Page 1 of 1

Johnny Cash in Service/Photo...?

Posted: Fri Feb 03, 2006 1:50 pm
by Nordwest
When Johnny Cash graduated from high school in 1950, there was no question of his going to college. The Korean War was raging, and he enlisted in the United States Air Force. He was serving with the Air Force in Germany when he bought his very first guitar.
Source: http://www.achievement.org/autodoc/page/cas0bio-1

I am looking for a Photo of Mr. Cash in Uniform...?

Thanks!

Image


Michael

Posted: Fri Feb 03, 2006 4:30 pm
by Doktor Krollspell
Hello Michael!

Did you know that Johnny Cash's first band was the "Landsberg Barbarians"? Formed in Germany from US Airforce servicemen! Here's a good link with much details of his military service: http://www.chuckhawks.com/man_in_blue.htm

Image
http://www.history-of-rock.com/johnny_cash.htm


Regards,

Krollspell

Posted: Fri Feb 03, 2006 4:50 pm
by Nordwest
Doktor Krollspell wrote:Hello Michael!
Did you know that Johnny Cash's first band was the "Landsberg Barbarians"? Formed in Germany from US Airforce servicemen! Here's a good link with much details of his military service: http://www.chuckhawks.com/man_in_blue.htm
Image
http://www.history-of-rock.com/johnny_cash.htm
Regards,
Krollspell
Two great Links, thanks Dok!

To sorry, the Photo is very small, Cash and my Father were borne in the same Year, both served in the Air Force, in Germany.

Pop went to Korea, as a Pilot, in the 1960s to Vietnam, Cash went into Music, he did better...! :(

Thanks anyway!


Michael

Posted: Sat Feb 04, 2006 1:11 pm
by Landser
I remember Johnny Cash being a A/2c
with a Hillbilly band on AFN Munich
on their daily "Hillbilly Guesthouse" program in the 50ties.
I used to work for Special Services in Munich which handled bands like this for various assignments with the troops.
His group had several appearances
in the area which we managed and supported by providing transportation etc.They usually were on TDY while with us.
I only faintly remember,we usually had problems rounding them up in the later stages.Some had to be dragged out of bars to meet their obligations,till one day they all went packing because of their unreliability.

Posted: Sat Feb 04, 2006 2:36 pm
by Nordwest
Thanks to You, Landser, for sharing the nice Memories. :D

I am a Fan of Cash for more than 30 Years, the Day he passed away in 2003, was a very sad Day to me.

"The Man Comes Around", from the Year 2002, what an Album... :(

Image

R.I.P. Johnny


Michael

Posted: Sat Feb 04, 2006 2:57 pm
by Nordwest
And this, to me personally, and many other People worldwide, was his most famous Song:

Man In Black

Well, you wonder why I always dress in black,
Why you never see bright colors on my back,
And why does my appearance seem to have a somber tone.
Well, there's a reason for the things that I have on.

I wear the black for the poor and the beaten down,
Livin' in the hopeless, hungry side of town,
I wear it for the prisoner who has long paid for his crime,
But is there because he's a victim of the times.

I wear the black for those who never read,
Or listened to the words that Jesus said,
About the road to happiness through love and charity,
Why, you'd think He's talking straight to you and me.

Well, we're doin' mighty fine, I do suppose,
In our streak of lightnin' cars and fancy clothes,
But just so we're reminded of the ones who are held back,
Up front there ought 'a be a Man In Black.

I wear it for the sick and lonely old,
For the reckless ones whose bad trip left them cold,
I wear the black in mournin' for the lives that could have been,
Each week we lose a hundred fine young men.

And, I wear it for the thousands who have died,
Believen' that the Lord was on their side,
I wear it for another hundred thousand who have died,
Believen' that we all were on their side.

Well, there's things that never will be right I know,
And things need changin' everywhere you go,
But 'til we start to make a move to make a few things right,
You'll never see me wear a suit of white.

Ah, I'd love to wear a rainbow every day,
And tell the world that everything's OK,
But I'll try to carry off a little darkness on my back,
'Till things are brighter, I'm the Man In Black.

(Johnny Cash)

Posted: Sat Feb 04, 2006 6:13 pm
by Stalingrad
I've been a fan of Johnny Cash for three years (Since I was 12). Remember when I first heard "Folsom Prison Blues", and all those other songs:) I really fell in love with that "boom-chicka" sound he had in the 50's with the Tennessee Two(later Tennessee Three). I've never heard any Landsberg Barbarians recordings. It was my Opa who made me interested in this music. He had some CD:s and older records, for example the 1969 "Hello, I'm Johnny Cash". And now I'm a fan of many other country artists, like Bob Wills, Adolph Hofner, Hank Williams Sr, Jr, and III, Jimmie Rodgers, Ernest Tubb (really loves his voice), and alot other of those guys. I aslo like more recent artist who play traditional style, like Wayne Hancock and earlier said Hank III. Saw "Walk the Line" for two days ago, and I really love that movie. I really love my music, and I'm glad to see that there are Johnny Cash fans here at the forum:)


R.I.P Johnny Cash.

