Home Contact AFVN Past Contacts AFVN Roster POWS: The Honored Taps: Those Departed AFVN Organization AFVN Reunions
AFVN History AFVN Photos & Stories AFVN Group Conversations Audio Archives Video Archives AFVN Guest Book
Project Jenny KLIK - 1st Inf Di v Women in Vietnam RELATED-- To AFVN To Saigon To Vietnam Further Afield Index
From: Harry Simons
Date: October 5, 2015
Subject: More AFVN TV Pictures
As time permits I will share more pictures of my recent trip to Vietnam, China and Japan with the group.
These are video screen shots of the Saigon AFVN TV studio and some pictures of the Plaza Hotel BEQ.
Harry Simons
From: Mike McNally
Date: November 19, 2015
Subject: Harry, Thanks Again for the AFVN Program
Harry, thanks again to you and everyone involved in the AFVN tribute. WEBY was terrific.
Due to your recent trip to Vietnam, you now have something in common with the Simpsons cartoon family. Please see the attached pix.
Mike McNally
In reference to the photo of Harry with the Pitman Building behind him (#25 in his slide file, above.
There are more short video
clips and photos of Harry's
trip to Vietnam on
From: Harry Simons
Date: October 1, 2015
Subject: AFVN
Hello AFVN Group
On September 24, 2015 my associate Mike Bates of WEBY Radio in Pensacola, Florida and I where given access to the Saigon facilities of AFVN. We were escorted by the Vietnam government and senior officials [from] HTV television. Our access was for the most part un-restricted. There are some areas outside that pictures are not allowed as all radio and television in Vietnam are considered as national security facilities.
The old AFVN main building is being used by HTV for video and audio work stations. Most of the inside of the building has been transformed into many individual work station production rooms each with the latest state of the art computer equipment necessary for the editing and production of commercials, documentaries and every other television product you can imagine. The build out is first class and could be any TV station in any major market in the US. I would describe the facility as an annex to the main HTV building that you have seen in pictures taken and posted in the past.
The only remaining remnant of AFVN inside is the TV studio. The control room is gone but the studio remains exactly the same with the original lighting. The sets have been removed however.
I am very pushed for time at the moment as we are in the final production stages of the assembly of the AFVN documentary that airs at starting October 26th on WEBY. Therefore, I ask for your patience in sharing the story and pictures of this incredible opportunity I have just experienced. I promise to share all of it with the AFVN group.
All the best to everyone
Harry Simons
AFVN Radio 1967-68-69
Saigon and Danang
the slide show and then scroll down through the PDF. You may also enter the photo number in the box at the top of the PDF viewer. The number may be one higher than shown in the Index depending upon whether or not a "title page" is included at the beginning of the PDF.
From: Rick Fredericksen
Date: October 1, 2015
Subject: AFVN
So Harry, what is the old AFVN building used for now? Vietnamese TV???
Please note that the PDF slide file will show in another tab or another window depending upon which browser you are using and your browser's settings. Because some of these slide shows are fairly large files, it may take a few seconds for them to appear.
From: Mike McNally
Date: October 31, 2015
Subject: Thanks to WEBY and AFVN
Thanks, WEBY and AFVN, for the great memories in the documentary. I'll be listening on Veterans Day for any parts I missed.
I'm glad that the documentary corrected the history on White Christmas. I recall that Jim White tried to set the White Christmas version straight when the Last Days in Vietnam film came out, but it was too late. Even if Frank Snepp heard the Tennessee Ernie Ford rendition now, Frank might mistake it for Bing. Ernie usually had a deeper voice, but Bing could lower his tone when he wanted to. In listening to both versions today, I realize why I had doubts (for a second) on 29 April 1975 that it was Bing. But I went along with the Bing story until reading Chuck Neil's account of being only able to find the Ernie version.
I'll always believe that AFVN had one of the toughest jobs in Vietnam. Everything that AFVN did, 24/7/365, was under scrutiny by everyone. AFVN was a target of the enemy, and AFVNers gave their lives. On 30 April 1975, the new regime quickly went to Hong Thap Tu Street to secure the stations.
Mike McNally
From: Harry Simons
Date: October 1, 2015
Subject: AFVN
Hello Jim,
Attached are the two pictures you requested and one additional. These were taken by me September 24, 2015 at 9AM. More to come when I get time.
Harry
From: Rick Fredericksen
Date: October 1, 2015
Subject: AFVN
Harry, great work on getting inside; a real coup. Look forward to hearing more about your trip later on, and any other reflections from your return, about other landmarks, your old quarters, etc.
Rick
From: Bob Morecook
Date: September 30, 2015
Subject: AFVN
Awesome!
Thanks for sending!
Bob M
From: Harry Simons
Date: October 1, 2015
Subject: AFVN
Hi Bob,
Ho Chi Minh City Television (HTV) is the official television channel of Ho Chi Minh City. HTV broadcasts in three channels. It went on the air in 1975.
Harry
The flyer prepared by Harry Simons and Station WEBY advertising their documentary on AFVN.
Individual Photo Albums & Stories
Harry Simons III Sgt, USMC
Saigon / Da Nang 1967-69
This page is about Harry joining AFVN@Yahoogroups.com
and his trip to Vietnam in September 2015.
All of the attachments are in the slide show at the bottom of this page.
Messages following the broadcast.
From: Harry Simons
Date: October 5, 2015
Subject: More AFVN TV Pictures
A work station for video editing. The location in the building is the back left corner of the main engineering office at the end of the old hall on the right side of the building.
The back yard. Pictures of some of the back yard were not permitted as it revealed satellite communications. The old generator building is still in use however, the generator has been replaced with a new one.
Harry Simons
[NB: From my perspective, the main entrance was facing the THVN building and therefore this work station would have been in the "back right corner." Jim White]
Slide Show
25 Photos
From: Bob Morecook
Date: August 25, 2015
Subject: Welcome to AFVN'er Harry Simons
Harry spent two years with AFVN in both Saigon and Da Nang. He was there from 67 to 69.
He is involved in a 10 hour radio reminiscence of AFVN that is being created at a radio station in Pensacola.
Welcome home Harry
From: Bob Morecook
Date: October 1, 2015
Subject: AFVN
Hi Harry,
What does HTV mean?
It used to be THVN.
Thanks,
Bob Morecook
From: Harry Simons
Date: September 30, 2015
Subject: AFVN
Hello Group,
I have just returned from Vietnam and have some pictures I would like to share with the group. The two pictures attached are the lobby entrance of the AFVN building. Much more to come.
Harry Simons