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Project Jenny KLIK - 1st Inf Di v Women in Vietnam RELATED-- To AFVN To Saigon To Vietnam Further Afield Index
Information and Education Overseas
US Army, The Big Picture TV, 1951
Includes FEN and other AFRS stations.
[Received from Bob Morecook in May 2017.]
AFTN (American Forces Thailand Network) Udorn Tragedy
On Friday, April 10, 1970, an RF-4C crashed into the AFTN - Udorn Station killing nine members of the Detachment
The above link tells the story of that tragedy.
[Received from Jim Anderson on June 11, 2016.]
AFTN Official Crash Photos - Udorn RTAFB April 1970
Official Photos by Sgt. Bill Morris, Sgt. Jeff Whitted, and others
Det. 9, 601st Photo Squadron at Udorn RTAFB, Thailand
AFTN Roster of Those Killed in the above Tragedy
Names and Photos of those Killed
The Udorn Nine - Video of the Tragedy (25 Minutes)
Introduction to AFTN and Map of Detachments
Map of U-tapao Showing Location of AFTN Detachment
World War Two Armed Forces Radio Program, date unknown.
Defense Intelligence Agency
Received from Mike McNally in December 2015.
Although this is getting rather "away" from AFVN, this illustrated history of the Defense Intelligence Agency from
its beginnings in 1961 through its 50th Anniversary in 2011, to include its involvement in the Vietnam War.
It is a rather large PDF which might be slow to load depending upon your Internet connection.
(US Army Lanaguage School)
Received from Mik McNally in June 2016.
Not really a part of the history of AFVN but some of us did attend this school during our military careers.
Dictionary of Military and Associated Terms (DOD)
Received from Mike McNally in May 2016
8 November 2010 (as Amended Through 15 February 2016)
Received from John Kafka in January 2016
Some ideas for looking for possible discounts for the disabled.
Alabama Vietnam Veterans of America
Although not related to AFVN, this site has a lot of information for Vietnam Veterans in general.
The webmaster is Paul Kasper, who also contributes a great deal of information to the AFVNVets.net site.
[Received from Paul Kasper on October 24, 2016.]
Military Language Conversion Chart
[Taken from Facebook in December 2019.]
(A) Guide to Locating Sources:
Military Service Records, Awards, and Unit Histories
Congressional Research Service
[Link received from Paul Kasper in January 2018.]
Once thought impossible.
Maryland Vietnam War Stories
A three-hour series of interviews of Maryland Vietnam Veterans which describes the war at a personal level.
Early in Part Three is an interview of Pat Sajak.
Click on one of the below graphics
Part One - Escalation Part Two - Turning Point Part Three - Draw Down
(The) Big Picture: The Story of American Forces Network
A YouTube video on the American Forces Network, Europe (29:27 min.)
Produced in 1965 or so?
(The) 2014 American Veterans Center Honors
Posted on Facebook by Dick Field on November 26. 2014.
Time: 1:26 Pat Sajak appears at 42:52.
The American Veterans Center Honors is the first and only televised awards show honoring those who deserve it most:
America's veterans and military. The program features heroes from across the generations and numerous honorees,
recognizing them for their service to our country. The 2014 Honors was filmed at the Mayflower Renaissance Hotel in
Washington, D.C. on November 8th, and aired on Reelz Channel as well as DoD News.
By A. Lawrence Vaincourt with Tony Lo Bianco
[Submitted by John Kafka in September 2015.]
Documentary on the effects of World War II on the surviving soldiers.
[Submitted by David Pinto in November 2016.]
(The) Future of Radio Broadcasting
This is a short comic story about the future of radio broadcasting.
[Received November 2016.]
AFRTS Archive -- WVTP Seoul 1946
The story of the very early days of WVTP, the first US Military Radio Station in South Korea in 1945 through about 1948.
I think that all of the early AFRTS stations in Asia were given "US-style" call signs such as the above [Webmaster].
[Thom Whetson Blog -- July 18, 2018.]
Military Service Records - Securing a Copy
Go to this link to request a copy of your Service Record, DD-214
[Submitted by Jim White in September 2016.]
A fitting addition on Labor Day, 2017.
[Received from Preston "Jae" Cluff on November 11, 2017.]
A to M
AFN (American Forces Network) Gary Bautell
50 Years with AFN
[Taken from Facebook in December 2018.]
AFN (American Forces Network) Berlin
American Western Saloon A video with nice Western music and view of AFN Berlin
which might be interesting one who worked with AFN, Europe.
[Taken from Facebook in September 2018.]
AFN (American Forces Network) South History
The First 50 Years
Nice Overview of the history of SEN, SEB and now AFN South. Part 1 was broadcast over AFN Atlantic
on April 7, 2005; Part 2 was broadcast over the same facility on April 14, 2005.
[Submitted by Bob Morecook.]
From: Rick Fredericksen
Date: July 7, 2015
Subject: AFN South History Part 1
At about 8:35 into this Part One posting, we see "Adrian Cronaur" saying "Goooooood Morning Vietnam." Is this our Adrian Cronauer?? If so, this is this historical? He is so young, plus, I cannot identify the uniform, or microphone. Perhaps someone can verify the authenticity.
From: Jim White
Date: August 3, 2015
Subject: AFN South History Part 1
Rick,
Sorry to be so late in replying to the above, but "Yes, it is indeed Adrian Cronauer." Go to his Photos & Stories page to see some pictures of him in Greece, his assignment prior to coming to AFVN. He was an Air Force Airman First Class at the time. Therefore the fact he is in this video is not so historical, at least not to me. Of much more interest were the comments made by the gentlemen in the following scene who complained that "American Forces Vietnamese (sic.) Network" was taking all of the good broadcasters away from Italy. No wonder, he couldn't even get our name right! Then the next guy talks about the last American killed in the Vietnam War being a LTC, USA by the name of "Phillip Maulsey (?) who had been an artillery battery commander in Italy." That is really "news to me"!
