Current Status:  

Deceased

Tour of Duty:  

1964 - 1965

Designation:  

Army NCOIC and morning newscaster on Radio. 

NA

NA

From the Altanta, GA area.

Joined the Army in the mid 1940's. First assigned to Tokyo in 1947 where he served as Assistant Program Director for Radio Tokyo, a key station for the Far east AFRS network.

Hal was then assigned to AFN Munich Germany and later as Program Director at AFN Bremerhaven Germany.

Hal also served 4 years in Hollywood with the Office Chief of Information, DA where he was Radio & TV NCO and technical advisor on network programs with an Army theme.

He then served a tour in Korea with AFKN where he was the network radio NCOIC.

Upon return to CONUS, he was named NCOIC Radio & TV Dept for the Army Information School at Ft Slocum, NY.

Hal called  Atlanta home and planned to retire there with his wife Rita and their son Gary.

Most recent info:  

Retired into several civilian radio jobs and was News Director at a Colorado Springs radio station at the time of his death in July 1987 at the age of 67. Hal (Harold) Tatel was married to a Canal Zone sweetheart, Rita who still lives in CO.

Colorado Springs, CO

NA

No photo available

Current Status:  

FOUND

Tour of Duty:  

60's

Designation:  

Announcer?

NA

NA

Last seen as a weather announcer on a Portland, Oregon station in the 70's.

Most recent info:  

possible that this is the same Ferris Top who owns Top Communications in Portland, Oregon

Portland, Oregon

{ferristtopcommunicationscom}

Current Status:  

Missing

Tour of Duty:  

Early 60's

Designation:  

Radio Announcer

Dee Trantor and Bill Hodgson (Bee and Dee) did a Saturday morning show called "Music Mania." It was a Bob and Ray type production with short skits mixed in with off-beat music. They may not have had a lot of listeners but they sure had a lot of fun and often recruited other staff members to help out.

Dee was a devout Mormon who never uttered anything worse than "gosh" or "darn" - until he blew a 5-foot putt.

After CFN, he returned to Utah and bought a radio station with his brother

Most recent info:  

NA

NA

NA

Current Status:  

Missing

Tour of Duty:  

Early 60's

Designation:  

NCOIC

Could be very military when the situation called for it, but otherwise was very laid back and let his crew use whatever talents they had.

NA

Believed to have been from the NYC area. 

Most recent info:  

NA

NA

NA

Current Status:  

FOUND

Tour of Duty:  

66 - 67

Designation:  

33C TV Equipment Repair

Worked for Sgt King who ran engineering for Robert Botzenmayer. 

NA

He went to Redstone Arsenal after Ft Clayton and worked in the TV studios for the missile and munitions school there.

After separation, Tom worked for Alabama ETV and then left broadcasting.

Tom retired from Compaq in Houston as an Engineering Manager in 2002.

Most recent info:  

has started a new company

Tom is currently living in Eastern Texas

{tomvhoustonquikcom}

Current Status:  

FOUND

Tour of Duty:  

69 - 71

Designation:  

Engineer

NA

Nicknamed "Van"

Redhead who came from Oshkosh, WI.

Most recent info:  

is the local Fire Chief

Currently living in Kaukauna, WI

{waynevanexecpccom}

Current Status:  

Deceased

Tour of Duty:  

65 - Feb 1966

Designation:  

Navy Journalist, TV news & Radio 

At SCN, Del worked in the News department preparing world News, for broadcasts.

Appeared on the local news segment of "Dateline" every weekday evening.

Del also had his own radio show. "Music for an afternoon, which aired at 1PM daily during the week. 

"Interviewed Hugh Downs during his transit of the Canal on the way to Tahiti.

Del's hobbies were water skiing and skin diving. During his tour at SCN, Del lived in Cocoli with his wife, Chris and his son Stephan.

Prior to SCN, Del worked at several civilian radio and TV stations, from St Petersburg, FL WALT and WASA in Haver de Grace, Maryland, to WQAL in Philadelphia, PA. 

Del called St Petersburg, FL his hometown.

He attended the University of FL and the University of Chattanooga where he studied advertising.

Del returned to radio and TV as he planned after his separation from the service.

Most recent info:  

He became a CBS News correspondent and was killed in a helicopter crash covering the hurricane Agnes floods in Pennsylvania, June 1972 at the age of 29. Del was born Dec 9th, 1942 as Odell Vaughn in Florida.

NA

NA

Current Status:  

FOUND

Tour of Duty:  

 Feb 64 thru August of 66

Designation:  

Army

Arrived at SCN in February '64, first wave of new replacements after the January Balboa flag demonstrations and disturbances.

