Conv-1968CarBombing

From: Michael Hamilton

Date: December 31, 2015

Subject: Reunion 2016

Thanks for the additional info. Makes sense. We were reading AP and UPI copy with occasional rewrites.
By the way, I remember one incident when I was called on the carpet for "editorializing" in one of my newscasts. The complaint went all the way up to MACV. Some Colonel wouldn't let it go. I recall that a Major Darrel (first name?) Lamonica @ the station stepped in and helped put out the fire. Ah the stories.....
I came to AFVN via courier duty to MACV from Cam Ranh Bay. Once a month I would deliver dispatches from an officer's record section that I managed. Delivery would take an hour and I would have the weekend in Saigon. I met Phil Upton in a bar and when I told him I had a media background, he encouraged me to apply. I did an air check and was accepted with 2 conditions - get a release from my present company in Cam Ranh Bay and have at least a year left in country. The release was easy and I extended without a second thought. I had been in country 8 months but honestly had nothing to return to, so it seemed like a new beginning. I had quite a ride probably a bit unusual from my fellow broadcasters.
Enjoy the New Year.
Michael

From: JIm White

Date: December 30, 2015

Subject: Reunion 2016

Michael,
Another possible lead is Paul Kasper. He was not with AFVN but was an avid listener when in Vietnam and has been a diligent collector of "things AFVN" ever since. He has also submitted many items for the website. I think that perhaps he is looking for a "good home" for much of his collection so you might want to write him.
Jim W

PS: None of AFVN's broadcasts should have been classified--after all they were on the "open airwaves" and some of our most interested listeners were probably on Hanoi's side. Rather a "dark joke" but can you just hear Bob Morecook announcing "And now we bring you the classified portion of the news." This would have been followed by 5 minutes of dead silence!

From: Michael Hamilton

Date: December 30, 2015

Subject: Reunion 2016

Hi Jim,
To your knowledge, did the Department of Defense archive newscasts - radio and tv - through AFVN's history? If yes, are they classified or available through a public records request.
Thanks,
Michael

From: Jim White

Date: January 2, 2016

Subject: Reunion 2016

Michael,
I think I failed to answer your question about the "then and now" photos. Ron Hesketh's email address is
Ron Hesketh <joyron1@tampabay.rr.com> You could also send them to the AFVN group as a whole and Ron would pick them up from there.
His wife, Joyce, enjoys making quilts and for the 2012 and the 2014 reunions she made two quilts for the raffle. One of the two she made for the 2012 reunion is at: https://www.afvnvets.com/2012re-din-rh-49.html She made similar ones for 2014 but is evidently thinking of something different for 2016.
Jim

From: Michael Hamilton

Date: December 31, 2015

Subject: Reunion 2016

Thanks, I will stay in touch. Great work by the way.

AFVN Group Conversations

AFVN Archives

December 2015

Starts with Michael Hamilton's discovery of the AFVNVETS site.

From: Michael Hamilton

Date: December 29, 2015

Subject: Reunion 2016

Hello from Seattle,
Just discovered the site. Count me in to attend the 2016 reunion. Please see my contact information below. By the way, where would I send online a "then and now photo"?
(AFVN Saigon 1971/72 - on air Radio and Television news. Army/SP5)
Kind regards,
Walter Michael Hamilton www.troutdogs.com
Member, Outdoor Writers Association of America

Member, Northwest Outdoor Writers Association

From: Jim White

Date: December 29, 2015

Subject: Reunion 2016

Dear Michael,
Thanks for the contact. In time, I will:
1.. Add you to the list of expected AFVN 2016 attendees
2. Change your listing on the roster to reflect that "Walter" goes by his middle name "Michael" and that you were also a TV announcer.
3. Send any photos you wish posted, plus any stories you wish to tell about your AFVN days to me and I'll put them under "Photos & Stories." .Send the photos as JPG files if possible, however I can utilize most any format. Posted size is 720 x 720 pixels so don't boost your scanner to 4,800 for my sake. The closer to 720 they are the smaller each file will be.
Are you a member of the AFVN@Yahoogroups.com? If not, send a message to Bob Morecook at rmorecook@yahoo.com so he can add you to that list.
Are you familiar with http://www.macoi.net/index.html and http://www.macoi.net/biographies.html ? This is run by Joe and Chu Green who were MACV MACOI. If you want to be added to their site, send a bio to macoi.vn@gmail.com . Best wishes,
Jim W

From: Bob Morecook

Date: December 30, 2015

Subject: Reunion 2016

Hi Michael

I concur with Jim. I have been collecting miscellaneous AFVN things since about 1999. I've NEVER heard of the system collecting newscasts. There are a number of TV newscasts on YouTube and some radio news as well. I believe that Jim has links to them all posted there on his AFVN pages. I also have a few other radio casts that currently are not posted. But there's not much to show for so many years of broadcasting. The only complete TV casts are from 72 and 73 -- one by me another by Terry Oliver.

Bob Morecook

From: Jim White

Date: December 31, 2015

Subject: Reunion 2016

Michael,
That would have been Major Hal LaMonica, USAF, Deputy Network OIC, Saigon (71-72)
See https://www.afvnvets.net/roster-l.html or https://www.afvnvets.net/roster-oic-ncoic-lists.html
In other words, what I am working on is basically a collective, searchable memory.
Jim W