JimW
As We Grow Older - VA Benefits
This link to a Veterans Administration website has numerous links to information that
all of us, as veterans and as we grow older, should become familiar with.
[Submitted by Mike McNally.]
AFRT -- Okinawa
Received from John (Jay) Lehman in September 2012.
Armed Forces Radio & TV, Okinawa, hence AFRT, was not part of FEN in the 60's. During my 1st tour there, our single guys were billeted at Kadena AFB but by 1968 all that changed they moved off base to an H-shaped, 2- story motel in Futema Village. They were on the 1st floor in the back; above them the WAF Squadron from the 313th Air Division. The 313th's AP's were on top floor, front while the 1st floor was reserved for Continental Airlines Stewardesses. No CQs, No Admin, No gates, etc.
The station was the old Army NCO Club located in the middle of the Flag Officers and Field Grade Housing Area near the Top of the Rock Officers Club and its annex, The little Club. Our EM usually had lunch at the Little Club. In the late 1960's the OIC was an O-5 AF. The Exec was a USMC CWO and the News Officer was a USMC O-4. The Admin NCO was AF. News writers were USMC. MGySgt Tom Segel in charge of them when I got there in Sep of 68.
Technically, all Army personnel were assigned to Hq Co, US Army, Ryukyus Command with duty IO further TDY to AFRT. Unless somebody really screwed up, we only were around HQ Co once or twice a year. Most of the Army Generals along with ranking Admiral played poker in our main studio following the 10PM Newscast at least one or two nights each week. Our married Marines had their wives and family with them. They were the only Marines on Okinawa who were authorized dependents in the command. Tom Segel and I served on The Board of Directors at VFW Post 9723 in Machinato. I was also a National VFW Committeeman. My wife was President of the VFW Ladies Aux. and I had the privilege of escorting four VFW CinC's when they visited Okinawa. We were there when they turned over the island to Japanese rule [May 15, 1972]. I never met an Okinawan who was happy about that.
(The) "Light at the End of the Tunnel"
Recieived from Mike McNallly
This link goes to a 1953 French Military announcement that they were beginning to see the "Light at the End of the Tunnel." This proved to be one of longest and more erroneous statements to come out of the Vietnam War.
Christmas Eve in My Home Town
Perhaps not all that related to AFVNVets.NET but this song was written by SFC Stan Zabka, USA,
who was with AFRS and is sung by Eddie FIsher. It was recorded in the studios of AFN in Germany.
The actor George Kennedy was an early AFN DJ during World War Two.
[Link received from Robert Vail on September 11th, 2014.]
"Check for Life"
On June 18, 2014, Jordon St. John wrote the following:
(LIfted from someone else's email.)
"A Veteran--whether Active Duty, Retired, National Guard or Reserve--is someone who, at one point in their life wrote a check made payable to 'The United States of America', for an amount of 'up to and including my life'."
The same day, Ray Profeta replied with a "Well said!"
Then on June 13, 2014, Stevel Wiltsie wrote:
That's a great quote. Apparently someone said it many years ago. I've tried to find the source but could not. I wanted to be able to attribute the quote to the author in my "The Veterans' Check" prints but the best I could do was "Author Unknown." If anyone knows who said it originally, please let me know.
I've attached one version of The Veterans' Check to show how I've used the quote and expanded on what the "check" would look like. I have 11 different versions of the background - The Wall, Korea Memorial, Tomb of the Unknowns, WW II Memorial, etc. I have these in 8 /12 x 11 and 18 x 24.
If you are interested in these checks please contact Steve directly at this address.
The story of a group of civilians arranging for a flyover Arlington Cemetery when two Air Force officers
who had been killed over Laos were buried some 40 years after their deaths.
(The) Fall of Lima Site 85 in Laos
This is a CIA report about and isolated TACAN (Tactical Air Navigation System) facility in Laos being run in support
of the Hmong Guerrilla War in Vietnam. It was overrun by the North Vietnamese Army in early 1968.
FEN -- Itazuke Air Base, Kyushu, Japan & AFKN, Korea
Received from John (Jay) Lehman in November 2013.
When I was an announcer at FEN (Far East Network, Kyushu, my armband said "Armed Forces Radio Service" and I had the 635 Mike on my nametag which also said "FEN." The special ID card we carried was much more impressive. It was written in both English and Japanese and was signed by the Emperor. It made us impervious to DR's [Deficiency Reports] and got us into all of the off-limits nightclubs. Nobody messed with FEN personnel. There was only one Radio & TV Station in FEN and it was way up north [Misawa Air Base?].
It was still Armed Forces Radio when I was assigned to AFKN (Armed Forces Korea Network) in 1959. But the times were a changin'. in 1960 when we became the American Forces Korea Network. Still, there were no officers or civilian personnel assigned outside of Seoul. As a SP5, I was the station manager at Musan Ni just south of the DMZ. In January 1960, during the last six months of my tour, I was the PD at Homesteader in Pusan. Our vehicle trip ticket gave us carte blanche throughout the command. It stated that we could be out and about after curfew and during all alerts and could transport local national male and female persons at any time. Talk about "Open Sesame."
In 1942 we were the Armed Forces Radio. We evolved into Armed Forces Radio & TV and then because American Forces Radio & TV. Just remember, they took our AFVN badge and adopted it world wide.
Further Afield