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Country Joe Memories

By VVAW

Country Joe McDonald, Navy veteran and long-time member, friend, and ally of VVAW, died March 7, 2026, at the age of 84. Many of us remember Country Joe from the "Fish Cheer" and "I-Feel-Like-I'm-Fixin'-to-Die Rag" from Woodstock. He performed at countless VVAW events and fundraisers over the decades. In 1986, he recorded the "Vietnam Experience," including VVAW member Muriel Hogan's "Agent Orange Song."

Joe told the Street Spirit website, "The important thing about the 'I-Feel-Like-I'm-Fixin'-to-Die Rag' was that it had a new point of view that did not blame soldiers for war. It just blamed the politicians, and it blamed the manufacturers of weapons. It didn't blame the soldiers. Someone who was in the military could sing the song, and the attitude is, 'Whoopee, we're all going to die.' Most peace songs of the era blamed the soldiers for the war."

"The Agent Orange Song," written by Muriel Hogan, is an anthem for countless veterans silently stalked and destroyed by the chemical defoliant after they returned from the war.

Search out the many great memorials for Country Joe online. Below are memories of Country Joe from VVAW members and supporters.

Country Joe, Presente!

Bill Branson:
Joe put on a kick ass concert for VVAW members on the Capitol Mall during the 1982 Operation Dewey Canyon IV. I remember him dressed in his white sailor uniform, riding one of the trucks that was shielding our marchers from the attacking DC police.

While he is mostly known for his iconic song, Fixin' to Die Rag, the song he played for hundreds of cheering GIs packed into the Oleo Strut coffeehouse that night was this one: Kiss My Ass. I learned it, and it became the anthem of the GI Movement at Ft. Hood.

As Trump and Hegseth prepare their invasion of Iran while slaughtering children and ordering sailors to torpedo unarmed Iranian ships, refusing to rescue survivors, the legacy of the GI Movement against the Vietnam War is more and more critical to spread.

Doug Mason:
I was a patient in the Cleveland VA Hospital when the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and Museum hosted a psychedelic 1960s concert featuring, among others, Donovan, Big Brother & the Holding Company, and Country Joe McDonald in 1998. The next day, Country Joe came by the hospital to give a free show to the veterans. The highlight for everyone was "The Fish Cheer" and the "I-Feel-Like-I'm Fixin'-To-Die Rag." Regardless of their political views on Vietnam, the patients were singing along to every word of this classic protest tune as if following the bouncing ball in the filmed "Woodstock" performance. No matter their ills, there was a big smile on everyone's face after Country Joe gave fellow vets an afternoon more entertaining than, say, bingo sponsored by the local American Legion club.

Harry Haines:
The first time I heard "Fixin-to-Die-Rag" was in an Army deuce-and-a-half rolling up Highway 1 near Cam Ranh Bay. My new buddies were surprised that I had never heard it before, so a guy with a guitar and a good voice decided to bring me, the newbie, up to speed. Years later, I met Country Joe at a show in Sacramento and told him how the experience solidified my spot in my new unit and how we never got tired of hearing the guy perform it. The guitar player was a Kent State graduate. When news of the NG killings reached us, we did our best to console him.

Paul Tabone:
I remember being introduced to Country Joe and the Fish while in VN as an Infantryman in 1969-1970. A friend was aware of the song. I Feel Like I'm Fixin' to Die Rag" and shared it with me, playing it from a cassette that he had. I was hooked! There have been times over the years when the words and the song just pop into my head. Sometimes my wife understands, and sometimes she doesn't, but it will always be with me, a reminder of the dark days of the Vietnam conflict.

Dennis Conboy:
I returned from VN in Apr69 and went to my first concert in Aug, Woodstock. On Saturday, early afternoon, I made it to the front row. Soon after, Country Joe and the Fish came on stage—a big wake-up call for me. I was wearing my fatigues that got me through the tour. Give me an 'F'! Moved to SF the next month. Saw them several times thereafter.

Robert Backus:
"I Feel Like I'm Fixin' To Die Rag" has been a mantra for me since '69, when I graduated high school. I remember when I first saw the Woodstock movie at Fort Eustis, Virginia, in '70. I was in AIT for 67N20 MOS, and it blew my mind. I'll never forget when we took off for Nam from New Jersey, the whole plane erupted with the complete song. Everyone aboard knew all the words and sang it loudly and proudly. I still sing it and have occasionally changed the words to fit what countries were wrongfully deployed to, like Afghanistan, Iraq, Venezuela, or Iran. I will always remember Country Joe; his lyrics are timeless to me.

Tim Teater:
Like all of us, I am sorry to hear of Country Joe's passing. My best memory of him and VVAW was at the 25th Anniversary in NYC at a bar. So many wonderful memories of that evening: Country Joe's singing/playing, the incredible camaraderie, bar staff running around telling us not to smoke weed because it was illegal, and they didn't want to lose their license. It is funny what we remember. That was one of the best nights of my life (the very best was my first date with my lovely bride of 38 years). One two three four, what are we fighting for? and we still are…

William Ehrhart:
I don't quite remember when I first met Joe, but I do remember that during lunch at the VVAW 25th anniversary gathering in New York City, this guy sat down next to me and started talking as if he knew me. Those of you who attended that gathering may remember that there was a lot of self-medication going on—not all of it legal—and I myself was pretty well lubricated. So this guy sits down next to me, and I said something like, "Who are you, anyway?"

