Long Before "The Greatest Beer Run Ever"
The “Greatest Beer Run Ever”, the story of Merchant Marine John Charles “Chick” Donohue’s improbable delivery of beer to fellows from “the old neighborhood” (Inwood, Manhattan, NYC) serving in Vietnam during the war is presently being filmed into a movie with such actors as Zac Efron (playing Chickie), Russell Crowe (as a journalist), and Bill Murray (as legendary Inwood bartender George Lynch).
Long before this incident (brilliantly told in the book of the same name by Chick and co-author Joanna Molloy), Chick, a good friend, was a well-known character in Inwood and one of his many exploits is depicted in the following poem, written in 2015.
When Chickie Comes Marching Home Again
Based on the essay “Chickie Goes To War” in “The Inwood Book” (2010, Available from Amazon), which is, of course, based in fact.
The Marine, Private John Charles Donohue,
was home from Paris Island
and the crowd was all where we belonged
at that stage of our lives
in the Broadstone!
But there was sadness along with the joy
because Private Donohue was now
going to Okinawa.
Okinawa? Okinawa?
But, like MacArthur, Chick rose up on the stool
and roared “I Shall Return”
and took off a dogtag and a chain
and handed it to Inwood’s best bartender
Pat Gallagher.
An aside – George Lynch was an entertainer, a friend
and a damned good bartender
but, as a pure bartender,
Pat was the best.
Pat always remembered what you drank
and, after the third, there was always a knock on the bar,
“This one’s on me, Mac”and you never left after a buyback
Anyway, Pat takes the chain and fastens the dogtag
to the big gold chain holding a large clock over the bar
and there it will stay until
Chickie comes marching home again.
Often, over the next eighteen months,
someone will point to the chain
and offer a toast to Chickiedefending us in Okinawa.
Okinawa? Okinawa?
And then it happens!
Like MacArthur – or John Wayne,
Chick is delivered back to us
and it’s off to the Stone.
Pat buys a few rounds for the bar,
Chick reclaims his dog tag,
the beer flows and there is much
singing and good cheer.
After many hours, I take my leave
This has been a joyous occasion
The dogtag has been reclaimed
and Chickie has come marching home.
It’s a pity I didn’t stay a bit longer
to see our hero get in a fight by the pinball machine,
hit the other miscreant over the head with the iron puck
and get barred from the joint.
(drum toll, please)
And the legend began to grow
and now, Chick, the high school dropout
is usually the only one in the room
with a Masters from Harvard!
© 2015 John F. McMullen