Webmaster Contacts Page 3

From: Greg Clark

Dated: August 19, 2017

Subject: AFVN Website Videos

Hello Jim,
I have a second cousin living and teaching in Japan. I have only spoken to him a couple of times, so not really sure where he teaches. He married a Japanese lady and I think they have a couple of kids. He has been there a few years. Not likely that you'd know him, but his last name is Horton.
I spent several weeks in Goodland, Kansas back in the 1990s. I was doing some transition training, and there wasn't really much there. That is the sum of my Kansas knowledge. I do remember the drive from Denver to Goodland as being very boring, but I did meet some nice people there.
It sounds like Kansas doesn't hold a lot for you, so I suspect you will stay put.
So what was your teaching specialty as a professor? I assume that after all this time you are fluent in Japanese.
My past isn't very storied. I was drafted in 1968 and spent a year in Vietnam and ETS'd out. I tried to go back in on an enlistment, but they wouldn't promise me a return to Vietnam, so my military career ended at that point. When I was in the Army I wanted out, but when I got out I realized I was better off being in, if I could be back in-country. The wheels of fate turn in seemingly mysterious ways. When I was in Vietnam I was a sensor advisor to an ARVN DUFFLEBAG platoon. It was challenging, and thanks to the ARVN, deadly at times, which is what made it interesting.
Thank you for your historical background. I find that many of the people I write to only seem to speak in sound bites and powerpoint slides; no more conversations or exchanges of ideas. Perhaps it is just my angled perspective, or pray tell, me.
Thanks again for your help.
... until that time ...

From: Greg Waters, M.A. Curator, New Jersey Vietnam Veterans' Memorial Foundation

Dated: November 15, 2017

Subject: AFVN Museum Exhibit

Greetings, My name is Greg Waters and I am the museum curator at the New Jersey Vietnam Veterans’ Memorial Foundation. We are currently preparing for an upcoming museum exhibit that will explore the history of music during the Vietnam era. As part of this exhibit we want to tell the story of the AFVN. I am writing to ask if we can use some of the audio found on your website in our exhibit. Our plan is to have a radio and headphones set up in the exhibit space. Visitors would be able to put on the headphones and listen to a looping audio track of original AFVN recordings. Please let me know if you have any questions and I look forward to hearing from you.

Best, Greg

Greg Waters, M.A. Curator PO Box 648, Holmdel, NJ 07733 732-335-0033 x 109 www.njvvmf.org

From: Jim White

Dated: November 15, 2017

Subject: AFVN Museum Exhibit (AFVNVETS.NET Contract Form Submission)

Greg.
I see no problem with the New Jersey Vietnam Veterans' Memorial Foundation using anything available on the AFVNVets.net website. One problem, is avoiding copyright problem if entire versions of commercial recordings are used. We usually get around that by cutting the song short to only a sample.
One big problem, however, might be trying to use "original AFVN recordings." Most of the music we used were commercial recording provided to us by the Armed Forces Radio and TV Service. There were some instances of "original AFVN recordings," but these were usually made using either "home grown" musicians and singers (I.E., musically-inclined military personnel in Vietnam who would form a group for entertaining their own and surrounding units) or sometimes inviting a USO tour or similar group to one of our studios for a recording session. And, I, personally, don't know if any such recordings still exist or not. I doubt it because putting a 15" reel of 2" videotape in your hip pocket for the flight back to the states was rather difficult.
Respectfully,

Jim White

To the AFVN Group:
Can any of you help? If so, please write Greg Waters and send me an info copy at Webmaster@AFVNVets.net.
Thanks,

Jim White

AFVNVETS.net Contacts - Page 3

From: Press Jackson

Dated: September 28, 2017

Subject: To Fellow AFVN Broadcaster Dick Ellis

Hey Dick....remember you will from '68 and '69. I went on to be a radio DJ and musician among many other things. Happy you have had a good life.

SP5 Jackson

From: Ann Kelsey

Dated: November 15, 2017

Subject: AFVN Museum Exhibit (AFVNVETS.NET Contract Form Submission)

Jim's mention of soldier show and/or USO groups performing in AFVN studios, and the lack of video of these performances leads me to ask--has anyone searched for AFVN textual records or video in the National Archives in College Park, MD?
Ann

From: Jim White

Dated: August 19, 2017

Subject: Da Nang Dirt Birds, 1970

TO ALL: Can anyone give Donald Meyer a hand? The message was received from the AFVNVETS.net contact page.

Jim W
Donald, Thanks for contacting me. I don't know if anyone will be able to help or not, but, as above, I have forwarded your request to the AFVN Group. Someone might know something.

