CATKILLER THEME SONG

by Captain Kenneth E. Trent,
pilot, 2nd Platoon, Hue, 1966–67

After seeing the Catkiller Theme Song in the Appendix of Jim Hooper's book, A Hundred Feet Over Hell, my mind and thoughts returned to 1966–67 when I first heard and probably even sang this song a time or two. While Jim and those who contributed to his book were unaware of the Catkiller who put words to it—to clarify the attribution of Anonymous—the Catkiller Theme Song was written by Ken Trent in late 1966–early 1967, when I was at Phu Bai and Ken was a member of the 2nd Platoon at Hue/Citadel.

Ken played the guitar and later appears to have brought his music and his singing to Phu Bai when he was assigned to the Headquarters as the Supply Officer. There are a couple of stories that I have heard about Ken and his banjo pickin’ Company Commander, Gary Clark. If anybody has photos of Catkiller “Sing-alongs” in the O–Club, we would gladly accept them for enhancement of this short squib:

Gene Wilson