at the instant of collision and then not, sliding, always churning and speeding away. Hell, like the loss of Woodall in 62, if you hadn't gotten hurt in our senior season, we'd have won state.

As always are my sentiments for you and the rest of our magnificent Westbury High School veterans serving during that war, "Welcome home Brother!"