From: Craig Prosser
Dated: May 10, 2016
Subject: Question about Name
No Dickie, that's not the Bob Andresen I worked with at AFRS. From the Chicago-area, Bob worked in the newsroom at AFRS from mid-1963 to mid-'64. He went directly to AFN Frankfurt after that and stayed until well into the 70s as a civilian announcer after his enlistment was up. We corresponded for a number of years but I've not had contact with him in a long time. I do know however from his bio on the MACV site that he eventually became a college professor and a broadcast consultant.
Craig
From: Dickie Ellis
Subject: Question about Name
I arrived in Saigon on July 4th, 1967. They had just changed the name of the station to AFVN the Armed Forces Vietnam Network...about August 1st the word came down to "soften" it to the American Forces Vietnam Network which continued to the end.
Dickie
From: John Workman
Dated: May 6, 2016
Subject: Question about Name
Do you Chief Arbuckle's first name? Possibly Earl? 63 was before my time there but [I] knew an Earl Arbuckle [who] worked for Fox Network. May not be same person but since both [were] in broadcasting field [could] possibly be [the] same.
From: Jim White
Dated: May 6, 2016
Subject: Question about Name
According to the Timeline on AFVNVETS.net, the name change was:
"(1967) July 1 - Name changed from AFRT (AFRTS) to AFVN (American Forces Vietnam Network)."
Somewhere in the back of my mind (which is otherwise completely empty) is an echo which says that the name change from "Armed Forces Vietnam Network" was designed to present a softer, less militaristic image.
Jim W
[Added while making this page.]
Since the "AFVN" intials didn't change, most likely sheer inertia kept "Armed Forces" alive for some time. Jim W
From: Bob Nelson
Dated: May 10, 2016
Subject: Question about Name
Jim, I could appreciate that hand. Undergoing all those surprise they injected a Med to block my memory. It worked and the docs tell it is floating in my system. Trust me, it is alive and working.
Bob
From: Jordan St. John
Dated: May 6, 2016
Subject: Question about Name
The "Armed" forces was replace with "American" Forces at sometime early on, but was in general use by the late 60's.
Jordan
From: John Workman
Dated: May 6, 2016
Subject: Question about Name
My understanding is AFVN = Armed Forces Vietnam Network as was both Radio and TV. AFVN was part of AFRTS...Armed Forces Radio and TV Service. I have badges with AFRTS and AFVN. Operations were joint service. Army, Navy, Air Force and Marine. Bob may have more or better details.
From: Tom Herlacher
Subject: Question about Name
I seem to remember watching AFRTS (pronounced A-Farts) when I was at Cam Rahn Bay in 1970. I never heard it called AFVN until I joined this group. But you guys did a great job and I'm glad you were there. Thanks, Tom Herlacher
From: Bob Nelson [In response to Steve Sevits' above message about AFRS vs. AFVN "defining the age of the participant."]
Dated: May 6, 2016
Subject: Question about Name
Correct, Steve.
From: Nancy Smoyer
Subject: Question about Name
Dickie's seems like the definite answer. Since I arrive in-country in April '67, that's why the name seems to have stuck with me, even though my main DJing stint was later in Danang, after the name change. I notice in writing my book that in an earlier letter home when I was at An Khe, I mention DJing but I have no memory of that.
Nancy
From: Bob Nelson
Subject: Question about Name
That's the first I've heard of Bob Andresen being over there.
From: Mark Brown
Dated: May 6, 2016
Subject: AFVN Name Change
According to the history of AFTN (not AFVN), AFRTS directed the change from "Armed" to "American" effective 1 July 1969. My guess this was probably implemented throughout AFRTS at the same time.
Mark Brown (AFTN-NKP 67-68 & 73-74)
From: Bob Morecook
Dated: May 6, 2016
Subject: Question about Name
AFVN was originally Armed Forces Vietnam Network. At the end it was "American" rather than "Armed." I dont know when the change happened
Best wishes, Bob M
From: Craig Prosser
Dated: May 5, 2016
Subject: Question about Name
Sgt. Brice was just leaving when I arrived. Chief Arbuckle would be around another few weeks. Sgt. Monty ran the newsroom of course. Lee Maltenfort, Bob Andresen and I worked under him. Steve Southerland, Lee Hansen, John Loflin and Brian Faulkner were deejays. Lt. Kirtley was the OIC. Massini was gone by the time I arrived.
Craig
From: Jim White
Dated: May 9, 2016
Subject: Question about Name
Bob N,
Bob Andresen has been on the AFVN Roster since Geocity days. I guess I need to find a program that will permit each name on the roster to "look through the screen" and see who is sitting there--and if it is someone they know, then a hand will come out and tap the viewer on the shoulder and "Hey, we were both with AFVN" (or whatever).
Anybody know where I can get such a program?
Jim W
From: Mike Jackson
Dated: May 10, 2016
Subject: Question about Name
What did you do in Frankfurt?
Mike J
From: Steve Sevits
Dated: May 5, 2016
Subject: Question about Name
We must have missed meeting by just weeks,my tenure ended in June or July of '63. Was Jerry Masini still there when you arrived? How about Chief Arbuckle and Jack Brice?
Steve Sevits
From: Dickie Ellis
Dated: May 9, 2016
Subject: Question about Name
Is this Andresen? I have been trying to identify this photo (Click Here) since 1968. He was at one of the dets and took me around to see some Vietnamese graves.
Dickie
From: Craig Prosser
Dated: May 6, 2016
Subject: Question about Name
Arbuckkle's first name was Bryant. He died a number of years ago. You can see his bio on the MACOI biography site.
Craig Prosser
From: Jordan St. John
Dated: May 6, 2016
Subject: Question about Name
American Forces Vietnam Network
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From: Steve Sevits
Dated: May 7, 2016
Subject: Question about Name
From Jerry Masini who was there in 1963.
