Published Daily
Stars and Stripes sold for a nickel in Europe and most of Asia. About 61,000 free copies went to Vietnam daily and were distributed in the field. In addition to the government-authorized Stars and Stripes, an estimated 2 million copies of U.S. newspapers flow into Vietnam each month along with 400,000 paperbacks and 150,000 magazines. (Newsweek’s circulation in Vietnam: 15,000).
Stars and Stripes got its start as a newspaper for Union troops during the Civil War. After a decades-long hiatus, publication resumed during World War I and then had a second renaissance in World War II.
Stars and Stripes newspaper has been published continuously since 1942 in Europe and 1945 in the Pacific. Stripes reporters have been in the field with American soldiers, Marines, sailors and airmen throughout World War II, Korea, the Cold War, Vietnam, the Gulf War, Bosnia and Kosovo and the current global war on terror.
Although the newspaper is authorized by the U.S. Department of Defense, it is editorially independent. Stars and Stripes operates as any First Amendment media organization in America; all editorial decisions are made within its own independent chain of command, free of any censorship and control. Its publisher and most of its employees today are civilians.
My Vietnam Experience 
I use to read that paper whenever I could get a copy of it.Loved it
I was a soldier reporter in Vietnam. I was sent there from Germany for three months to train reporters. I returned to Germany to conclude my tour of duty and kissed the ground when I landed at Weisbaden. Vietnam was a waste of U.S. soldiers. Civilians? Who gives a damn about third world country scumbags? Who gives a damn abut U.S. liberals who protested the war. The best movie made about Vietnam was ‘Full Metal Jacket.’
Walt, maybe you can help me track down PFC Scott Long. He was an Army reporter on our chopper as we went in on a down bird in Cambodia May 6, 1970.
Hot link at the bottom of this post of his 8-min audio report.
Welcome Home!
Never heard of anyone who “trained reporters” and don’t believe you did either. Every war since WWII was a waste of soldiers. I appreciated those who protested against Vietnam. Every soldier I was with in Vietnam hated the “war.” Don’t call anyone that believes what you don’t “liberals.” Platoon was the only movie I ever saw that depicted the Vietnam I was in.
Remember fondly in Vietnam and Europe.
I rarely saw a copy. Even SABER was iffy at PV in 70, then nada at Tay Ninh
Walker, you don’t suppose the fact that I was Charlie Troop mail clerk the final months of my tour had anything to do with that, do you?
I had two R&R’s to japan. On the top of the Stars & Stripes building was a employee cafeteria during the day and for NCO’s “the Sands club” club at NIght. Girls lined up at the gate to be escortered inside. Once inside they were free to do whatever with whom ever.
I was in Saigon from March 69-Jun 69. Was then assigned to the delta at Bin Thuy for the rest of my tour or 9 months. I was in the Air Force but can’t remember the last names of the guys that were stationed with me. Anyone served there during that time? Please get in touch..
Welcome Home Cleveland…
i am not sure how the stars and strip relates to Clevelands post but remember the restaurant in the Stars and Stripes by Building in Toyko became a NCO Club at Night. Girls lined up at the gate to be escorted in, once in side they where on their own/
This is a repeat of a past post of mine. sorry “bout that”
Stars and Stripes has a special report going on from now for the next few years on Vietnam at 50. http://www.stripes.com/news/special-reports/vietnam-at-50.
I was a reporter for Stars & Stripes, Vietnam in 1970. I have some great photos and a copy of the Sunday Magazine that printed my interview with Miss America, Pamela Eldred.
I was a reporter for the Stripes on loan from the Cav from around July to Dec 1970, with Seth Lipsky, Jack Fuller, Charlie Self. When I left Steve Kroft took place. I’m trying to recall you.
was the sands club, restaurant in Stars & stripes club an em club after 5 when you were in Tokyo. It was in 67′ durning my R&Rs. Girls lined up at the gate to be escorted in but then where free to go their own way. Not free otherwise. Gi’s required to waer civilian clothes. Girls had health cards.
