Every time I hear "Folsom Prison Blues", I'm transported back in time to another place -- 1971, Hill 270, Central Highlands, VN. I was basically an FO, for DivArty, but used a high-tech (for it's time) integrated instrument system, atop a tower, on an isolated firebase, to find targets visually, get coordinates and range, call in arty or air strikes, and adjust fire. Operational 24/7, regardless of weather conditions. Most evenings after chow, several of the infantry soldiers, whose one-man dug-in hootches were located around the base of the tower, would gather and sit on the sandbags atop those hootches and have a few beers while listening to cassette tapes on a small, battery powered player. I knew all of them and was always off duty, since I always had the after midnight shift in the tower. Johnny Cash's Greatest Hits tape was played every night, usually several times. An Infantry Master Sergeant, who was finishing his 30 year career with a third tour in VN (along with 3 years in WWII and 1 and a half years in Korea), would always appear out of nowhere, it seemed, whenever the Johnny Cash tape was played. He was well liked and highly respected by all, and would join us for a few beers -- regulations cast to the wind. He'd sing along with Johnny on 'Folsom Prison', his favorite. He had a deep, gravelly voice that could put fear into any man -- or inspire confidence and courage. To this day, when I hear Johnny Cash singing "I hear the a comin', it's rollin' aroun' the bend, and I ain't seen the sunshine since .... I don't know when ..............", I hear MSG Davis growlin' out his accompaniment, and a fine one it was.
A good example of why I so rarely post replies.