I always said, "Armed Forces
Radio Saigon", on the air.
Officially it was Armed Forces
Radio Service.
There is a rumor that Jerry may come to Raleigh in Sept., he's a font of early history about the Saigon radio operation.
Steve
From: Steve Sevits [In response to Bob Nelson's message above.
Subject: Question about Name
That's the third time anybody ever acknowledged that I've been correct.
The first time was when I raised my right hand to enlist, the second was one day in June some 40 years ago when we got married and now again. Three times since 1961, I'm on a roll! I can't stand the excitement, I'm batting 1000.
Steve
From: Jordan St. John
Subject: Question about Name
Need an historical research to track down specifically when the change from Armed to American happened.
I got to Saigon in September of 1969 and did radio news. It was always The American Forces Vietnam Network.
Jordan
From: Craig Prosser
Dated: May 10, 2016
Subject: Question about Name
Okay, Andresen must have arrived after you left, Steve. All I know is that he was at the station when I came near the end of August and left before I did. My scheduled departure at the end of August '64 was delayed nearly a month by the Tonkin Gulf incident.
Craig.
From: Steve Sevits
Dated: May 6, 2016
Subject: Question about Name
Brice was a great guy, he started as an aircraft mechanic on the Intrepid in WW II then went Army and was a Lt. Col in Korea. I was brought in as the first newsman and the Frank Monteleone [Air Force] came in as news chief. Monty inspired immediate respect for his professionalism.
Lt. Kirtley let me store a fresh oil painting in his office until it was sufficiently “dry” to be rolled and shipped home.
Great bunch of people! All these people were bigger than life sized.
Steve
From: Steve Sevits
Subject: Question about Name
In ’63, contemporary with Armed Forces Radio in Saigon, our operation on Okinawa was both AM and TV and termed AFTRS [Armed Forces Radio and Television Service- Ch 8 TV].
Working in TV studios, it used to drive the MPs nuts when we wore fatigues with dress shoes -- boots were prohibited on TV studio floors. The MPs always stopped us going and coming for being out of uniform [wrong foot gear]. There were all sorts of perks working for AFRTS on Okinawa, we were permitted to be out past curfew due to the 24 hr operation of the radio station.
Steve
From: Frank Rogers
Dated: May 6, 2016
Subject: AFVN Name Change
As a teen listening to shortwave it was “This is the United States Armed Forces Radio and Television Service.” During the Vietnam war someone changed it to "American Forces Radio and Television Service.” Before TV it was just Armed Forces Radio.
Names (AFVN and Individuals) - and Asking about People
A good example of how disparate topics can end up under the same subject.
May 2016
From: Nancy Smoyer
Dated: May 6, 2016
Subject: Question about Name
OK, the secret is out. I'm in the process of writing MY Vietnam book! Of course I have to tell the story of my DJ "career," but I've run into the question of the acronym AFVN.
I know the meaning changed but I don't know when or if it's necessary to make a distinction. I always knew it as Armed Forces Radio Vietnam.
Please advise.
Nancy
From: Steve Sevits
Dated: May 10, 2016
Subject: Question about Name
He was not in Saigon before August 1963 when I left. I don't remember him.
Steve
From: Steve Sevits
Dated: May 6, 2016
Subject: Question about Name
Arbuckle was a Navy Chief who put the operation on the air. First rate broadcaster and top notch human being. I don't think FOX was around in '63.
From: Jim White
Dated: May 6, 2016
Subject: Question about Name
The AFVNVETS.net site has a fairly complete roster of everyone who was with AFVN over the years. Please look at it.
And, please, don't anybody else tell him.
Jim W
From: Bob Nelson
Dated: May 10, 2016
Subject: Question about Name
I met him in Frankfurt where he worked in network news. I got there 1970 after leaving Iran. Have no idea where he might be.
Bob
From: Mike Jackson
Dated: May 10, 2016
Subject: Question about Name
My first tour was as NCOIC K-town. Then moved to AFVN. When I left it was to Frankfurt as the NCOIC Broadcast Ops. After Frankfurt moved as station manager to B-haven. Great crew and put the first US color tv on the air.
Bob
From: Joe Ciokon
Dated: May 6, 2016
Subject: Question about Name
Bryant J. "Fatty" Arbuckle was an E-6 (JO1) when he introduced me to the rating in 1957 and changed my life forever. He was into Jazz and played drums with a local combo. I was an unemployed aerial photographer because there were too many of us assigned to NAS Lakehurst, NJ. A year later, I was editor of the base newspaper.
JOCM Joe Ciokon, USN RET
Command Master Chief of the Navy Broadcasting Service (1984-86)
PAO, USS MIDWAY Museum
From: Craig Prosser
Dated: May 5, 2016
Subject: Question about Name
Maybe I'm coming in too late on this, but the history of the call letters started with AFRS, Armed Forces Radio Service, which signed on the air in Saigon in 1962 and lasted with AM and FM broadcasts until the switch to AFVN Sometime after I left. I was there as a newsman from August 1963 until mid September 1964.
Craig Prosser
From: Jim White
Dated: May 6, 2016
Subject: Question about Name
You can also go to the MACV biography site from the AFVN site. You'll get Barry Abrams, but then either scroll down or search for Arbuckle.
Jim W
PS: Sorry, guys, but I'm trying to promote my work! Otherwise, why am I working?
From: Steve Sevits
Dated: May 5, 2016
Subject: Question about Name
I think AFRS vs: AFVN or Armed Forces vs: American Forces is one way of defining the age of the participant. The AFRS people were generally earlier I was both AFRS and AFRTS.
Steve
AFVN Group Conversations