Before 'Wheel of Fortune,' Pat Sajak spun records for the Army in Vietnam

Before Pat Sajak began his 43-year run on “Wheel of Fortune,” he shouted out another memorable phrase from the studios of the Armed Forces Vietnam Network in Saigon from October of 1968 to December of 1969: “Good Morning Vietnam!”

“I wasn’t the first to use those memorable words—that was Adrian Cronauer, who was famously portrayed by Robin Williams—but that became the signature sign-on of every early-morning DJ on AFVN,” Sajak said in an article he wrote for the USO.

Sajak, whose final Wheel of Fortune appearance is set for Friday, was an Army Specialist 5th class who was trained as a clerk typist before being sent to Vietnam as a finance clerk.

“After repeated attempts, I had been transferred to Saigon to be a disc jockey, as I had been in civilian life,” he wrote. “The Army can work in mysterious ways.”

In the article, Sajak admitted to feeling a little guilty about his relatively soft duty.

“After all, I was billeted in a hotel, and there were plenty of nice restaurants around. But I always felt a little better when I met guys who came into town from the field and thanked us for bringing them a little bit of home,” he wrote.

Sajak added that he always thought it was strange that he would get thanked, given what so many of his fellow service members were going through daily.

“But they reminded me of the importance of providing entertainment to those who serve,” he wrote.

Sajak said he has never lost his respect for those who serve in the military.

“`On Wheel of Fortune’ my favorite weeks are those which feature military personnel. We’ve also had Military Families Week to honor those at home whose sacrifices are often overlooked. Even when we don’t have special military-themed weeks, many of our players are members of the armed services,” he wrote. “And I’m happy to report that, in terms of ratings and audience feedback, our viewers seem to enjoy and appreciate that fact. As a Vietnam vet, I’m especially gratified to see a change in the way veterans of that war are perceived and appreciated.”

In the article, Sajak recounted an incident that happened in December of 1969 just as President Richard Nixon was preparing to make his first holiday address to the nation as president.

Sajak noted that back then, technology did not allow for live television coverage to Southeast Asia, so the address was going to be delivered by radio. Due to the time difference, the address would take place during Sajak’s show.

“The process was a simple one. While I was playing records—yes, records—and delivering snappy patter, I was monitoring CBS News through a pair of headsets,” Sajak said. “When it came time for the president to start his speech, I would hear him being introduced through those headsets. Right on schedule, the CBS announcer began his introduction and I broke into the music I was playing to announce in the most important tone I could muster, `We now go to Washington for an address by President Nixon. Ladies and gentlemen, the president of the United States.’”

Sajak said he flipped the switch to bring the feed to Vietnam and Nixon began his speech.

“When he came to the end and began shuffling the papers in front of him, I flipped the switch in the other direction and, again, in my best announcer’s voice, I told everyone they had been listening to the commander in chief, and then it was back to the business of entertainment,” continued Sajak.

After he began the next record, Sajak said he wanted to hear what the CBS announcers back were saying about Nixon’s speech.

“Since we didn’t carry the post-speech analysis, I flipped back to the CBS feed in the studio where, to my horror, I discovered that they weren’t discussing the speech - the president was still speaking,” said Sajak.

What Sajak thought was the end of the speech was a pause.

“To make matters worse, I heard Nixon say, `And now I’d like to speak directly to the men and women serving our country in Vietnam,’” he said.

Sajak said he had a decision to make: Stop playing the 1910 Fruitgum Company singing “1, 2, 3 Red Light” and confess that he had cut off Nixon in the middle of his speech or keep playing music.

“It was as if a little angel was perched on one shoulder with a little devil on the other. The angel, of course, was right,” continued Sajaik. “The president was speaking and it was my duty to reconnect him. But, I had to admit that the devil was making some good points.”

Sajak went with what the devil on his shoulder told him.

“It is with pain and embarrassment that I confess the secret of my Pat Sajak Vietnam DJ Days - that my comrades in Vietnam never heard the president’s words to them back in 1969,” Sajak concluded. “So, very belatedly, I want you all to know that Richard M. Nixon wishes you a very merry Christmas.”

Sajak has hosted Wheel since 1983. He also hosted a late night talk show for CBS for one season; guest hosted “Larry King Live” and filled in for Regis Philbin on “Live with Regis and Kelly.”

Reach Julia LeDoux at Julia@connectingvets.com .