House in Hue where GI broadcasters made their stand

When the Spam hit the fan in Nam

From: Rich Halten
Length: 10:36

A Veteran's Day flashback to two tales of survival from one historic battle Read the full description.

Piece Audio

Playing: When the Spam hit the fan in Nam
From: Rich Halten

Hue_billets_post-tet_small With the passing of more and more of WW2's veterans, the largest number of vets alive to mark this Veteran's Day is those who served in Vietnam. Two Vietnam vets separated in battle during the Tet Offensive by the Vietcong in 1968, came together recently to tell their very different stories of survival. One was captured and spent five years in a prison camp, the other feels angels must have saved him from a similar fate -- or worse.

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Piece Description

With the passing of more and more of WW2's veterans, the largest number of vets alive to mark this Veteran's Day is those who served in Vietnam. Two Vietnam vets separated in battle during the Tet Offensive by the Vietcong in 1968, came together recently to tell their very different stories of survival. One was captured and spent five years in a prison camp, the other feels angels must have saved him from a similar fate -- or worse.

Intro and Outro

INTRO:

In war, there are winners and losers -- sometimes on the same side. This is the story of two GI broadcasters setting up an Armed Forces radio station during the Viet Nam War, who suddenly found themselves fighting the pivotal battle of that 14-year conflict. Both were wounded, both survived, but one lived through a five-year nightmare before finally coming home.

OUTRO: