"Radio First Termer" verification

[ItemCo16527]

The interview with him starts at about 6 minutes into

.

[Bob Hudson]

So far as I know, Dave Rabbit is legit. Some backstory:

 

A couple of years back, Greg "Opie" Hughes of the radio duo Opie and Anthony was going through boxes of old tapes he had had packed away. ...

 

Opie Anthony do not provide anything that validates the story: in fact no one does - the source of everything about Dave Rabbit is one person who does not reveal their name. You can read all of the many, many pages on the internet and it is basically a recycling of the same info from the same single - but inconsistent - source. I was a journalist for almost 30 years and this story has so many red flags that it does not support being given the benefit of doubt. If this was someone telling a similar shaky inconsistent story about his combat exploits I'm not sure anyone would believe a word of it.

 

Maybe someone this thread will smoke out someone who does know the facts and names: after "Dave" said about 10 people had knowledge of his bootleg radio station and you'd think that by now one of them would have Googled to find out what happened to that Dave Rabbitt character they knew in Nam. I don't think there has even bee anyone come forward who heard the show during its 3 week lifespan. But my gosh, his website starts with these lofty claims that should have resonated with someone who was there:

 

"Dave Rabbit”, The “Godfather Of Pirate Radio”, welcomes you to "The Rabbit Zone", so Fasten Your Seat Belts, bring your seats and tray tables to their Fully Upright Position, then bend over and Kiss Your rump Goodbye, because the “Dave Rabbit” & “Radio First Termer” Pirate Radio Experience is an Extremely Dangerous & Bumpy Ride!

 

Supporting & Entertaining OUR TROOPS & ALLIES Around The World

 

"FIRST In Military Entertainment SINCE 1971"

 

Over 23 MILLION Military & Civilian FANS Since 1971 WORLDWIDE

[ItemCo16527]

I'm sorry, I should have been more clear. The links I posted are from the day they interviewed Dave Rabbit. The backstory I gave originally was something Opie had talked about on a show prior to the day they actually interviewed him. I could be remembering some of it wrong, this was a couple of years ago.

[Bluehawk]

... the source of everything about Dave Rabbit is one person who does not reveal their name. You can read all of the many, many pages on the internet and it is basically a recycling of the same info from the same single - but inconsistent - source.

 

Maybe someone this thread will smoke out someone who does know the facts and names...

Yup

[Third Herd]

I just read this and as an Air Force vet, 1968 to 1972, I have to put my two cents worth on this topic. I went to Basic at Lackland in August 1968 and I was tested for color-blindness in basic, Amarillo AFB probably did the same. I can't remember how long the schools for Dirt (ground) Radio was, but the repair school would have gotten to color coding of parts before six weeks and operators could have skated through in knowing what lights are where, like color-blind drivers know traffic lights by position. I was stationed at Tinker AFB in July 1969, with the 3rd Mobile Communications Group and the civilian employees I dealt with were more than nice. I was notified of overseas orders to the 1st Mobile Comm Group in the Philippines and some of the guys in the unit took me over to the depot that repaired the TRC-97s (like a pick-up camper filled with radio and multiplexing gear) shot up in Vietnam. They had big holes in them with blood and guts still in them, the civilian repairmen lined up and shook my hand, some gave me a hug, and all wished me good luck. I ended up in Korea, my hard copy orders were for Taiwan but were I was to go closed the day I got in there.

A second cousin's son who was an Air Force Avionics Repairman in Vietnam went out on sweeps with the Security Police. After a mortar/rocket attack of the base they asked for volunteers to help the SPs clear an area around the base. I can't remember which one, a Great Aunt wrote all the family that was in the service and kept everyone up to date on what was going on with the others and that was 40-years ago.

Back in those days within 30-seconds a transmitter could be located. I can't see how someone could run a pirate radio station and not get caught.

[Bluehawk]

18 months ago or so I was engaged in a fairly vigorous, and somewhat brief, online back-and-forth with "Dave Rabbit" which was brought about by members of a closed USAF website, all bona fide in-country VN vets, who had repeatedly stated their doubts and some very strong stolen valor type criticism of his claims. As a moderator there at the time I did my level best to clarify things with him, but what it all came down to is me simply asking him to please reveal his real name, rather than to hide behind his "radio name"... he absolutely refuses to do that, for any reason to anyone. The reason he gives is that he "made a promise" back in the day that he would always keep that a secret. His attorney, or an attorney he is associated with, even wrote to me separately to vouch for him - to which I responded that his vouching doesn't cut any ice when a man making some claims that are under suspicion refuses to do the one thing that can be traced to a human being in uniform in Vietnam doing what he claims to have done.

 

At this stage it seems that he probably was in-country, and may have had some affiliation with broadcasting. Absent any other tangible proof that can be verified, however, it still seems that his other claims are exaggerated.

 

Here is a fairly current piece of his:

http://www.youtube.com/user/DaveRabbit#p/a/u/1/PPjKcCRGtT0

 

Groups such as "Veterans Broadcasting" on Facebook, for example, still swear that "Dave Rabbit" is the genuine article and an outstanding something or other.

 

Here is what he says about himself on website format:

http://daverabbit.podomatic.com/

 

For all this big hoopla about his service and contributions to yadda yadda yadda, it would surely be rotten as hell were it all to be shuck and jive.