I Walk the Line

I keep a close watch on this heart of mine
I keep my eyes wide open all the time.
I keep the ends out for the tie that binds
Because you're mine,
I walk the line

I find it very, very easy to be true
I find myself alone when each day is through
Yes, I'll admit I'm a fool for you
Because you're mine,
I walk the line

As sure as night is dark and day is light
I keep you on my mind both day and night
And happiness I've known proves that it's right
Because you're mine,
I walk the line

You've got a way to keep me on your side
You give me cause for love that I can't hide
For you I know I'd even try to turn the tide
Because you're mine,
I walk the line
(Johnny Cash)

Posted: Thu Feb 09, 2006 7:17 am
by Lorenz
Landser wrote:
I remember Johnny Cash being a A/2c
with a Hillbilly band on AFN Munich
on their daily "Hillbilly Guesthouse" program in the 50ties.
Do your words ever bring back some great memories. I would be hard-pressed to recall a morning that I didn't hear the twangy chorus from "Fräulein, Fräulein" (can't remember the artist) over AFN Frankfurt's Hillbilly Gasthaus back in those same 1950's that you referred to. It was the Hillbilly Gasthaus theme tune and they played it about once every half-hour, it seems.

Another surprise for me was on the link concerning Johnny's military service in that he was a radio intercept operator for the USAFSS. They only took the best of the best because of the extreme security clearance requirements. We used to say that only 18-year-old virgin native Americans who had never been off the reservation could pass the background security investigation, which took 12 to 15 months to complete. At the time, a Top Secret Category 6 clearance was about as high as it went. They could not marry a foreign national and they could not travel within 25 miles of the Iron Curtain. They were even discouraged from having German girlfriends, and those who worked in cryptanalysis were outright forbidden from having German girlfriends. If you broke the rules, they pulled your clearance and booted you out of the USAFSS.

--Lorenz
Mannheim-Feudenheim 1958-59

Posted: Thu Feb 09, 2006 8:22 am
by Landser
Lorenz
To be honest, at the time when I met Johnny C. I did not really know or think of him being somebody special.He was one of many "artists" or bands I've seen in the area.

The Hillbilly Gasthaus program was on every working day at 3 pm for 30 minutes.It was a rotating production between different AFN studios in Europe.Sometimes in Munich they had to replay previous broadcasts when for some reason or other the scheduled ones were not showing up.

PS I didn't know of AF having anything in Mannheim then?

Posted: Thu Feb 09, 2006 8:42 am
by Lorenz
Landser wrote:
PS I didn't know of AF having anything in Mannheim then?
Yer right. There was no USAF in or around Mannheim. There was an Army airfield at Coleman Barracks in Mannheim-Sandhofen for L3/L5 liaison Piper Cub - type aircraft, but no Air Force. The nearest USAF installation was in Darmstadt, and that was USAFSS.

At the time, I was in an Ordnance direct support battalion that belonged to 7th Army. We ran a big ordnance depot in Mannheim-Feudenheim.

Where were you in Munich? At Henry Kaserne/Barracks?

Posted: Thu Feb 09, 2006 9:34 am
by Landser
Lorenz
I was not active in the service then.Just working as a civilan with Special Services at SAC Hq (Southern Area Command USA) at the McGraw Kaserne in München,the former Reichszeugmeisterei.


But did serve in USAF 57-61 mostly MATS at Rhein-Main.

Posted: Thu Feb 09, 2006 10:13 am
by Lorenz
That's interesting, Landser. Civilian employee first then military service. Usually it's the other way around. It sounds like you were there in the mid-fifties and perhaps even a bit before that. In Feb '58 when I arrived in Mannheim, there was still a lot of damage in parts of the city. Entire sections had been bombed out were just block after block of cratered cellars and empty lots piled high with debris. It was very depressing since it was a cold and overcast February. Later, we used to refer to that part of Mannheim as "the moonscape." Of course, it's all restored and built up again into a thriving city, but I'll never forget the Mannheim of 1958.

Posted: Tue Apr 18, 2006 5:25 pm
by Luftman129
For those of you interested, a couple of mp3s of Johnny Cash singing in German have just come to light at the yahoo group Johnny_Cash (http://launch.groups.yahoo.com/group/Jo ... =124208281). It sure is a great treat to hear them! :D

Thanks,
Chris