AFVN Home

From: Jim White

Dated: October 10, 2017

Subject: Hue TV Det. 5

Guy,
Another source of information would be the Texas Tech-Virtual Vietnam Section. Obtain the name of the current director, then write a formal request for information concerning AFVN or any unit they wish. There is a information exchange program that they may be eligible for.
Our group's primarary contact for Texas Tech is Bob Morecook, email address as above.
Respectfully,

From: Greg Clark

Dated: August 14, 2017

Subject: AFVN Website Videos

Hello, Stumbled upon your website, and am much impressed by your listings. Could you tell me what format the videos are in? Activating the link causes a download of a file with a 32 character alphanumeric name, but no identifying file designation for proper playback. Thanks for your help and keep at it AFVN.

Greg

From: Jim White

Dated: October 27, 2017

Subject: Passing of an AFVNer (Frank Gottlieb)?

David,
I think that this resolves the problem: It is from the MACOI.net/biographies site.
"Now it was time for the Army. With a 71R20 broadcast specialist MOS, he wound up as a SP5 with the 16th Public Information Detachment at Long Binh. While not officially tasked to AFVN, he frequently visited the Saigon station as a member of the broadcast crew which produced a weekly radio show about happenings at the Long Binh Army Post. Long Binh at the time was home to about 50,000 men, and the overnight visits to Saigon were a welcome break from the routine at PID, where Frank covered, among other events, the 1970 Cambodian Incursion."
Thanks for writing,
Jim White,

From: Guy Aceto

Dated: September 26, 2017

Subject: Hue TV Det. 5

I'm the photo editor of Vietnam Magazine and we're doing a piece about Det. 5 and their battle during Tet in 1968. I have a couple of images from the author but I'm looking for something hi-resolution to use in print. Point me in the right direction. Thanks!

From: Jim White

Dated: August 15, 2017

Subject: AFVN Website Videos

Greg, I haven't added any video to the AFVN website for several years now so my memory is a little faint. Most of the links go to YouTube which (I think) accepts MP4 files. A very few go to other links and perhaps a couple of them were uploaded from my computer (again in MP4 format). That is about all I can do to help. I'm curious, however, about which ones you are interested in and why. Where you with AFVN or perhaps in Vietnam during that era?

Best Wishes, Jim W

From: Bob Morecook

Dated: November 15, 2017

Subject: AFVN Museum Exhibit (AFVNVETS.NET Contract Form Submission)

Mr Waters My suggestion is that instead of playing music through the headphones that instead you have some of our Public Service Announcements. They were made locally AND are not copyrighted because there's no music. Things such as "always obey your aircraft commander" "never drive your tank down a rail road track" or "Give your M16 a light lube"

Visit the below link to hear many of them.

Bob Morecook AFVN news 72/3

From: Paul Spychalski

Dated: September 27, 2017

Subject: AFVN TV Taping 10 July 167

I would love to find the tape of this show to show my Grand Kids. They flew us from Cu Chi to tape this show. I seen it myself on TV in Cu Chi. Please help me find it. Thank You Paul Spychalski July 10,1967 Saigon AFVN TV. I tried to post a photo of it and our orders, but it wouldn't let me do it here.

From: Greg Clark

Dated: August 16, 2017

Subject: AFVN Website Videos

Hello Jim, Thank you for responding. I spend a great deal of time doing research on the Vietnam War. It was during one of my searches that I ran across your web page. I am currently working on a second edition of my first book, Words of the Vietnam War, a reference compiled in the late 1980s and published in 1990. This was before the era of internet information and the availability of a multitude of sources for cross referencing conclusions.

Regarding the problems I was having with viewing some of the videos linked to on your site, I was on the Saigon page (https://www.afvnvets.net/to-saigon.html). The problem I experienced was when attempting to open the link, a file was downloaded to my computer and it lacked a file type extension. The file itself was more than 24 characters long. I tried adding some common extensions, such as wmv, avi, mp3, mp4, and mov, but none of them rendered a working file. A couple exams are below,

"Saigon Map, 1960 Map as Printed" downloaded file "fb9163676aa6c971ccd83e8989207211"

"Saigon - Aerial Views, 1955" downloads file "a96e032c7cc0955c23d8267c3a09a40c"

I also tried the "save as" function to download the material to my machine, but received the same results as mentioned above.

I am running win7 and tried opening the links in Internet Explorer and Firefox and received the same results. On a whim I tried the same files on an XP machine that I still use and the the pages rendered correctly. So for some reason the disconnect is with w7 and it has to be on my end, as I am sure you would have heard about the problem before now from a host of other viewers. So I'll use XP to view the files.

