Article about Santa coming to Vietnamese orphanages

Item

derivative filename/jpeg

363-05472 to 363-05475.pdf

Digital Object Identifier

363-05472 to 363-05475

Title

Article about Santa coming to Vietnamese orphanages

Description

Original title: "SANTA", Keever's title: "Santa Helicopters in to Saigon's 'orphanage without a Name'", Article about a Marine Corps project to send Santa to South Vietnamese orphanages in a helicopter, published by the New York Herald Tribune

AI Usage Disclosure

Draft transcripts were automatically generated via Google Document AI and are currently under review. Please report significant errors to Archives & Special Collections at archives@unl.edu.

Transcript

DEEPE SANTA--1 dec. 23, 1964 SAIGON--For a hundred Vietnamese orphans, Santa came in a helicopter this year. The arrival of the red-flannel suited Santa in the torrid tropical temperature brought gasps from the [deletion: onlooking] orphans of “Ah: Ong Gia Noel--Old Man Christmas!” as he stepped out of a U.S. Army “Huey” helicopter with sleigh-like runners. For Christmas, the pilots, crews and mechanics of the 145th Aviation Battalion in Saigon--who normally spend their days fighting Communist Viet Cong guerrillas--personally adopted for the day 90 orphans from an “orphanage without a name” in the suburbs of Saigon. (More) deepe santa--2 dec. 23,1964 “I think the GI’s had more fun than the kids,” [XXXX indicating deletion] Battl Battalion Commander Lt. Col. Robert K. Cunningham of Montgomery Ala. laughed. The youngsters arrived at the [XXXX indicating deletion] white bungalow compound of the helicopter companies singing [deletion: in] “Jingle Bells” in English, although none of them could understand the language. They were promotely given [XXXX indicating deletion] hairouts and showers. “It’s the first shower some of them had ever taken,” one American crew chief laughed. “They stayed in their for 30 minutes and didn’t want to leave. I got as wet as [XXXX indicating deletion] they did.” Then their [XXXX indicating deletion] tattered ragmuffin clothes were changed. The little girls were transformed into Cinderellas with fluffy crispy dresses of pinks and yellows--which the GI’s had arranged to have personally custom-made by a Saigon tailor for each. Cartoons of Pluto and Mickey Mouse were followed by a Christmas dinner of hamburgers a la American, chocolate ice cream and frosted cakes. Then they were taken to Tan Son Nhut airport where for the first time in their lives they saw [deletion: jet] commercial jet airliners and American helicopters take off and land. (More) deepe santa--3 “It doesn’t seem much like Christmas in this kind of weather,” one young American crew chief said, wiping the sweat from his brow. “Oh, my [XXXX indicating deletion] I’ve been stationed in Georgia and Alabama for three years,” another chimed in. “My kids have never seen snow so it isn’t much different than here.” A third laughed, [deletion: “I m] “My kids would kill me if I didn’t make them a snowman every year,” a ‘copter pilot from New Hampshire laughed. Suddenly, over the rooftop flew a brown metallic dragonfly of a helicopter [deletion: with] [illegible] a red-suited Santa with a jolly laugh and unpadded [XXXX indicating deletion] tummy. Followed like a Pied Piper by [deletion: hundred] tens of the children, he quickly distributed from his toy sack (Army laundry bag) candy, dolls for the little girls and tanks, guns--and even Air Force jetliners for the little boys. “At Christmastime we are even nice to the Air Force,” one helicopter pilot laughed, alluding to the Air-Force-Army [XXXX indicating deletion] competition between airplanes and fast-moving Army armed helicopters. “Man, is it hot in here,” said Santa (Sp/4 Marvin Spidle, [XXXX indicating deletion] a crew chief of 213 pounds from Hagerstown, Maryland). “I think I’m going to faint. This suit (custom-made in Saigon) is hotter than fatigues.” deepe Santa--4 But even as the [XXXX indicating deletion] Santa handed out the gifts, a few high-ranking helicopter pilots slipped away for a briefing on tomorrows secret mission against the Communist Viet Cong guerrillas. -30-

Date

1964, Dec. 23

Subject

Vietnam War, 1961-1975; Soldiers; Psychological warfare; Propaganda; Christmas; Children; Military helicopters; United States. Army; Civilians in war

Location

Saigon, South Vietnam

Coordinates

10.8231; 106.6311

Size

20 x 26 cm

Container

B187, F1

Format

dispatches

Collection Number

MS 363

Collection Title

Beverly Deepe Keever, Journalism Papers

Creator

Keever, Beverly Deepe

Copyright Information

These images are for educational use only. To inquire about usage or publication, please contact Archives & Special Collections.

Publisher

Archives & Special Collections, University of Nebraska-Lincoln Libraries

Language

English