KUTZTOWN, PA 19530 KUTZTOWN UNIVERSITY November 18,1988 Ribute to Vietnam Vets
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KUTZTOWN, PA 19530 KUTZTOWN UNIVERSITY November 18,1988 ribute to Vietnam vets Q A wreath of flowers sits beside the KU memorial to honor Americans killed in Vietnam. ewSo Adiiain Qronaiaer gpeaks at Scliaeffer Auditoritum. New S.A.D.D. Chapter at KU make the station sound more like a state "Armed Forces Radio really did by Rich Drees side radio station. To this end, they make a difference," said Cronauer. He page 3 turned public service announcements then went on to tell how he was making Adrian Cronauer, the real life into commercials, played jingles hyping a personal appearance at a video store l^k^AXi:. inspiration for the motion picture "Good the station, and ran phony contests. The last August. He was talking to a little Morning Vietnam", spoke to a crowd of whole idea of this was to make the girl who was getting his autograph. EntertainmeiLiLts over five hundred people on his personal American GIs feel more at home. When he was done, she asked him for experiences in Vietnam. His appearance Perhaps the greatest one for her neighbor, who had been in Miss was the culmination of a day long series compliment he received on this was Vietnam the same-time as Cronauer. of lectures on Vietnam. from a serviceman who had just flown V\^hile Cronauer was signing the Pennsylvania Opening the lecture with a into Vietnam. On the transport in, they second autograph, the girl told him that resounding "Goooooood evening, had picked up the Armed Forces Radio her neighbor doesn't speak much about Pageant Kutztown!", a variation on his signal, and until there was a station Vietnam, but did have a message for trademark opening, Cronavier identification, the troops in the transport him. age 7 entertained and informed the crowd for thoughtit was a state-side radio station. It was "Thanks". an hour and a half on conditions during the early part of the Vietnam War. Cronauer joined the Air Force in 1961 in order to "avoid the draft", he said with a smile. After a year long stint making training videos, he was Theatre transferred to Crete where he began his work on Armed Forces Radio. It was in Groups Crete that he originated his famous Profiles "Good Morning" opener. His opener, he explained, 'ascf "Started off as a very calm, quiet 'Good ^y >v;y^'v^''^v'-~nm!<•%, Morning'. As the program developed and got a little wilder, the 'Goooooood Morning got a little wilder, too." He stayed in Crete for a year and a half, before transferring to Vietnam to fulfill the last year of his four year Hockey, Football stint. wrap-ups Upon arriving in Siagon, he held the position of news director for a while Men's, Women's before taking over the morning slot on Cronauer's lecture was the final activity of KU's welcome home tribute. Armed Forces Radio. Basketball During his stay*in Vietnam, Cronauer led the other DJs in a plan to 2 - The Keystone, Nov. 18,1988 Two Speakers provide different perspe< of Vietnam War by Joe Pagarelski to Vietnam. He was originally sent to pieces of combat gear. These included a one another to pass the time. News Editor Khe Sanh, which is in the northern part flack jacket, an infantry helmet with the Davis told the audience that of the country. "During the time that I phrase "Kill a commie for mommie" when his plane went down, the war did "...I can teJl you truthfully, I got there," he said, "they were under scrawled on it, as well as several types not end for him. He said that his role doubt I'll ever come out of this war siege." of grenades used by the enemy. only changed. alive. In my original squad I'm the only He remarked that for the soldier Members of the audience additionally This new role was one of oneleftunharmed. Inmyplatoonthere's fighting in-country, resupply was a had the chance to examine and handle intelligence gatherer. The prisoners only 13 of us. It seems every day problem. The clothes on a man's back M-60 and M-16 machine guns. Both gathered information on men who may another guy 18 or 19 years old like were usually his only clothing, and, more weapons were provided by Kutztown's have been shot down and captured. myself is killed in action... " often than not, were in tatters. Fresh ROTC company. The firing bolts were There were men whose sole purpose The words above were written troops were issued three shirts, pairs of removed from both weapons, making was to memorize lists of names and by a young American soldier fighting in pants, ect., which they distributed them harmless. stories. It is because of these intelligence Vietnam. Like over 