A few years after that, he and I did a program together in Detroit, arranged by the poet M.L. Liebler (who is not a veteran, but is very much a fellow traveler of VVAW, and who made at least one CD with Joe). And Joe stayed with my wife and me when he did a show at a club in the Philly area. The audience, of course, demanded that he perform the "Fish Cheer" and "Fixin'-to-Die Rag." On the way back to my place, I asked him if he ever got tired of that song. "Oh, no," he replied, "I love that song. It's my bread & butter!"

Richard A. Smith:
I was 21 when I attended Woodstock and got to see him sing his "Feel Like I'm Fixin' to Die Rag." I will never forget it, and I remember almost every little detail about how I felt when he began singing it, considering that, having only been out of the Navy for seven months, I had no clue that there was an anti-war movement going on in the country.

And one of the great things that he and I had in common is that we're both Navy veterans. How about that?

As my life unfolded: law school late in life, a trial attorney position at the NLRB at 54, and, at age 62, becoming the spokesperson for the Phoenix Chapter of Veterans for Peace, a position I still hold.

Ron Jacobs:
When I lived in Berkeley, CA (1977-1985), I met Joe selling his memoir on Telegraph Avenue. I was part of a people's committee defending People's Park from the University of California and developers, and Joe was always open to performing for free at the free concerts we put on in the summer. In 1979, 1980, or 1981, while Iran was in a revolutionary ferment and we feared the Pentagon was going to go in, he sang his song "I Feel Like I'm Fixin' to Die Rag", changing every appearance of the word Vietnam in the song to Iran. Rather prescient. I hung with a lot of GIs when I was in high school in Frankfurt, BRD, and they loved that frickin song.

Sam Adams:
In 1970, during Advanced Infantry Training at Fort Jackson, us draftees were singing "1, 2, 3, What are we Fighting For" in the back of a deuce-and-a-half. We had spent the day at the rifle range firing our M-16's. The training cadre and the Drill Sgts were all Vietnam vets, and we all knew where we were going. The Drill Sgts were not amused, but there was a fair chance some of us would "come home in a box." Thanks, Joe!

Mark Hartford:
Joe at Woodstock. Joe at the Comfest in Columbus, OH, thanks to Roger! Met and talked to him there. Gave him a VVAW button...his music lifted up a lot of grunts going to war. Me included. Nothing but love and respect for the brother! Peace and love, amigo! "Give me an F..."

Charles Frank:
I only saw him twice, both times at Tompkins Square Park on the Lower East Side. The first time in 67, he was arrested for giving the revised "Fish Cheer." The second time was in 1970, when I had recently returned from my stint in the Army, and he was doing an event for Vietnam Vets Against the War. Times had changed since his first time here, and he proceeded to give the Cheer. Alas, no bust this time.

Ann Hirschman Schremp:
Gimme an F. We all chanted that Cheer. Joe came to VVAW reunions and was always fighting for justice. He was so generous with his time and talent. I got to introduce Joe at the concert he gave on the 25th in NY. And he loved us nurses.

Anne Brennan Polacheck:
I did the Fish Cheer during a high school assembly. It brought the house down.

Mitchell Bober:
I was home from VN on a 30-day leave in June of 1970. While riding with some friends in a top-down convertible, the Woodstock album was playing on the 8-track. We came to a stop in traffic just as the FISH cheer came on. We had the volume high due to top-down noise; however, the driver quickly turned off the stereo as we were sitting next to a patrol car. I had never heard Country Joe before, but after we started moving, I learned why my pal ducked the volume. Good memory.

Tom Wetzler:
We first met as we marched together in DC. Joe came to Texas to help raise money for our Vietnam trip in 87—a great guy.

Ron Whitcomb:
I was visiting Cape Cod, MA, and Joe was there, and we sat around a picnic table singing. The place was full of hippies back in the early 70s, and I had been home from Vietnam for about six months. A truly wonderful experience to be there with him. A good man.

Michael Gillen:
I had the chance to thank Joe for that song when he stopped by our VVAW/VFP booth in the activist area of the Clearwater Hudson Music festival in Croton, NY, years ago. And I introduced the song to students in my Vietnam course at Purchase College, State University of NY, for years.

Frank Dunn:
I saw him several times, once with Phil Ochs. His music and lyrics caused me to become totally anti-war and turned me radical when I was in the Army.

Jim Wohlgemuth:
I did not know Country Joe personally, as some of you did, but I want to tell you that as soon as his performance at Woodstock was shared among the crew on my LST, the Westchester County, sitting off the Mekong Delta, it lifted morale. It was so gratifying to know that famous performers were speaking out in song. His anthem, his raucous anthem, was a joy and inspiration.

