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Project Jenny KLIK - 1st Inf Di v Women in Vietnam RELATED-- To AFVN To Saigon To Vietnam Further Afield Index
From: Jim White
Date: August 9, 2017
Subject: Last Dawnbuster Deejay
Joe,
Many of the earlier Dawnbuster DJs are indicated only by year. But thanks for trying to "stretch a brain synapse or two."
Jim W
From: Jim White
Date: September 13, 2016
Subject: "Good Morning, Vietnam" is Alive and Wll in Northern Iraq
Just found this on the Net -- Army Times for September 9, 2016
Jim W
From: Bob Morecook
Date: August 6, 2017
Subject: Bob Morecook and Joe Huser Reunite as "Hawaiian Warriors"
We got together early last week -- Joe is VERY active in the radio industry here on the Island of Maui -- and Bob got to be an Honored Guest on his live music show -- his first time on Radio air since Vietnam. We had a great time together at breakfast afterward -- and are planning on getting together again before Bob heads back to Houston. Joe had the honor of being the last DeeJay in Saigon doing the Dawnbuster show.
From: Jim White
Date: August 9, 2017
Subject: Last Dawsnbuster Deejay
Bob,
According to https://www.afvnvets.net/hist---timeline.html it was March 23---but what's 9 days after these many years.
Jim
From: Nancy Smoyer
Date: December 5, 2017
Subject: AFVN Det 5 Story
Rick,
I haven't gotten this issue of Vietnam yet, but I wanted to tell you that I enjoyed your article about "Good Morning, Vietnam." I always like hearing the backstory of events, and you told it well so this really filled the bill. I need to rewatch the movie, if nothing else to watch the reaction of the men--the best part of Vietnam for me.
I've sent my reaction to the movie before, but maybe it needs repeating here.
I went to see Good Morning, Vietnam with a DD friend and a civilian friend of hers. During the scene where the actor playing Adrian Cronauer was caught in a traffic jam and started kidding with the guys in a nearby truck--where are you from, how long you been in Vietnam, etc.-- the whole atmosphere changed from growing frustration to one of lightness and laughter. I whispered to my friend, "He was a Donut Dollie, too."
Then when we came out of the movie, after the ending in which Louis Armstrong sang “What a wonderful world” to scenes of destruction in Vietnam, I said to her, "I feel like bawling." She responded something like, “That was so depressing.” The civilian woman said, "What? I thought it was funny!"
Nancy
From: Jim White
Date: August 8, 2017
Subject: Bob Morecook and Joe Huser Reunite as "Hawaiian Warriors"
Bob Morecook and Joe Huser,
According to what I have (and to the best of my knowledge at the time I prepared it--most likely in August 2014), until I got this message I never saw anything nor did--to my knowledge--anyone ever question that the last person was John Allgood in 1971-72. Please confirm the following and approximately when Joe took over and I'll change the record.
Jim W PS:
Things like this only confirm my secret belief that very few people ever look at AFVVets.net.
From: Jim White
Date: August 9, 2017
Subject: The Last Dawsnbuster DJ
To Joe Huser, Can you give me some more details about when you took charge of Dawn Buster, etc.?
Thanks, Jim W
To ALL I apologize for occasionally stating that I wonder if anyone is reading our website. I have gotten some good positive responses rebutting that statement. They go a long ways in keeping me "hanging in there" hour after hour, day after day...."
Jim W
From: Bob Morecook
Date: August 9, 2017
Subject: Last Dawsnbuster Deejay
Jim the station shut down in March 1973 -- the 14th I think. You mention that Allgood ended his tour in 72 according to your records. That does leave room for more deejays doing dawnbuster.
Bob M
From: Joe Huser
Date: August 9, 2017
Subject: The Last Dawsnbuster DJ
Jim I'm sorry I do not remember specific times and dates. I only remember moving from Orient Express to Dawnbuster...when and for how long is lost on me. I was 19 turn 20 years old and living large in Saigon and not focused on anything in particular. Blame it on my youth. I was just playing the hits. I don't think I even knew there was a war going on in some ways. It's a bit embarrassing to admit but the truth. At least that's my perception or recollection some 46 years later. Sorry I couldn't be of more help. I only remember taking over Dawnbuster after John. On what date and month is lost on me.
From: Ann Kelsey
Date: December 5, 2017
Subject: AFVN Det 5 Story
I’ll add my Good Morning Vietnam experience to Nancy’s. I pretty much avoid Vietnam War movies, or any war movies really, but I went to see Good Morning Vietnam because it was billed as a comedy and because I knew Adrian from AFVN get-togethers. It was fine until the ending scene that Nancy describes and to which I had a similar reaction. Now I cannot listen to It’s a Wonderful World because I immediately see in my mind those images of sapper attacks in downtown Saigon and then fast forward to my own sapper attack experiences. So much for Vietnam War comedy.
