South Pacific Serenade
Thu Oct 30, 2008 11:44 am
In Frank Walton's book about the Black Sheep, "Once They Were Eagles" he mentions a collection of songs that the pilots liked to sing and that they were written down and distributed under the name South Pacific Serenade. Anyone ever seen a copy, or even better, do any recordings exist?
???
Thu Oct 30, 2008 12:01 pm
Somewhere I might still have a songbook of the drinking songs of VMF-122. I'll take a look.
Thu Oct 30, 2008 2:36 pm
Sounds like a party, someone bring the songsheets, someone bring the recording gear and someone bring the beer! Should be a top ten album in no time! 
Re: South Pacific Serenade
Sun Jun 19, 2011 2:51 pm
Django,
I don't know if you are still looking for this, but I did an inquiry about this very matter in the early '90s, and have a great set of letters from some of the VMF 214 guys, and, then finally, was gifted with Frank Walton's actual copy of "South Pacific Serenade."
He had been making the songbook for a while, and even put pencil X's next to the songs the VMF 214 sang.
I can explain more if you like. I'd get you copes of all this at cost, too if you like.
Dave
[Edit: I just looked and it was Brig Gen. (though, at that time he was Col.) Bruce Matheson who generously gave me Frank Walton's SPS book. And it was Matheson who marked it so I'd know which songs were favorites of VMF 214. His letter is extraordinary. Very detailed and extremely well written. I also have a wonderful letter from Ed Oleander, whom I also asked. I had a great letter from Jack Bolt, too. It was very funny, but I can't seem to find that one.
Anyway let me know if you are interested. I may see if I can just scan all this and load it into Google docs or other file sharing system, and then people can just download it.
Also, I sent a copy of the book to The Marine Corps Historical Center in Washington Navy Yard, and Brig. Gen. Edwin Simmons write a note of thanks to tell me it was filed there so that researchers have access to it. So, you all have access to it through that facility also.
I don't know if you are still looking for this, but I did an inquiry about this very matter in the early '90s, and have a great set of letters from some of the VMF 214 guys, and, then finally, was gifted with Frank Walton's actual copy of "South Pacific Serenade."
He had been making the songbook for a while, and even put pencil X's next to the songs the VMF 214 sang.
I can explain more if you like. I'd get you copes of all this at cost, too if you like.
Dave
[Edit: I just looked and it was Brig Gen. (though, at that time he was Col.) Bruce Matheson who generously gave me Frank Walton's SPS book. And it was Matheson who marked it so I'd know which songs were favorites of VMF 214. His letter is extraordinary. Very detailed and extremely well written. I also have a wonderful letter from Ed Oleander, whom I also asked. I had a great letter from Jack Bolt, too. It was very funny, but I can't seem to find that one.
Anyway let me know if you are interested. I may see if I can just scan all this and load it into Google docs or other file sharing system, and then people can just download it.
Also, I sent a copy of the book to The Marine Corps Historical Center in Washington Navy Yard, and Brig. Gen. Edwin Simmons write a note of thanks to tell me it was filed there so that researchers have access to it. So, you all have access to it through that facility also.