I listened to AFVN when I was in Vietnam, Chickenman was my favorite. I was saddened when his spot was replaced by Helen Trump. I was with MACV 1969-70 and based out of Duc Hoa before moving to Trung Lap near the edge of the Ho Bo Woods. Anyway, thanks again for replying. Often my queries to web sites go unanswered and the pool of those who can answer such questions grows smaller each day. I appreciate you taking the time to respond. Sincerely,

Greg Clark

From: Donald Meyer

Dated: August 20, 2017

Subject: Da Nang Dirt Birds, 1970

Thank you Jim for responding to my email. I am trying to gather as much on the old gang as possible. I served in Da Nang and Saigon. I received my Air Medal in front of the Blue Eagle sign.
Santa Don

From: JIm White

Dated: August 18, 2017

Subject: AFVN Website Videos

Greg, Why Osaka and not Oshkosh nor Okefenokee? Blame it on the first Kim (dictator of North Korea) and President Truman. They got involved in the Korean conflict which lasted from June 1950 to April 1953. I finished High School in June 1952 and then spent a year at the local junior college. I had joined the Army Reserves in June 1951 and by early 1953 was a corporal. I knew that the draft was going to be breathing down my next before much longer and that as a draftee I would be an private but if I volunteered to go on active duty from the reserves I would be able to be a corporal. I wa smart enough to know the difference so I volunteered for active duty from June 1953.

Went through training, became a clerk-typist, worked in an orderly room at Fort Riley for a few months and then got orders for Korea. Had made sergeant while at Fort Riley so I became the First Sergeant of a Construction Engineer Battalion at Kimpo Air Base (not too far from Seoul) in May 1954. Remained in Korea for 18 months but not always as a First Sergeant. A Sergeant First Class showed up and I became a "general handyman" for want of a better description. Then towards the end of my tour in Korea I ended up in a Battalion Personnel Section.

While in Korea, I had taken a couple of leaves to Japan. A high school friend, who had joined the Air Force was stationed near Tokyo so I went to see him. Among our other activities we had a "double-date"--my friend, his girl friend, her best (girl) friend and me. I had not planned to stay in the Army for more than two or three years. I really wanted to go to college. But, after leaving Korea, I was transferred to Japan in late 1955, married my "double-date" in 1956 and decided to stay in for 20. Couldn't figure out any other way to start collecting retirement pay at 39. During my 20 years,

I was in the states for a while, back to Korea for another year, in Japan for five years, back to the states for a while again, then back to Japan for three years and a chance to study full time at a Japanese university. From there, back to the states rather briefly before getting to Vietnam and AFVN from August 1970 to June 1971. Finally spent 2 1/2 years in Taipei, retired as a Sergeant Major with 20 years service and a pension.

Thanks to having studied at a university in Japan for three years, I was able to become a professor at a small Japanese Women's University in Osaka. Taught there from 1974 to 2002 and retired again as a Professor Emeritus. Over the past 15 years we have "though about going to the States" but, in fact, have continued to live in the same house now for 43 years. Also have been married for 61 years as of this past June. Most likely will stay here for the indefinite future. If my wife dies first I might move back to Kansas (where I have only one grandniece and her family)--who knows? At any rate, I am neither in Oshkosh or Okefenokee because Truman did not declare war on either Wisconsin nor Florida.

Best wishes,

Jim

PS: Glad my previous message was of help.

From: Greg Clark

Dated: August 14, 2017

Subject: AFVN Website Videos

Osaka...! What is a country boy doing in Osaka, is that any where near Oshkosh or Okefenokee?
I briefly tried W10 during the free period and decided to stick with W7. The learning curve for W10 was too long for me to approach in the middle of what I was doing. It took me several months to successfully get my book operations going on W7. I have a couple of machines still running XP, which I am weaning myself away from. I'll have the same issue in 2020, if I am still alive, when MS pulls the plug on W7. Railing against MS does no good at all, so I will have to make the adjustment. Perhaps by that time a new version of windows will be out that has more appeal. hope springs infernal.
Your web site is very good and full of information, you did a wonderful job. As fate would have it "pdf" was the only extension I didn't try. And it really does work, I think maybe I have been at this game too long. Simply adding the file extension ".pdf" makes the file viewable.
Anyway thank you for the web site and your help.
... until that time ... greg

From: Jim White

Dated: September 28, 2017

Subject: AFVNVETS.NET Contact: Form Submission

Dick,

Obviously for you.