Ann
From: Frank Rogers
Date: September 25, 2013
Subject: Good Morning, Vietnam
Hi Jim...
In reading the history and Dawnbuster sections of the AFVN site I have some additions and corrections to input. First of all, the AFRS studios moved from the Rex BOQ to the Brink BOQ in mid-November 1963. It was about one week before the assassination of President Kennedy on November 2, Far East Time, and approximately two weeks after the over throw and assassination of South Vietnam's President Ngo Dinh Diem on November 1. Station OIC Air Force Lieutenant Don Kirtley details the move in his account of the station history on the MACOI site. The time line and narrative history of the station history erroneously report this as in August 1964.
Secondly, adding to the debate concerning the original "Good Morning Vietnam" voices. As Rick Fredrickson reported during the May 2013 debate, Lee Hansen was the first regular host of the Dawnbuster Show. He was doing the show when I arrived at the station in August 1963 and he stayed on the shift until early 1964 when he returned to the States. I worked as the newsman on the shift with him for his last couple of months at the station. We were also roommates at the Majestic and later the Ambassador Hotels. When Hansen left, Steve Southerland took over the Dawnbuster Show and Don Busser took his place when Southerland, who did an 18 month tour, returned to the U-S for separation. I continued to read the news on the shift until I left for the States in September 1964.
Navy Chief Journalist Bryant Arbuckle, Journalist John Ramsey and Army SFC Jack Brice hosted the show prior to Hansen.
Incidentally Southerland was the voice of the re-creations of two Muhammad Ali (maybe he was still Cassius Clay then) fights mentioned elsewhere in the discussion.
Bios of Arbuckle, Brice, Hansen, Southerland and Busser can be found on the MACOI site. Mine is there too.
Hope that clears up the matter of who was first to say "Good Morning Vietnam.
Craig Prosser AFRS Saigon 1963-64
AFVN Dawnbuster Hosts - 1962 - 1973
The following summaries the best informtion I have on who were the Dawnbuster Hosts over the years.
Contact the Webmaster if you have any corrections or comments.
From: Craig Prosser
Date: May 8, 2013
Subject: Additions to the AFVN Site
(A)dding to the debate concerning the original "Good Morning, Vietnam" voices. As Rick Fredrickson reported during the May 2013 debate, Lee Hansen was the first regular host of the Dawnbuster Show. He was doing the show when I arrived at the station in August 1963 and he stayed on the shift until early 1964 when he returned to the States. I worked as the newsman on the shift with him for his last couple of months at the station. We were also roommates at the Majestic and later the Ambassador Hotels. When Hansen left, Steve Southerland took over the Dawnbuster Show and Don Busser took his place when Southerland, who did an 18 month tour, returned to the US for separation . I continued to read the news on the shift until I left for the States in September 1964.
Navy Chief Journalist Bryant Arbuckle, Journalist John Ramsey and Army SFC Jack Brice hosted the show prior to Hansen.
Craig Prosser
From: Frank Rogers
Date: September 25, 2013
Subject: Good Morning, Vietnam
I'm surprised that nowadays many military don't know what AFVN was when they see me in my AFVN Radio TV Vietnam polo shirt. Of the few who do know it, so very often they ask me if I knew the guy or I did the "Good Morning Vietnam" call myself.
From: Tim Boodle
Date: May 8, 2013
Subject: Cramer Haas is still doing it on YouTube -- Click here Dawnbuster & GMVN
From: Jim Anderson
Date: May 8, 2013
Subject: Cramer Haas is still doing it on YouTube -- Click here Dawsnbuster & GMVN
I can never get tired of hearing this. It was my wake-up all at Di-An in 1966.
Jim
From: Joe Ciokon
Date: May 7, 2013
Subject: Dawnbuster & GMVN
[In response to Rick Fredericksen's scenio, above.]
I, too, accept Rick’s interpretation and recommend our site adopt it as the “official” version. As to re-creating sports events on radio, JO2 John Crowell, SP4 Jack Mulvain, and I did the same at CFN (pre-SCN), 1960-61 in the Canal Zone. We linked two production studios (against the advice and approval of the engineers), using the AFRTS Sound Effects ETs (cue the bat sounds, crowd noise, etc.), and the audience believed it was “live”.
JoeC
From: John Lehman
Date: May 7, 2013
Subject: Dawnbuster & GMVN
We used to [still do] have a clip of Cramer Hass doing a "Goooooooood Morning, Vietnam" on the Dawnbuster back in ‘65 and he was still doing it in early ‘66 when I stopped in to visit him one AM when I came into Saigon to edit audio tapes at CBS News. I was running Radio/TV for the 1st Infantry Division back then. Didn’t have time to listen to AFVN after I transferred to IIFFV in April of ‘66 to busy covering combat ops and getting the correspondents in & out of the field on all units in III CORPS. So the 1st time I met Adrian was in 1992 at the 50th Anniversary bash for AFRTS in San Antonio.
