As was the norm, the locals looked at them oddly while the village kids would dance.
When a song ended, the village chief would ask the people to clap.
It always seemed kind of strange, Linton says.
Rick Linton on trumpet, Lloyd Rainey on guitar, and William “Butch” Nevious on drums working late on their song list after guard duty at Camp Eagle in 1968.William “Butch” Nevious
Im not aware of any specific instances of that, OBrien says, but it would not surprise me.
They needed a drummer, they said, and Nevious quickly signed on.
In search of a band name, they tapped into a bit of Illinois lore.
It made sense, at least to people in the area.
Kind of a weird name, Linton admits now.
They asked how we came up with that and if we were American.
The lineup expanded to include saxophonists Lonnie Dixon and Nick Ridgeway and later a trombonist, Ellis McKenzie.
To their later regret, they also passed up a chance to jam with a future legend.
We said, Never again, unfortunately, Linton says.
The band carried on, playing the same types of clubs it had before.
But in 1967, another opportunity for fame arose.
But once more, the musicians were thwarted this time by the U.S. military.
MGM Records, which had taken over distribution of the bands records, stopped promoting I Dont Care Anymore.
According to Nevious, We struck a deal.
But not every member was inducted.
But I thought, Well, they probably wont take thebandover there.
Oh, Jesus, Linton says, recalling that moment.
It was almost chaos.
Were like, What the hell are we going to do now?
Things just kept getting worse and worse.
Even a local congressman and friend couldnt keep the band at Fort Campbell.
We were going to be assigned to the Carolinas, but that lasted about five hours, Nevious says.
Barsanti changed it back, and we were going to Vietnam.
Unusual expressions on their faces.
The first sergeant didnt want us to do that, Linton says.
Jaynes himself doesnt recall much resistance to the idea of a pop-oriented military band.
During that period, they recognized the need for something other than martial music, he says.
Youd close your eyes and you wouldnt know the difference.
I dont think it was actually authorized, says Nevious.
But we said, What the hell are they going to do to us?
Were already going to Vietnam.
So we just did it.
The name was another matter.
But in the end, they became the Screaming Eagles Combo.
The plan to play only for fellows troops on the base changed, however.
It was to reassure the locals that the Americans are on their side, put it that way.
But conditions in the Vietnam jungle often made the bands missions difficult.
The humidity knocked the guitars out of tune, and direct sunlight wreaked havoc on Raineys organ.
At least once Nevious bass drum ended up loaded with shrapnel.
Eventually, their work changed yet again.
It was one of those lame things that the military tried to do to win over the public.
Rockets would come in, and wed scramble and come back and play again.
There were always snide remarks.
And I think they knew and appreciated that.
It doesnt explode unless you have heavy impact, says Linton, who says he himself never tried it.
I was concerned it would explode in my stomach.
Plus, it wasnt worth risking their gigs.
TO THEIR RELIEF, THE Screaming Eagles Combos tour of Vietnam only lasted one year.
When their transport plane arrived in San Francisco, anti-war demonstrators spit on them.
The band was then disassembled and sent off to different bases to perform in different military bands.
Linton was quoted saying, The enemy will take every advantage it can.
Looking back now, he says, I guess I was trying to be as positive as possible.
But I look back at it as a total fiasco.
I dont think the bombing was a good idea at all.
Once they were finished, some continued to play music, others not.
He wound up working for the Illinois tourism department.
Nevious, meanwhile, left music altogether.
Others, including McKenzie and Doug Linton, have since passed away.
Linton, meanwhile, looks back on it all with cynicism.
We saw no logistical plan to what we were trying to accomplish, he says.
They just waved the flag and said, Were stopping Communism.
Recently, one of Lintons family members bought a ukulele.
When it arrived, he noticed the country where the instrument was manufactured Vietnam.
