In this article, Cecil states that Jerry Mathers “Leave it to Beaver” was killed in Viet Nam.
I’ve been unable to locate the Cecil’s correction, which must exist… but did locate confirmation that Jerry Mathers was not killed in Viet Nam, though notes the rumor.
I think Cecil might have been joking. You’ll notice that the column is about screwball interpretations of the lyrics, so maybe he just threw in a screwball “fact” for good measure.
daddydee, this comes up a few times a year. Cecil was making a joke about urban legends. Bob Denver and Paul McCartney are both alive, too, though somehow no one ever seems to mention that.
Anyways, there are several references to other supposedly dead people (Bob Denver and Paul McCartney) in the same part of the column. It’s part of the wry, sardonic wit of one Cecil Adams.