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Outstanding Unit    Award  w/ Combat "V" Device 1971 -l973


Ron Hurst

1971 Billboard

Military Broadcaster of Year


DINFOS  Memorial


 

 

The American Forces Thailand Network (AFTN),  military radio and television, provided music, news and entertainment to the American Fighting Man and Woman in Thailand for more than ten years during the Vietnam War.

This web site is dedicated to the nine broadcasters and engineers who gave their lives when a battle damaged F-4 Phantom Recon Jet crashed into the Udorn AFTN station on April 10, l970.  This is an unofficial web site.


AFTN Webmaster is Bob Wertz , then A1C USAF,  AFTN Radio/TV Udorn, 71-72.    Email comments, etc. to  BobWertz  in Baton Rouge, LA

AFTN Web Templates design & photo albums compiled/edited by Norm Corley, then Sgt. USAF,  AFTN Radio/TV NKP 72-73.  Norm is retired and living in Athens, Greece.

AFTN Air Chex edited & remastered by Dick Storck, then Sgt. USAF, AFTN Radio/TV  Udorn/Korat 68-69.  Dick is still broadcasting at WCPE, Raleigh, NC.

 Since January 19, 2003, there have been

Home page audio montage [WINDOWS Media file]Sgt. Phil Favreau, AFTN News, Fall, l972, Charlie Tuna AFRTS program and AFTN jingle (spliced in 1972 from AFRTS master)

Last updated on   1 / 1 / 2010


The night before Christmas 1972.

It was definitely not a fluffy white Christmas eve in Udorn, Thailand that year. I worked for the American Forces Radio and Television Network.  About three of us were Army troops assigned to the Air Force’s Thailand network.  We helped man a 24 hour a day radio station and 17 hour a day TV station for the Royal Thai Air Base and secret points in Laos.

  Every year as the holidays approach my mind always goes back to that night when a couple of fellow GI’s and I sat along the flight line watching the fighter jets take off on their missions. Most were riding shotgun for B 52’s bombing Hanoi.  The bright yellow exhaust fire and the roar of the jets brought home the idea that “Peace on Earth” wasn’t in the offing that night.  In fact, the very spot we were sitting was hit by a battle damaged F4 about a year previously.  All of the staff in the station were killed. Two that weren’t there became the only survivors of one the worst information disasters in AFRTS history. Surprisingly very little of this was lost on us as we shared the canned ham sent over by my Mom.

We were the lucky ones in the unpopular war that wasn’t.  I  (as well as many of my age)  have friends who came home in a coffin, or were never right again.  So many years later, it is easy to say we were never welcomed home from a situation that most were drafted into.

That’s when my mind goes back to that flight line and  I want to remember all the military men and women today.  In today’s high tech world, cell phones and computers make the world much smaller.  We couldn’t call our families but somehow maybe that was better.  It is better not to tease a person with a voice?  You still can’t reach out and touch someone with a cell phone.

I know no one who hasn’t served or has known someone who did.  We get bombarded with reminders of remembrance.  It’s a simple deal.  Ask them to remember their Christmas Eve and give them a simple thanks.  It’s popular now to do that.  It always wasn’t that way and some never got that affirmation.  Make it their turn this holiday season.

Bill Hart,
AFTN Udorn 72-73

Springfield Ohio

Running in Wed edition  12/23/09  www.thespringfieldpaper.com

 


SETV  AFTN 2009 Reunion Pics

October 8-11, 2009  ( click here )



AFTN Insight -- Summer l967

Petula Clark - Sgt Tom McDonald

Mel Torme - AIC Bryant Michaud

click here for scoped airchecks

Sgt Tom McDonald(seated) at Korat - 1967


Mekong River Valley  Feb 09

Dave Ramsey, Feb 09

go here for the pics [uploaded 8/16/09]


NKP circa late l968

[ t to r:  TSgt Jim Ewing, SSgt Dean Pennington, SSgt Jim Smith, AIC Steve Sills,
bottom row:  AIC Karpiaic, AIC Dick Tomberlin, SSgt Bob (Speedy) Spivacke

more pics coming from Speedy


Click here for other AFTN updates recently posted


 
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