Looking for article aboutThis happened in Vietnam soldier who had bullet go thru New Testament and stop at John 3:16.
I’m looking for issues between april 1967 and March 1968. The years of my tour. How do I research this time?
Welcome Home Sterling…
SAME HERE. APRIL68 TO APRIL 69.IF YOU FIND HOW TO GET ISSUES ,PLEASE LET ME KNOW
THANKS
I wasn’t with S&S until 1970
Sterling Dodson,
My name is Henry Little, and you may remember me as we went through OCS together and crossed paths briefly in Saigon in late 1967. I’ve often wondered if you made it back from Vietnam, and if so how your life unfolded subsequently. I live in San Francisco. I recall you grew in Lompoc, CA. If you get this message, please send me an e-mail at: hplittle@gmail.com, or call me at 415-264-7827. It was 51 years ago we last saw one another, and it would be enjoyable to catch up.
Regards, Henry
Any of you guys stationed at Tan Son Nhut AB Saigon from Apr 69, to Jul 69 and or Bhin Thuy from Jul 69 – Apr 70? I was in the Air Force but was stationed with many Army guys.
Thanks
The Stars and Stripes Bldg in Tokyo had a restaurant for employees on the top floor,, after 5 pm or so it became an NCO club. Business girls lined up by the gate to be escorted into it,. one inside the girls were free to wander, not tied to the guy who brought her in. oops i wrote a similar response a long time ago. at least I am consistent.
LOL, yea, I do remember that David.
Trying to find article of Xuan Loc MP’s helping pull a water buffalo out of a well with a support crew. There was a photo of the save in S&S around Christmas of 1970 I think. I no it’s a long shot, but hey!!!! LOL!
Buffalo? Prime rib to us in 67’
I use to read the papers when I was stationed in Okinawa from 1970-1973. How can I get copies of old newspapers during this time period?
The restarestaurant in the stars and stripes bldg, tokyo, sands club, I think, converted into an nco club at night. Local girls lined up. To escorted in..Once in side, they, were not free,Haha but free to roam.
https://www.loc.gov/rr/main/stars/postww2_pac.html
Looking for any stories about the 591st Engr. Co. stationed in Nam during 67-71
I wrote an article for 7th Air Force News while in Vietnam (1969-1970) and it was published by Stars and Stripes. Can I still get a copy?
Thanks sgt James G Smith
May take some digging – good luck..
My fiance Karen Wightman was on your cover I’m told in January 1970. I’ve never seen the picture or article. She was the beauty green for the VFW in my hometown then Connecticut and finally the US final. We did marry years later and I know her family well.
Is there anyway I could see it?
I would like to purchase an old copy of an edition of Stars and Stripes. I can’t remember the date. However maybe with my unit & description, you might help me?
1971 PHU CAT AB.,RVN 12TH Security Police Squadron. A1C Snow firing. an M-60 from a bunker while performing parameter guard duty.
Do you have any archives of photos published in the S&S Asia in 1968. I flew a medevac helicopter in that year. A photographer was embedded with the 25th Inf Div; he took a picture of us on mission. I am attempting to thank that photographer for that picture and his bravery to capture the struggles of the infantry troopers of Tropic Lightning.
Stars and Stripes Saigon bureau had no photographers of its own, at least during my time there. Very rarely would a reporter take a pic himself, and even more rarely would it be published in the paper, because it would have to be sent via plane to Tokyo. 25th Div would tho have had a photo section of its own, which might have given the pic to the Stripes then, if not time-critical be sent to Tokyo and appear in the paper. If so the pic might be in Army archives. I was with Stripes in the latter half of 1969 having been with 1st Cav the first half. You might contact Stripes directly, but I’m not sure whether they still have a Pacific edition. You might also contact 25th Div. Tho at 25th Div later as well, Steve Kroft might be able to help you.
I was with Stars & Strips July – October 1970 and used a camera on every story I wrote. I also covered the Miss America visit and took extensive photos. Email me and I’ll send photos.
