Johnny O’Keefe’s Visit to 1AFH 

With respect to Greg Cant’s belief that I was missing for three days, I think he is putting two separate things together. Johnny O’Keefe’s visit and Mike Downey’s disappearances!

Mike, from South Australia, followed me to Vietnam. It had taken me some time to convince Ray Hurley that a shrink should spend more time with RMO’s and see some of the conditions a bit forward. I managed to get in a visit to three Fire Support Bases only and so, when Mike Downey arrived (Mike Naughton had taken over by this stage) I told him to emphasise to the new C.O. that a psychiatrist should move about and not be restricted to the hospital.

Mike Downey certainly moved around. He earned the nickname of ‘The Phantom’. I have even seen photo of him with some SAS chaps in the scrub. I was never away from 1AFH for more than two days as far as I can remember, even when I visited ‘Weary’ Dunlop’s Surgical Team in Bin Hoa.

Now that I have cleared that up, here is my piece on Johnny’s visit.

My family first met Johnny in the early to mid 1960’s. He had a heart as big as a watermelon. Johnny introduced my wife Erna and I to a life, which we knew very little. Visiting Whisky A Go Go (where he met with and encouraged up and coming artists), inviting us to his concerts at Leagues Clubs and where he was not content unless at least a number of his audience applauded his group while standing on tables. We also enjoyed his hospitality at places like the Floating Palace at Rose Bay. He gave me a ride in his Thunderbird and even offered to let me drive it to work. This for some reason never eventuated but the offer was indeed genuine.

I must say, Johnny was not brilliant singing around a piano, at home, but with a microphone in his hands he became electric.

As I did not keep a personal diary in SVN I am uncertain of the exact date that Johnny came, with his group, to entertain the troops. It had to be between June and October 1969.

When Johnny arrived at Vung Tau, LtCol. Ray Hurley offered him quarters of his own at 1AFH. Not surprisingly, in view of our previous friendship, Johnny politely indicated that he preferred to share my hutchie that was adjacent to that occupied by Major. B. M. (Mike) Dwyer (DADFA). Johnny O’Keefe actually slept on a table, insisting that I slept in my usual spot!

Before the first concert held at 1ALSG I was asked to see Johnny’s 1st guitarist who felt pretty uncomfortable in country. The experience seemed to be a bit daunting for this chap, who complained there was too much green around. A decision was taken to RTA the groups No. 1 guitarist. Nothing daunted, the show went on.

I sat next to Col (later MajGen) Stevens, who stated before the show started something about his daughters having a giggle at him watching such a performance. However after a minute or two of Johnny he was moving in time with the music and by the time “SHOUT” was finished he was up and down on his seat like the rest of wee mortals.

I followed Johnny to Nui Dat where he again enthralled the troops, in a more open setting than 1ALSG. I have a photo of Johnny at Luscombe Strip, with a Caribou in the background (Ed: see below) He certainly got around, BUT in no way, as suggested by Greg Cant, did the Shrink and Johnny disappear for three days. Greg, incidentally, heard another concert given by Johnny to U.S. Airmen which I, unfortunately, missed. This I am told was a roaring success.

I did not see a great deal of Johnny post-Vietnam until one day we met in Hobart. I was attending a conference and Johnny was entertaining at the Wrest Point Hotel. He invited me to the show and made a point, in the middle of his repertoire, of referring to his good friend Maurice Sainsbury in the audience. He had lost none of his energy and appeal.

The Macquarie Dictionary has the following entry:

“O”KEEFE/ou’kif/n. Johnny (John Michael O’Keefe), 1935 –78, Australian rock ‘n’ roll singer; one of the most influential figures in Australian pop music.