Jay Lehman
From: Steve Sevits
Date: May 7, 2013
Subject: Dawnbuster & GMVN
[In response to Rick Fredericksen's scenio, above.]
This makes perfect sense, Lee Hansen was there in ’63, although I didn’t know him well. I think he was part of the crew who recreated ball games and prize fights from blow-by-blow wire copy. Their productions were so realistic sounding that I used to hang around during off time just to witness the process even though I never was a sports fan.
The guy to ask about the early AFRS staff would be Jack Brice who lives near Atlanta.
I’d suggest betting the farm on the above account. It fits with everything I knew while I was there. Except for a Petty Officer by the name of Ramsey who did the morning show -- I knew him and he was there but seems to have disappeared except from the picture in the Observer.
Another guy who was pictured in the Observer was Air Force Sgt. Frank Monteleone who was assigned as the “permanent party” news chief. I [have] never heard of him since, [but] he was a real professional and a good guy to boot.
Steve
From: Rick Fredericksen
Date: May 7, 2013
Subject: Dawnbuster & GMVN
Here is a likely scenario on the Dawnbuster and Good Morning Vietnam debate. Chief Arbuckle and Lee Hansen were at the Rex in the early days. Arbuckle has passed away. I talked with Hansen last month. He said Arbuckle was actually doing the morning show when he got there, but Arbuckle was the station manager, not an on-air guy, so Lee took over the 6-10 morning shift. Here is a quote from a Hansen email: "We chose to name the morning show 'The Dawnbuster.' All of the jocks used various greetings to the troops, including 'Good Morning, Vietnam.'" So they both were involved, but I believe Lee Hansen was the first, regular host assigned to the morning show, after it was named 'The Dawnbuster.' By the way, Arbuckle and Hansen are both linked to 'The Dawnbuster' in their MACOI bios. (Arbuckle's was submitted by a son) I believe they both were involved with developing the show and Hansen was the first official host.
As for who launched the exaggerated "Gooooood Morning, Vietnam," I'm confident that title goes to Adrian Cronauer. He told me the story last month. Adrian arrived on the scene at the Brink Hotel in '65. Before Vietnam he was on the air in Crete, and signed on with "Gooooood Morning, Crete." He adapted that to "Goooooood Morning, Vietnam" and the rest is history. He was originally the News Director at AFRS Saigon and took over Dawnbuster when the host rotated home. I'm sure others would have said good morning Vietnam, since it is such a common greeting...but the drawn out, "Goooooood Morning, Vietnam" is Adrians.
This leaves the mysterious Stewart gentlemen out in the cold. He has no bio on the MACOI site and is not mentioned on the AFVN roster. I'd like to know what that Observer story (see AFVN History, Paragraph 1-17), has to say.
Rick Fredericksen
From: Dick Ellis
Date: May 6, 2013
Subject: Dawnbuster
Steve... I think I still have that Observer (see AFVN History, Paragraph 1-17), if not I gave it to someone in Memphis. Also, I always thought that "officers" were not allowed to be "announcers" on the air. Only did interviews and whatever. I think Forrest may be the exception at his "bootleg" station back in the field (Klnk [KLIK] or whatever it was....I never heard of it until I saw it on this net...it did not operate when I was there) ...and of course doing his division show on visits to Saigon. I don't think a Captain ever did Dawnbuster.
Dickie
From: Brian Wickham
Date: May 6, 2013
Subject: Dawnbuster & GMVN
If you read the article you will see that Capt. Steward was a specialist at the time (1962).
Brian
From: Brian Wickham
Date: May 6, 2013
Subject: Good Morning, Vietnam
Just to stir the pot a little - I interviewed a Captain Stewart at CMAC in Saigon in 1969 who said he was the first Dawnbuster, although he did not claim using "Good Morning, Vietnam." You can read the piece in the CMAC Harpoon from Jan 1969 and draw your own conclusions. I was in no position to fact check the Captain but his story rang true and, as a person who had already worked in commercial radio, I felt he knew what he was talking about.
Brian
From: Joe Ciokon
Date: May 6, 2013
Subject: Good Morning, Vietnam
That’s always the way I’ve heard it. Don Busser created the “Dawnbuster” show and the first to yell “Good Morning, Vietnam!” JO1 Bryant J. “Fatty” Arbuckle was one of the influences in my changing rate from Aerial Photographer (PHAN) to JO3 after I relieved him as editor of the base newspaper at NAS Lakehurst, NJ, in 1957. I only learned of his AFVN tour through this net. He was a legend in his time.
