This is from one of the TM packages. Stereo and nice.
Monday, May 23, 2022
Mary Turner 1994
Mary Turner was rocking. In 1994 it had already been a ten year run. Take a listen..
Labels:
1994,
Mary Turner
Saturday, May 21, 2022
Silly spots
Finding sweet spot between informative and zany at AFN
Wolfman Jack 1977
Weekend is here, let's rock with the Wolf. It's 1977. I was at AFKN. Where were you?
Labels:
1977,
Wolfman Jack
Friday, May 20, 2022
Rebel Randall 1951
Rebel Randall has a fairly short run during the Korean War, but was popular. At the time they thought her a little too sultry, but it was the biggest mail getter at AFRTS. Great show.
Labels:
1951,
Jukebox USA,
Rebel Randall
Harry Newman 1994
In the early 1990s Matt was in England enjoying the sounds of AFN from hundreds of miles away:
I recorded these in east Anglia (approximately 800 miles away from the transmitter at Weisskirchen) using my trusty old boom box. Sometimes, at night, when the weather was right, you could get a pretty good signal. The recordings were all somewhere between 1991 and 1996. Sorry I’m not sure of exact dates. Because I was limited to 30 or 45 min audio cassettes, I didn’t tend to record whole shows, instead recording a section where I was interested, I also seem to have a habit of sometimes stopping the recording if the DJ was playing a song I could get in the UK.
He recorded a lot of things I didn't have. Thanks for sharing!!!
Labels:
1994,
Harry Newman
Wednesday, May 18, 2022
Herman Griffith 1967
Herman Griffith is underrepresented here. Hard to find the shows. That makes it all the more exciting when some turn up. During the week, Herman was mostly at KGFJ put once a week he brought it to the brave and the bold getting a weeks' worth of shows for AFRTS. This is around the time that they were starting to record the shows on McCadden Ave so I'm not sure where he made this magic. It's gonna be soulful...
Labels:
1967,
Herman Griffith
Chris Noel 1969

Vetsville Cease Fire House
291 NE 19th Avenue
Boynton Beach, FL 33435
Phone: (561) 736-4325
I’m Chris Noel. In Hollywood, I did films with Elvis and Steve McQueen. In Vietnam, I performed live, and my radio show was broadcast to our troops, both in Vietnam and worldwide.
Then, in 1993, I founded Vetsville Cease Fire House, a non-profit charity based in Florida that is dedicated to providing food, shelter and care for indigent military veterans.
Vets make great employees. They’re dependable team players who work with pride, but finding full-time employment is often extremely difficult. And that's where Vetsville Cease Fire House comes in. Among the great organizations sponsoring us are the Nam Knights MC, a group of police officers and Vietnam veterans.
We’re also sponsored by groups like Rolling Thunder, Paul Revere and the Raiders, “Good Morning Vietnam’s” Adrian Cronauer, and various community organizations. We also hold popular yearly fund-raisers such as Veterans Day celebrations and Rock ‘n’ Roll Sunday!
Our mission is to provide homeless American military veterans --regardless of race, creed, color, sex or age -- with food, shelter, and a secure environment as we aid them in returning to society. That’s our goal -- and Vetsville Cease Fire House is making it happen ... with the help of your generous contribution!
Thank You For Your Time!Chris Noel
Labels:
1969,
Chris Noel,
Date With Chris
Tuesday, May 17, 2022
Jim Pewter
Jim Pewter and Mamie Van Doren
Jim Pewter just sent up a bunch of 1995 shows. Didn't we go to different high schools together? Thank you Jim. Thank you Timmy (Radio's best friend)
Labels:
1995,
Jim Pewter
Sunday, May 15, 2022
Quick Look at DINFOS
DINFOS 1972
The Army began their Army Information School in 1946 at Carlisle Barracks PA. In the following years the school did varying degrees of joint service training until 1951. That was the year that The Armed Forces Information School opened at Ft Slocum NY. The Navy operated their own school at Great Lakes.
1964 brought us the Defense Information School at Ft Slocum, moving to Ft Benjamin Harrison in 1965
In 1992 DINFOS was merged with the Defense Photography School (DPHSCH), and the Defense Visual Information School (DVISCH) at Ft Meade MD.
Every year DINFOS graduates another 4,000 Public Affairs professionals.
DINFOS is where a lot of memories began.
Labels:
DINFOS
Charlie Tuna 1987
Charlie with "Mama" Cass Elliott
I have never heard a scrap of tape where Charlie didn't have his groove. It's talent and working hard.
Labels:
1987,
Charlie Tuna
Banners Of Faith 1970
Yongsan Chapel
Every Sunday morning all of the stations (in cooperation the Armed Forces Chaplains Board) ran religious programming. It was something done sine 1943. Sometimes from a local service, sometimes transcribed.