Jim W

From: Jim White

Dated: August 21, 2017

Subject: AFVN Website Videos

Greg, Sorry, I don't know anyone by the name of Horton. But Japan is fairly large, with lots of English teachers from overseas and I have been pretty much away from the field for the last 15 years or so.

Goodland, Kansas is famous for only one thing. In the winter, it is usually the coldest spot in the state. Otherwise, not much there. What kind of transition training wee you doing? "How to grow wheat?"

I started out teaching Oral English and Creative Writing. Later, while continuing to teach some English I branched out into the Culture and History of America and of Canada. My "happiest" years (1990 through 2001) were when I would a group of 25 to 40 students to Dawson Creek, B.C. for one-month, individual home stays and English lessons followed by a tour of Canada.

Sorry, but the term "ARVN DUFFLEBAG" platoon is new to me. Your perspective may be angled, but in a good way. I also greatly dislike "sound bite" conversations and "cell phone English." Best wishes,

Jim W

From: Jim White

Dated: October 10, 2017

Subject: Hue TV Det. 5

Guy, Glad that you have been in contact with Rick Fredericksen. Please look at https://www.afvnvets.net/afvn-org-det5hue-story.html on the AFVN website. I don't have the originals, but Ron Turner, who sent these to me as scans might still have them. His email address is rnpturner3@gmail.com and mention that you had gotten it from me. I'm sure he will cooperate if he still has them. Jim W

From: Jim White

Dated: August 18, 2017

Subject: AFVN Website Videos

Good Afternoon from Osaka,
Thank you writing again.
I'm glad that you found our site and I hope that you find it useful. As well as am happy to know you resolved your problem by using XP. As you now know, both of them are PDF files.
I use GoDaddy.com as my source for domain names as well as their Website Builder for actual HTML editing. When I make a link to a PDF file or insert a graphic or an audio or video file, I upload it Website Builder. GoDaddy then gives all of my PDF, JPG, MP3 or MP4 files a 32 character file name without an extension. I find no rhyme nor reason to how or why this is done. If you have this problem again, you might try using one of more of these extensions when you use "Save as."
I started working on AFVNVETS.net in late 2012 and a Wikipedia search shows that Windows 10 came out in September 2014. Therefore, I must have been using either WinXP or, more likely, Win7 at the very beginning. Possibly related to this, GoDaddy went from Website Builder Version 6 to Version 7. The two events might have been related in some way. Your problem may be a quirk in Win 7 because I have no problem in downloading them when using Windows 10. When doing so, I always give them a "practical name" (with an extension), something which makes sense to me.
If you run into any other problems, please let me know and I'll try to help. Indicate that the problem is on "Page X, Link name." No need to send me any of the 32 digit names because I can't figure them out either.
Best wishes,
Jim W

AFVN Public Service Announcements

From: Donald Meyer (Emall: gegatawodi@aol.com)

Dated: August 19, 2017

Subject: Da Nang Dirt Birds, 1970

I served with the Da Nang dirty birds in Da Nang. We were a MACV/SOC operation broadcasting the Chue Hoi . I was there with Paul Caimono from Albany, New York. I am trying to reach to fellow airmen.

From: David Lavender

Dated: October 27, 2017

Subject: Passing of an AFVNer (Frank Gottlieb)?

Hi! I'm on the AFVN email site just as an observer, so I thought I would pass this to you to query the group. Last night on WTAE-TV, Pittsburgh, they noted the passing of a former WTAE producer named Frank Gottlieb. They mentioned that he was an "Army broascaster" in Vietnam with no mention of the year served. There was no mention of this in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette obit in the 10-26 edition. If he was with AFVN, he is not on the roster. Perhaps someone will recall his name.

David Lavender

From: Jim White

Dated: September 27, 2017

Subject: AFVN TV Taping 10 July 167

Dear Paul, I will post this to the AFVN Group but the chance of anyone having a copy of that program is extremely low. There was no systematic attempt at archiving any of AFVN's programs over the years. A few men took an audiotape of some of their work home when the returned to the U.S. but almost no one took any videotape. Easy to understand, when you realize AFVN was using 2" tape on perhaps 15" or 18" reels. That made it hard to take one back when one returned to the US. All of the video I know of is linked on our website at https://www.afvnvets.net/video-archives.html and I'm sure it doesn't include what you are looking for. I would appreciate getting the photo. Please send it to me at the email address above.

Respectfully, Jim W

The following is a selection of the contacts received by the Webmaster.
August 2017 through November 2017