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STORIES Kenneth Anderson
| Tom Haupt I was with the Big Red One, (1st Infantry Division) stationed at Dian, Vietnam, and they trucked us to Lai Khe, Vietnam, for the Bob Hope, Christmas show. Connie Stevens, Teresa Graves, Miss Austria who was Miss World at the time were there to entertain the troops, but my biggest thrill was shaking hands with the first man on the moon, Neil Armstrong, who Bob Hope also brought along. I was lucky enough to get a fourth row seat, and Neil walked along the stage and shook hands with whomever he could. He got the biggest, longest, standing ovation you could imagine. Connie Stevens had a hit song out called “Dance with Bill,” and asked anybody with the name of Bill to come up and dance with her. I think four guys did. One was killed shortly after that. A sad thought about the show. Another story, was being stationed with four guys from Chicago. I wrote Mayor Daley a letter for a Chicago flag and he sent us one and we flew it over our hootch, took a picture and it was in the Chicago Tribune back then. I still have it somewhere. In April of 1970, President Nixon pulled our division out so I am grateful to him for that. |