Report from Vietnam

Foreign Correspondent John Hlavacek

As I walked out of my hooch one afternoon to perform my daily mail clerk duties, I ran into a man whose face I had seen many times on TV back in the ‘World’. It was John Hlavacek a reporter/foreign correspondent for KMTV-TV in Omaha, Nebraska, and he was looking for me of all people.

His mission was to film and interview soldiers serving in Vietnam from the TV viewing area around Sioux City, IA and Omaha, NE. He was putting together a program to be viewed as a TV Special during the 1970 Christmas Holidays. The families of the soldiers were notified by the TV stations ahead of time so they could watch their loved ones when the program aired.

He wasted no time interviewing after I told him Charlie Troop 1/9th was a prime target for frequent mortar attacks. He asked a few questions, did his filming, and quickly moved on but not before I got his autograph…

A letter and videotape was sent to my parents by KCAU-TV in Sioux City, Iowa.