Steve was 20 hours out of Basic Training in Ft Leonard Wood, and 5 hours later was treated to refreshments at the Tivoli Guest House by SCN old-timers Ralph Murphine and Bill Fleming. Next morning Lt Col Churchville addressed all hands to formalize the new reporting-to structure, to Quarry Heights PAO. 

Transferred over to Southern Command Information Office but quartered at & did duty at SCN for a while, then quartered at Ft Amador but worked...etc.

Because the Southern Command became a "hardship" tour following the demonstrations, Steve spent 30 months in the Zone.

Steve allowed himself to be traded to the Army PIO in Ft Amador to clear the way for Charlie Pickard to return to SCN and begin the Nicky the Crew Chief, Children's afternoon show.

His last year-plus, Steve lived in Ft. Amador but visited SCN often.

Was on SCN just before that as a guest. (The Barry Sadler pics were taken that night, Steve was with him so they put Steve on for a short timer farewell chat.)

With Chicago Magazine for a while after leaving the service.

Most recent info:  

NA

Been in Chicago ever since leaving the Zone, 42 years.

{veenkerscnczcom}

Current Status:  

Missing

Tour of Duty:  

1964 - 67

Designation:  

USAF. NCOIC of Television

NA

NA

NA

Most recent info:  

NA

NA

NA

No photo available

Current Status:  

Missing

Tour of Duty:  

71 - 72 or 73

Designation:  

SCN Newspaper volunteer 

Worked on the newspaper staff putting the two people and places pages together.

Wife of a military husband (non-SCN)

Best known (on the newspaper staff) for her love of morning roach coach spicy sausage (half smokes).  They learned not to light cigarettes, smoke, or have any open flame within 25 feet of her after her roach coach purchases

NA

Most recent info:  

NA

NA

NA

Current Status:  

Missing

Tour of Duty:  

1965 - 1967

Designation:  

USAF. Engineer

Jim quickly became an outstanding member of the SCN engineering staff.

At the time Jim was in the CZ, he was married to Janice and had one son named Troy.

Joined the USAF in 1963. Attended Technical training at Keesler AFB in MS and was later assigned to Lowry AFB in CO where he worked with closed circuit educational TV for 2 years.

After 2 years in the Canal Zone, Jim planned to stay in the USAF for another 16 1/2 years to complete a 20 year career. 

Most recent info:  

NA

NA

NA

 No photo available

Current Status:  

Missing

Tour of Duty:  

Early 60's

Designation:  

Film librarian

NA

The CFN crew used to all go down and watch Rawhide, Perry Mason and a few other favorites as soon as they came in. (Star Trek, too in later years)

NA

Most recent info:  

NA

NA

NA

Current Status:  

Missing

Tour of Duty:  

Mid 60's

Designation:  

Photographer

Photographer from Corozal

NA

NA

Most recent info:  

NA

NA

NA

Current Status:  

FOUND

Tour of Duty:  

69 - 72

Designation:  

Engineer 

Worked in Master control. 

A car racing enthusiast from Michigan. 

Drove a Ford Cortina.

Worked for WDIV TV in Detroit until about 15 years ago.

Worked for a Video Production company in Detroit until early 2002 when he moved to Lansing.

Most recent info:  

Currently Chief engineer for WSYM TV in Lansing, MI. working at a video production company in Detroit, MI where he has been for 15 years. Has one son. 

Lansing, MI

{willgarbignetnet}

Current Status:  

Missing

Tour of Duty:  

Mid 60's

Designation:  

NA

NA

Known for his great singing voice

NA

Most recent info:  

NA

NA

NA

Current Status:  

FOUND

Tour of Duty:  

64 - 65

Designation:  

Army. TV news anchor

Succeeded Chris Kelly as the News anchor.

Also sang in several CZ theater productions. 

Originally from Virginia. 

After SCN, he became a TV news anchor working in Virginia and Florida. 

Most recent info:  

Currently, John is a news director at Fox 13 (WTVT-TV) in Tampa, Fla. His son, Mark, is a reporter and part-time anchor there as well. His other son is an established professional on the Broadway stage. John and his wife, Mary, are deeply involved in the community. They are both accomplished singers and give many benefit performances around the Tampa Bay area. John has been in the area for many years, having first worked at Channel 10, a former ABC affiliate.

Tampa, FL

NA

No photo available

Current Status:  

Missing

Tour of Duty:  

1960's

Designation:  

USAF TV director

NA

NA

NA

Most recent info:  

NA

NA

NA

Current Status:  

Missing

Tour of Duty:  

@ 1964 - 1966

Designation:  

Army Sp4. Cameraman, TV Sports Announcer

Cameraman and TV sports announcer. Also some radio as well.

NA

In the mid-80's, he was located in the central valley of California in or near Bakersfield and married.

Most recent info:  

NA

NA

NA