# Myth?--Jerry Mathers killed in Vietnam **URL:** \ **Category:** Cecil's Columns/Staff Reports\ **Created:** [June 28, 2002, 12:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/myth-jerry-mathers-killed-in-vietnam/116366 "2002-06-28T12:45:41Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![astoops](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/94ad74/32.png) [@astoops](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astoops)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2002, 12:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/myth-jerry-mathers-killed-in-vietnam/116366/1 "2002-06-28T12:45:41Z")
In “The Straight Dope” at [https://securesite.chireader.com/cgi-bin/dopestore/buystuff.bat#tsd](https://securesite.chireader.com/cgi-bin/dopestore/buystuff.bat#tsd), answering the question about the real lyrics to “Louie Louie”, it is mentioned that Jerry Mathers (of “Leave it to Beaver”) was blown up in Vietnam. This appears to be a myth. I did a Google search on ‘Jerry Mathers Vietnam Beaver’, and got the straighter dope on this at Snopes: [http://www.snopes2.com/radiotv/tv/beaver.htm](http://www.snopes2.com/radiotv/tv/beaver.htm) ---
**Author:** ![The\_Clawman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e47c2d/32.png) [@The\_Clawman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Clawman)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2002, 1:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/myth-jerry-mathers-killed-in-vietnam/116366/2 "2002-06-28T13:17:25Z")
Hello **astoops** and welcome! Your first link above doesn’t seem to be correct. Is [this](http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a1_316.html) the link to the article you mean? ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Moto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9de0a6/32.png) [@Mr.Moto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Moto)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2002, 1:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/myth-jerry-mathers-killed-in-vietnam/116366/3 "2002-06-28T13:33:24Z")
Really? This was a myth? I didn’t know that! It doesn’t look like Cecil knew that either. Recognizing sarcasm isn’t your strong suit, is it **astoops**? ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Moto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9de0a6/32.png) [@Mr.Moto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Moto)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2002, 1:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/myth-jerry-mathers-killed-in-vietnam/116366/4 "2002-06-28T13:38:37Z")
Sorry, **astoops**. Didn’t realize you were new. ---
**Author:** ![CurtC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ce73a5/32.png) [@CurtC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CurtC)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2002, 8:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/myth-jerry-mathers-killed-in-vietnam/116366/5 "2002-06-28T20:14:24Z")
I’ve read that Paul McCartney is still alive, too. ---
**Author:** ![whitetho](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whitetho/32/1059_2.png) [@whitetho](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/whitetho)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2002, 11:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/myth-jerry-mathers-killed-in-vietnam/116366/6 "2002-06-28T23:51:16Z")
In the original column, from page 316 of _The Straight Dope_, **Cecil** did write: > [@](#): > > Bob Denver, AKA Maynard G. Krebs of TV’s Dobie Gillis–who, as I’m sure you’ll recall, died tragically when a radio fell into his bathtub–said that one of the lines of the songs is, “I @#%!! a girl endlessly.” > > Jerry Mathers of Leave it to Beaver, who was blown apart in Vietnam (some people think he grew up to be Alice Cooper, but that’s just one of those silly myths), opined that another line is, “I shoot a wad into her hair.” > > Paul McCartney recalled that he always used to sing, “Tell her I’ll never lay her again.” Then he notes: > [@](#): > > It pained me to shatter their illusions Clearly here Cecil is recounting three at-the-time widely believed myths, before moving on to the often mythical lyrics ascribed to _Louie, Louie_. I.e., he was only alluding to the Jerry Mathers story as an example of the wild rumours that often take hold. ---
**Author:** ![Duck\_Duck\_Goose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/50afbb/32.png) [@Duck\_Duck\_Goose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duck_Duck_Goose)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2002, 2:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/myth-jerry-mathers-killed-in-vietnam/116366/7 "2002-06-29T02:25:36Z")
Bob Denver is still alive. > **[www.BobDenver.com](https://bobdenver.com/)** [http://us.imdb.com/Bio?Denver,+Bob](http://us.imdb.com/Bio?Denver,+Bob) Cecil is like Yoda sometimes, Astoops–obscure sometimes his sarcasm is. Mmm, yeeesss… 😃 ---
**Author:** ![GrannyJoy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c57346/32.png) [@GrannyJoy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GrannyJoy)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2002, 3:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/myth-jerry-mathers-killed-in-vietnam/116366/8 "2002-06-29T03:21:32Z")
Cecil! Tsk, tsk! Now you realize that someone is going to take those “facts” and spread them around! And again we’ll all question, living or dead? I remember (good grief) those lyrics and how the “adults” cringed and complained. ☹ Anyway, thanks for the trip back in time. 🆒 ---
**Author:** ![psiekier](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/psiekier/32/116_2.png) [@psiekier](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/psiekier)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2002, 5:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/myth-jerry-mathers-killed-in-vietnam/116366/9 "2002-07-01T17:25:12Z")
Duh? Of _course_ Jerry Mathers survived Vietnam. Otherwise, he couldn’t have appeared in that two-parter episode of _Married… With Children_ where he presides over a shopping cart race between the Bundys and the D’Arcys. Bud and Kelly make fun of him for being Beaver Cleaver, to which he responds “Oh yeah?!? Well, at least my dad doesn’t sell women’s shoes for a living!”