Labels:
1970,
Banners of Faith,
chapel
Saturday, May 14, 2022
Pete Smith 1982
In the 1980s Pete Smith was the voice of your easy favorites on AFRTS. Pete had worked all over Los Angeles including KNX, KDAY, KRKD, KNOB, KPOL, KJQI/KOJY, KGIL but had an almost 30 year run at KMPC, later at Music of Your Life. Pete Was smooth
Labels:
1982,
Pete Smith
Thursday, May 12, 2022
Don Tracy - 1980
Don Tracy went big in Hartford and from there to Los Angeles. KGFJ, KDAY, KMBY, KABC, KNX. And a 20 year run with AFRTS In 1997 Don opened an ad agency, "Malloy and Associates"
AFRS Alaska - Steve Phillips 1967
Here's our first visit with AFRS Alaska. It's 1967 and Steve Phillips brings the music.
Labels:
1967,
AFRS Alaska,
Steve Phillips
Wednesday, May 11, 2022
Kris Erik Stevens 1978

Kris Erik Stevens left Michigan to take over Chicago radio and was a star at WCFL and WLS when that really meant something. At WLS he worked with AFVN vet Gary Gears. After Chicago he went for the bigger challenge of Los Angeles and won. He was with AFRTS before and after disco. Remember disco? And he's still around and sounding even younger.
http://www.kriserikstevens.com/
Kris Erik Stevens - 1978
Labels:
1978,
Kris Erik Stevens
Gary Owens 1969
A little bit more from the G.O. show, with the Director of Comedy for the Golden West Stations.
A very mod Gary, from "Laugh In"
Labels:
1969,
Gary Owens
Tuesday, May 10, 2022
Love - with Tony Pigg 1971
These are fun. By 1971 "Free-form" rock stations started in many markets. In New York ABCs WPLJ sounded great and Tony Pigg was a great example.
Ira Cook 1961
In 1961shows weren't regularly being recorded at the McCadden Street studios. Here's Ira Cook and a show he did at KMPC.
Monday, May 9, 2022
John Doremus 1967
I found some complete 1967 John Doremus shows. John originated in-flight music on aircraft and did a nighttime show in Chicago that was eventually syndicated by the airlines to a lot of stations. John was one of the giants of broadcasting in general and to AFRTS in particular
Labels:
1967,
John Doremus
Thursday, May 5, 2022
Battle of Guadalcanal 1942
I was at the record store and saw a used album by the USMC Band. The thing was too thick. With the record were 2 12" 78s that sound like they were done for the troops as a command information thing. This one has a short clip recorded in the studio at Guadalcanal. There's just not much audio from the Mosquito Network. It's a good listen.
Labels:
1942,
Mosquito Network
Bob Kingsley 1975
Bob Kingsley visits SCN in the Panama Canal Zone 1972 (photo: Gerry Fry)
Somehow it still amazes me. Bob Kingsley was a really good rock jock. He was one of us. He'd done a tour at our Iceland station. Bob later went on to be the voice of country music on American Country Countdown. In 1975, it was time to rock.
Charles Goyette remembers that picture " I was also more than a little surprised to see myself on the page in a photo with Bob Kingsley at SCN. That was in summer of ’72. Also in the shot are LtC. Dan Maguire (our CO and a very fine man), Tom Colvin, John Fisher, Bob Rupp, Paul Warhanik, and Phil Lane. I’m surprised the talented Lee McGowan wasn’t in that shot.
We were good hosts to Kingsley during his visit to Panama. And some time later Bob was an equally good host when Lee, Gerry Fry, and I visited him in L.A. As I recall, Robert Fuller, the actor in TV westerns like Wagon Train, was Bob’s brother-in-law. Among other things, Bob took us on the lot for a shooting of the series Emergency that Fuller was starring in.
Great seeing that picture again!"
Labels:
1975,
Bob Kingsley,
SCN
Wednesday, May 4, 2022
Record Labels
How many of these do you remember? We're taking a look at the 12" program disks. The 16" used many different labels and numbering schemes. The library disks added a lot of labels too.
In about 1960 the network transitioned from 16" to 12" records. The first label for 12" was the same as the last one for 16". It's formatted a little differently because of the size.
For cataloging these disks have "Call Dates" stamped in the runoff grooves (Due 9/22/61). That seems roughly comparable to the week numbers on the labels starting in 1963.
The only exception seems to be for Rocketing Rhythms/Capitol Cloakroom, presumably because the material was so timely.
There's still no easy way to date a program disk. In approximately 1963 they stopped printing in color.
In early 1964 we start getting week numbers. The 7-4 on the following disk indicates it was shipped week 7 of 1964. In 1967 Christmas week was week 25.
In 1967 the black ink was replaced with blue ink. For a long period they used multiple fonts. That was apparently at random.
The late 60s blue labels had a notable exception.
In 1969 the labels started getting stylish...
In 1970, a full redesign that looked sharp. This was the first label for the newly renamed American Forces Radio and Television Service.
Very shortly after that a hipper redesign.