Joe C
[NB: The "Fatty" Arbuckle nickname is most likely because "Arbuckle" isn't that common and there was a very famous (and very fat) comedian during the Silent Film Era who went by the name of "Fatty Arbuckle." He dropped from site after a scandal involving the death of a young startlet. I think Bryant Arbuckle's real nickname was "Buck" or "Bucky." JimW]
From: Steve Sevits
Date: May 6, 2013
Subject: Good Morning, Vietnam & Chief Arbuckle
By time I got to Saigon in ’63 Arbuckle was no longer on the air, I think he was program director by then. He was among the first staff members at AFRS Saigon. I was there for the first anniversary of the station and he had been there quite a while before me. Steve
From: Bob Morecook
Date: May 6, 2013
Subject: Good Morning, Vietnam
Sajak was not first. Others can say who was.
Bob
From: Ron Hesketh
Date: May 6, 2013
Subject: Good Morning, Vietnam
I know that when I was there in '64-'65, Don Busser was the Good Morning, Vietnam guy.
Ron H
From: Joe Ciokon
Date: May 6, 2013
Subject: Jim White, the weirdo
My second tour at SCN-Panama, 1974-77, we never saw “Happy Days” and did not know who the “Fonz” was and why he made the cover of Time, until we returned to the States and saw the reruns. I used to deny my Filipino heritage and let people assume I was Native American (Sioux, Cherokee, Navajo -- pick one). Someone called me “Navajo Joe” in Boot Camp and it stuck with me until I changed rate to Journalist at Lakehurst and realized what I was doing. A longtime Judo associate is a “Nisei” born and raised in L.A., son of a grocer. He did the exchange student bit in college and spent a year at Tenri University in Tokyo [Unless they have a second campus in Tokyo, it is actually in Tenri City, south of Nara. JimW], studying Judo, Karate, and Kabuki dancing. When SHOGUN hit the book stands, I asked him which character he identified with and was surprised when he answered: “Omi”, then realized that’s the Samurai way. That’s who we are as military. He got an overnight carrier trip through me because he was a college professor and a targeted candidate for the Guest of the Navy program. Watching day and night flight operations, he remarked: “There are today’s Samurai.”
Ding Hao and Mabuhay!
From: Bob Nelson
Date: May 6, 2013
Subject: Good Morning, Vietnam
The first one I know of/about was Don Busser- 1964-65.
Bob N
From: Steve Sevits
Date: May 6, 2013
Subject: Good Morning, Vietnam
I don’t think Sajak was the first to use “Good Morning Vietnam,” far from it. I believe it was Chief Arbuckle at AFRS Saigon in 1962. Chief Arbuckle was the first “Dawnbuster” succeeded by a long line of others. There are a lot of traditions the origins of which seem to have become lost over time, but “Good Morning Vietnam” was nothing new by time I got to Saigon in 1963.
Steve
From: Jim White
Date: May 6, 2013
Subject: Good Morning, Vietnam
I may have been talking through my hat when I said that Sajak started GMV. However, while I'd have to listen to it again, I got the impression from his interview that he wasn't bashful about being declared "the first." I smell a discussion starting here--therefore if some of the others of you will join in, I'll keep the messages on file and add a section on GMV to the new web site.
Jim
From: Jim White
Date: May 6, 2013
Subject: A Confession -- Wheel of Fortune
A Confession: Just to point out how, culturally speaking, I may be "non-American." For a long time I hadn't been able to figure out why all the AFVN chatter about Pat Sajak. I knew he had been with AFVN and had started the "Good Morning, Vietnam" tradition but that was about all I knew. After listening to the link to the NPR radio interview with Pat, it all began to come together. He is and for many years has been, the host for what is evidently a rather well-known quiz show on TV in the US--Wheel of Fortune. I have seen that show, perhaps a half-dozen times or less and only in scattered pieces. And that was just when home visiting my parents. Therefore, it is hardly "up there" anywhere in my major memory banks. Related to this, Ron Hesketh's reference to me as "our own Vanessa White" during the 2012 Reunion went completely over my head. I smiled and I think I acknowledged it with a "thank you" or something but my internal reaction was "Who the heck is Vanessa White?"
By the way, "non-American" means neither "anti-American" nor "un-American." I believe in America and its values and consider myself a good American. It is just that some of my cultural experiences over the decades have not been all that "American." Now that I have announced that I may be more culturally Japanese than anything else, perhaps I should close with "Sayonara," the Japanese word most closely linked to the English phrase "Goodbye." However the literal translation of "Sayonara" is more like "So be it" or "If that is what it is to be," phrases one might use in saying a final goodbye to a spouse one has just divorced or to a friend who is now and suddenly no longer a friend. Therefore, I'm going to close with
"Ato de" (literally "Later on"),
Jim, the weirdo who hasn't lived in the U.S. since 1967
Good Morning, Vietnam
May to October 2013, September 2016, and August and December 2017
Who was first?
Also see the earlier Dawnbuster Conversation
AFVN Group Conversations