Peace and Presente Country Joe McDonald

Thomas Manthe:
Sad news. Joe was a fellow musician, veteran, friend, and brother activist. He will surely be missed by many who were influenced/inspired by him over the last 60 years.

I recall sitting with a small group of VVAW members, smoking a joint and singing songs on the DC Mall back in May 1982 (Dewey Canyon IV), while plainclothes officers took our pics with telephoto cameras from behind the trees. They were not very good at hiding.

Memories can be problematic these days, but I believe Bill Homans (Watermelon Slim) and others who have left us may have been there also–sharing the fun at the same time. My wife says yes, but I'm not as certain about anything these days.

Praying for peace, praying Joe has a fine journey back home. Be well...

James Wachtendonk:
My good friend, musician and mentor, County Joe McDonald, has passed away. I was privileged to do quite a few gigs with him, and his wit and wisdom have stayed with me over the decades. Rave on, Joe, Rave on my friend...gimme an F.

Brian Matarrese:
A few years ago, I was asked to provide items from VVAW's earlier years for a display at the War Remnants Museum in Ho Chi Minh City. Among the items was a book of Country Joe's poetry. He was very happy to hear about its inclusion in the display. Before the 25th anniversary, Joe, Pete Mahoney and I appeared on our good friend Coca Chrystal's Community Access Manhattan cable TV show "If I can't dance, you can have your revolution." As always, it was a lot of fun and a buildup to the 25th anniversary.

Gary Schraft:
I remember how Joe McDonald electrified the largest anti-war protest in Washington on April 24, 1971, with a famous song. Of course, before the protest, the Vietnam Veterans against the war staged a week-long series of demonstrations which culminated in a protest at the US Capitol, where the veterans threw back their service medals. I feel that the VVAW had a tremendous impact in ending this horrible and divisive war.

Michael Jackson:
Feel Like I'm Fixin' to Die Rag was a masterpiece! The anthem of the anti-war movement. I'll sing it on my deathbed.

Billy X. Curmano:
Country Joe was a great guy, activist, and an icon of the 60's, but he was also unassuming, down-to-earth, and an inspiration to me. I was honored to share an evening on stage with him. I picked him up at the airport, and we filled the long drive with tales of the road. There was a gleam in his eye when he retold how the Police Chief warned him not to do that "Fish Cheer in my town." Joe agreed. Of course, he did it anyway and landed in jail. I will miss him, but he lives on with his many recordings and in our hearts.

Ron Ferrizzi:
We casually met Joe at the 25th in NY. Then, a few years later, we were invited to a fundraiser for the Philadelphia Vietnam Memorial Wall at a small Philly club, and Joe was the headliner, along with Richie Havens. Jack McCloskey and his family were there–loads of fun. Joe was friends with Jack, so he came over. In conversation, we invited him to a spaghetti dinner and said we had a spare room. That night, we took him back to his motel to check out, then carried him to our house. Joe heard of the "Chicken Shit Brigade" and wanted to hear the story of the successful May Day VVAW attack on the Pentagon. So three of the participants came for dinner, and we told Joe the whole story. Joe was a good soul with an open heart.

A kind gentleman. He told many rock history stories and VVAW picnic stories. He stayed with us twice when playing in the Philly area. Joe was proudly thick in VVAW history and an excellent guitar player and storyteller to boot. Called us, saying he was coming east for the 40th Woodstock show in Jim Thorp. We did the show, and Kathy sold his merchandise. We partied in the green room afterward. We loved Joe. May the Grace of the Holy Spirit rain down hard on the McDonald family and bring them peace as they weather this storm of life.

Mike Woloshin
Country Joe, the "FISH Cheer" and the "I look-like-I'm-Fixin-To-Die-Rag" will always be an integral part of VVAW's Legacy. From August 17, 1969, when he performed at Woodstock, to his recent passing, he will be remembered. Country Joe will always be part of the milieu of our generation.

The last time I actually took part in the "FISH Cheer" was at the 20th Anniversary of Dewey Canyon III at Howard University in DC in April 1991, when Crazy Joe Bangert led us all in the Cheer. Joe Bangert also led us in some Vietnamese patriotic ballads. Those were times to be remembered.

For old time's sake, "Gimme an F . . . "

Charlotte Shirley:
The FISH cheer was often heard at pre-concert gatherings and protest marches during the early 70s. It brought us all together.

RIP Country Joe

Nadya Williams:
Joe performed in 2024 at the annual fundraiser dinner for Swords to Plowshares, a San Francisco-Bay Area non-profit providing full-spectrum support services for all veterans, started in 1974, the first in the nation. He sang the "Vietnam song" "Fixin' to Die," with the audience singing along, then leaping up as one, for a standing ovation.

Country Joe at VVAW's 20th Anniversary in Chicago, 1987.

Country Joe, Ron Ferizzi, and Philly VVAW folks.

Country Joe at VVAW event, October 23, 1971.