Ching-chu Hu transposed score
Please Remember Me for tenor and orchestra text
by Danny Crothers (2022)
Lance Corporal Danny Kay Crothers
September 15, 1948 - February 13, 1969
US Marine Corps
3rd Marine Division, 1st Battalion, 26th Marines, B Company
Letter from Danny Crothers to his mother:
You know last night while standing guard, I thought I'd write you a poem, and tell it like it really is to the folks back home.
You folks read all the papers and watch the TV shows, But even with aII that not one of you really knows.
You hear the good side of our battles, the enemies we kill.
You've never seen a buddy killed while charging up a hill.
At home you walk down sidewalks or in a crowded mall, Here the brush is our jungle trails, so thick we have to crawl. Back stateside you have bridges to cross a river, Here in Nam we walk right in and when it's cold we shiver.
You've got air conditioners there, to cool your shops or dens, But over here it's so damn hot we think its hell were in.
At home you take your wife or girl, go out and dance all night, Over here we stand our guard, sometimes even stiff with fright. Have you ever looked around and seen the many things you have, Or once stopped to think about the many things you got.
You have cold beer and water; you have hot meals to eat.
Any one of those to us would be a treat.
Every day you take a walk down life's path,
But I'll bet you never gone a month without a bath.
To you a bath is water, hot enough to make it steam, To us it's nothing more than a leech-infested stream.
You have no doubt been scared enough to think the end is near, But I'll bet you've not lived a whole year in fear.
You folks have it easy compared to us across the sea. All any solider ask of you is "Please remember me.”
Please Remember Me
for tenor and orchestra
by
Ching-chu Hu
text by
Danny Crothers
Text set in Please Remember Me
You know last night while standing guard, I thought I'd write you a poem, and tell it like it really is to the folks back home.
You folks read all the papers and watch the TV shows, But even with aII that not one of you really knows. You hear the good side of our battles, the enemies we kill. You've never seen a buddy killed while charging up a hill.
Please remember me. You folks have it easy. To think the end is near, to live a year in fear. All any solder asks of you is, “Please remember me."
At home you walk down sidewalks or in a crowded mall, Here the brush is our jungle trails, so thick we have to crawl. Back stateside you have bridges to cross a river, Here in Nam we walk right in and when it's cold we shiver. You've got air conditioners there, to cool your shops or dens, But over here it's so damn hot we think its hell were in.
Please remember me. You folks have it easy. To think the end is near, to live a year in fear. All any solder asks of you is, “Please remember me."
At home you take your wife or girl, go out and dance all night, Over here we stand our guard, sometimes even stiff with fright. Have you ever looked around and seen the many things you have, Or once stopped to think about the many things you got.
You have cold beer and water; you have hot meals to eat. Any one of those to us would be a treat. Every day you take a walk down life's path, But I'll bet you never gone a month without a bath. To you a bath is water, hot enough to make it steam, To us it's nothing more than a leech-infested stream.
You have no doubt been scared enough to think the end is near, But I'll bet you've not lived a whole year in fear. You folks have it easy compared to us across the sea. All any solider asks of you is "Please remember me."
To think the end is near, to live a year in fear. All any solder asks of you is, “Please remember me." Text set with permission from Danny Crother’s family.
Instrumentation
Flute I
Flute II
Oboe I
Oboe II
Bb Clarinet I
Bb Clarinet II
Horn in F I
Horn in F II
Trumpet I
Trumpet II
Trombone I
Trombone II
Tuba
Timpani
Glockenspiel, Guiro, Triangle, Marimba, Wind Chimes
Snare Drum, Crotales, Vibraphone, Temple Blocks, Suspended Cymbal
Harp Piano
Tenor
Violin I
Violin II
Viola
Violoncello Contrabass