58,000 others, he among those in their unit, according to Soldiers in the field may have networks that Mr. Davis does not believe died in the jungles of South East Asia. need. undergone physical battles with the Americans are being held captive in Those who returned to the United States The fighting conditions enemy, but those who were captured Vietnam today. received no ticker tape parades or hero's experienced in Vietnam were perhaps experienced mental combat as well. He also added that he believes welcomes. Vietnam Vets came back to the worst Americans have ever Edward Davis told the audience of this the North Vietnamese only took men the U.S. under cover of darkness. experienced. Soldiers carried a weight side of the war. Mr. Davis's fighter who were not wounded as prisoners. Kutztown • University of some fifty to sixty pounds of plane was shot down over North Those who were wounded, he said, were celebrated Veteran's Day early this year equipment on their backs. The Vietnam in 1965. He spent the the next most probably left to die. with a series of lectures designed to give temperature ranged from 95 to 105 seven and one-half years as a prisoner. He did say, however, that the younger people a better understanding degrees Fahrenheit. 'There were many Davis remarked that his first United States Government should do of the war and to give Vietnam Veterans days when we were lucky if we had two conscious thought after he jumped out all in its power to put the MIA issue to a long over due "Welcome Home". meals," Lewandowski said. "Many days of his aircraft was how beautiful its fiery rest once and for all. The lectures told of the various we had no water," decent looked against the night sky. He An emotion shared by both aspects of the war and their effects. After six months in the infantry, said his seconds thought was, "My wife men was that of grief and sorrow for the Two speakers in particular Lewandowski volunteered for a Civil is not going to like this." friends they left behind in a far off land illustrated the different roles played by Action Program(CAP), which was an He was married just two weeks called Vietnam. soldiers in combat and American "armed Peace Corps". The participants before his captivity began. One factor that has tied together prisoners in the Vietnam War. in this program helped civilians build Mr. Davis said prisoners noticed all wars since the dawn of Man and will Andrew F. Lewandowski, who schools and dig wells. It was their job to that they began to remember everything continue doing so until its twilight was served in Vietnam form 1968 to 1969, protect the village from the enemy. It they had ever learned, because of, well expressed in a line from the spoke about his own personal was the practice of the Viet Cong to according to him, the absence of television series M^A^S'^H. "The experiences as well as the situation as a enter villages at night to collect tax distractions such as television and radio. common denominator is blood. The whole. money and recruit soldiers. He mentioned one man who realized blood of children." Mr. Lewandowski joined tlie In order to illustrate what it that he had unknowingly memorized Marine Corps when he was seventeen was like to be a soldier in Vietnam, Mr. the entire dictionary. With their years old, and seven years later was sent Lewandowski passed around various red iscovered knowledge, POWsJmight Agent Orange and. I'^'off- Itati; Tri.ai T.C bfeess ptaguie \.^T.etiiiW'l?iti O' o by Joe Pagarelski distributed by Edwards, "Dioxin is the to dioxin while in Vietnam." News Editor VIETNAM PAY ^88 most toxic chemical known to man, and Mr. Edwards drew a Many of the men and women time period, according to Dwight extraordinarily low dosages can even comparison between exposure to Agent who served in Vietnam returned to the Edwards, Executive Director of the prove fatal to certain animals." This Orange and exposure to the AIDS virus. United States with the belief that they Vietnam Veterans' Health Initiative literature also stated, "The VA The effects of both take long periods of did not suffer any serious injuries during Commission, acknowledges that all in-country time to surface, and when they do, are their tour of duty. Some discovered According to literature Vietnam veterans are presumed exposed almost always deadly. physical injuries on their return. Others found out their wounds were psychological. Many who returned discovered iEMT ORMSE1UMITED mUS MMMl IB?' that they had acquired Post Traumatic Stress Disorder(PTSD). PTSD involves the development of characteristic symptoms after experiencing a psychologically traumatic event.