Don Smith
Don, I think you must have your dates wrong or we were in the Saigon bureau at the same time and don’t remember each other. I was with Seth Lipsky, Jack Fuller, Charlie Self and a few others whose names I forget, including a Korean sgt. As I corrected myself, I was there shortly after the Cambodia incursion when I was with the AirCav, until about Xmas 1970. We had no photo lab to the best of my recollection and no means to wire a photo to Tokyo. I recall seeing a pic I took of 1/12 Cav guys and a Thanksgiving turkey on a firebase I took in the paper.
I remember Seth well, (he went to Harvard) and Jack (he always ate cottage cheese only for lunch), and Charlie Self who I labeled Ernie Pyle because he was so gung ho, dressed in military fatigues and went with patrols all the time. Send me an email and I’ll return by photos I shot while with S & S. My memory isn’t bac, how can anyone not remember when they were in Vietnam. Question is, who are you? I don’t remember you at all.
No, worse than that, I was with in Vietnam in ’70 not ’69. Procedures might have changed considerably in the interim. Was in Germany in ’69.
Well, I’ll send you some things to jog your memory if I had a place to send them to. But looking over these 39 comments, I see we’ve had this discussion before. Perhaps if you’d tell me where you worked subsequently and which division you came to the Stripes from it might help. Self was, I believe, in the AF. Seth did go to Harvard, liked to read Raymond Chandler and drink Jack Daniels. Said it helped his war writing. I first met him at Phouc Vinh. He re-founded the New York Sun, and published The Forward. He was on the WSJ editorial board. Married Amity Shlaes. Jack wrote a Vietnam novel or two, became editor of the Chicago Tribune, then publisher and president of the Tribune Cos. A book he wrote on the news business contains something we discussed over lunch at Tan Son Nhut one day. He wasn’t eating cottage cheese.
Do you remember the Miss America visit. Tell me what you remember because I covered it
No, I do not. We covered a LOT more than Miss America visits. I was all over the country except the Delta, all the way up to the Marines. In Chu Lai on the Calley visit, in DaNang, Pleiku, Hue, etc. Hitched on almost every type of aircraft there is. And in Tay Ninh, Phouc Vinh, Song Be and number of FBs with the Cav. I replaced, I believe, Joe Kamalick as the Cav’s contribution to the Stripes, after almost single-handedly covering the Cav’s Cambodia Incursion stories, from Shakey on. At the time I was with the Stripes, there was less emphasis on command info, but there was also less combat activity. I wrote an article about it,. Also about drug use. One about a helicopter pilot with acrophobia getting his 4th DFC. Another about a supply sgt who got waaay too much toilet paper. After hitching ride down from Tokyo, Continental, the airline which delivered the Stripes every day, wanted be to do a promotion for them. I declined, as I did a puff on the III Corps deputy. Of course, I made many visits to the 5 o’clock follies and wrote many “war stories” when in Saigon. I would’ve liked to have done more Ernie Pyle -type stuff, but tho being a DINFOS grad, I was still finding my feet in j0rnalism. The only person I can think I didn’t see much of in Saigon was a guy who later worked for WaPo. Seth told me the name in a letter, but I’ve forgotten. Steve Kroft from the 25th took my place when I came home in Dec 1970.
I lived in the Stars & Stripes compound with Seth &Jack. Where did you live? Who was our editor,I forgot.
I roomed with the ROK. We didn’t have an editor. He would’ve been in Tokyo. We did have a Marine Major Davidson who signed my press card. And an army sergeant major, who’s name I’d have to dig out. He sent me a letter, I probably still have. I made a sign on my desk “We’re fond of Fonda” which was near the teletype if I recall correctly. Phil McCombs was the guy who later worked for WaPo. Give it up Don.
I don’t know who you are except you don’t know things you should have known. I can send you articles I wrote for S & S, can you?
Yes, of course. But I know everything I should, and a lot more. For instance, I know you’re a jackass.