In 1975 another label change to a mustard-yellow color. Recently I heard that the idea was to make it look like a gold record...
In 1976, we went for silver records...
In 1978 another redesign:
In 1982 a redesign. This was the longest used label in network history. It was used until the end of vinyl transcriptions.
An that's what I know about these things. If I missed something please let me know.
January 2017 Don Browne from AFRTS had more information Click here
Labels:
labels
Tom Campbell 1975
Tom Campbell always had a fun show and sometimes the strangest mixes... Tall Tom revisits 1975. The mustard colored labels were the ugliest ones ever.
Labels:
Tom Campbell 1975
Tuesday, May 3, 2022
Roger Carroll 1981
RC thanks for the memories and some great radio!!
A while back I had a chat with Roger.
Labels:
1981,
Roger Carroll
Jim Pewter 1967

Jim Pewter was the music, his love of great songs shines through. I always waited for the songs that I forgot to remember.
Labels:
1967.,
Jim Pewter
John Halbert Book
John Halbert has a new book:
Amazon has just released my biography which includes being deputy chief of the radio & television branch, in there Office of Information at HQ Strategic Air Command, co-manager of the joint AFRTS/Canadian Broadcasting arrangement at Harmon AFB in Stephenville, Newfoundland (VOHF radio & CFSN-TV), US Air Forces Europe manager of radio & television at HQ USAFE, Ramstein AB, Germany; Assistant Director of Public Affairs in the Pentagon involving being on the DoD AFRTS policy board and later as EUCOM executive manager of AFRTS for Europe.
Synopsis and chapter previews are available at no cost for review
Monday, May 2, 2022
Wolfman Jack 1977
Ladies and gentlemen, Wolfman Jack would like you to join the Air Force. This guy could SELL. It's an amazing skill at that level.
Labels:
1977,
Wolfman Jack
Sound Off 1943
Bill Goodwin
I guess there could be quite a project in who was the first network DJ with AFRS. Bill Goodwin was one of the first with "Sound Off". "Sound Off" was a request show, with dedications for the troops.
Labels:
1943,
Bill Goodwin,
Sound Off
Harry Newman 1987
Harry had a big career in country radio in Los Angeles KBLA, 1965-66; KBBQ, 1967-68; KLAC, 1970-84. Harry was the voice of "Cops" He retired in 1995 and was living in central California.
Harry Newman - 1987
Labels:
1987,
Harry Newman
Chris Noel 1971
Some rock, some ballads and a voice from home. Chris Noel. You have a Date With Chris.
Labels:
1971,
Chris Noel,
Date With Chris
Wednesday, April 27, 2022
Charlie Tuna 1983
Charlie had almost 50 years in Los Angeles radio. That's hard for me to even conceive. Talent..
Charlie was with us from 1971-96. His day jobs were some of the greatest LA top 40s ever.
Labels:
1983,
Charlie Tuna
Mary Helen Barro 1983
It's a Friday in 1983 and Mary Helen has your latin favorites. Let the fiesta begin!
Labels:
1983,
Mary Helen Barro
Wednesday, April 20, 2022
Joe Ferguson 1983
Joe Ferguson was the first one to share his disks with us. It's been a few years and the shows keep coming. I appreciate it very much!
Labels:
1983,
Joe Ferguson
Herman Griffith 1967
Herman brings it to the brave and the bold, the young and the old on the Records Caravan. 1967 was a great year for music.
Labels:
1967.,
Herman Griffith
Monday, April 18, 2022
Joe Allison 1969
Joe Allison with Red Stegall and Don Light
Joe Allison was the country voice for a long, long time. Joe was a musician, producer, writer "He'll Have to Go" and a truly fine DJ. Before Joe, country radio was hillbilly. He brought it modern.
Labels:
1969,
Joe Allison
Mary Turner 1991
Mary Turner really rocked. Hard to believe how much that rattled the brass and talked to the troops. An amazing talent. Hard to conceive the amount of talent at Fort McCadden..
Labels:
1991,
Mary Turner
Sunday, April 10, 2022
AFTN Thailand May 10, 1970
Today is the anniversary of a very sad day.
On April 10th 1970 an unarmed photo recon plane was returning from a mission in Vietnam. It missed the runway, crashed and destroyed the building for AFTN Udorn.
We lost nine airmen that day.
IN MEMORIAM
TSgt Jack A. Hawley (37), Wakeman, OH
SSgt James T. Howard (27), Denver, CO
A1C Andrew C. McCartney (20), Lakewood, OH
SSgt Alfred N. Potter (27), Forest Grove, OR
Sgt John Charles Rose ( 25), Bloomfield, NJ
TSgt Frank D. Ryan, Jr. (41), Mercer Island, WA
SSgt Edward Wm. Strain (24), Myrtle Beach, SC
TSgt Roy Walker (40), Albuquerque, NM
A1C Thomas L. Waterman (25), Roanoke, VA
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