Radio First Termer was an underground pirate radio station that operated in January 1971 during the Vietnam War. The station was fronted by United States Air Force Sergeant Clyde David DeLay (August 15, 1948 — January 20, 2012), under the on-air pseudonym of "Dave Rabbit".[1][2][3] The two other members of his crew were called "Pete Sadler" and "Nguyen."
After serving three tours in Vietnam, DeLay and his friends launched Radio First Termer from a secret studio located inside a Saigon brothel, with the format centered on "hard acid rock" from bands such as Steppenwolf, Bloodrock, Three Dog Night, Led Zeppelin, Sugarloaf, James Gang, and Iron Butterfly, who were popular among the troops but largely ignored by the American Forces Vietnam Network. The music was mixed with antiwar commentary, skits lampooning the Air Force and former President Lyndon B. Johnson, and explicit sexual and drug-oriented jokes.[1] Radio First Termer broadcast for a total of 63 hours over 21 nights from January 1 to 21, 1971.[2][4]
During the mid-1990s, sound clips from the station that were posted on the Internet renewed interest in the station. In 2006, DeLay went public with his broadcasting history, and was interviewed in a bonus feature on the DVD release of the 2005 documentary Sir! No Sir!. In February 2008, station clips were aired on Opie & Anthony.
References
- 1 2 Good morning, Baghdad!- Salon News
- 1 2 Vietnam War Pirate DJ Dave Rabbit Has Finally Come Forward
- ↑ Simnacher, Joe (24 January 2012). "David DeLay, pirate-radio DJ who entertained Vietnam troops, dies". Dallasnews.com (Dallas Morning News). Retrieved 28 August 2012.
- ↑ "The Radio First Termer Home Page". Archived from the original on 29 December 2006. Retrieved 24 November 2006.
External links
- Dave Rabbit's Official Podcast Home Page
- List of songs in the only known copy of an episode
- Radio First Termer home page with audio samples and Dave Rabbit interview
- Radio First Termer Restoration Homepage